The opening notes of GECKØS’ self-titled debut are, fittingly, the first sounds the trio ever created together. It happened on the day of a wedding in Tucson, Arizona, where M. Ward, Howe Gelb (of Giant Sand), and Mark McCausland (a.k.a. McKowski) had been asked to compose a song for the couple’s first dance. Though each had collaborated with the others individually, the three had never made music as a group—or even been in the same room at the same time. With a couple waiting and a dive-bar venue in need of a band, they got to work. Listen to the vibrant “El Techno” below…
“Wedding Waltz” is the dreamy ballad they came up with — a Southwestern splash of nylon string romance sung in Spanish by Ward — and after the performance that night, one thought occurred to all three simultaneously: Why don’t we make some more? “I think if we had tried to plan it,” McCausland said, “it could never have happened. It’s something that just kind of happened naturally.”
With Gelb based in Tucson, Ward in Portland, Oregon, and McCausland in Omagh, Ireland, the prospect of putting together a full GECKØS album wasn’t a casual commitment. It meant some musical globetrotting was in order — flying back and forth from their home bases as well as to locales like London and Bristol.
“We have good mileage plans on our different airlines,” Ward said, laughing “[Irish Airline] Aer Lingus has been very helpful for this project.” But they felt the pull — saw a spark that flashed when they got in one place that bonded them and made them compelled to see what GECKØS could create. “When you collaborate,” Gelb said, “others take it somewhere where you couldn’t have imagined at all. A new identity gets stamped on.”
A Limited edition 7″ vinyl of the singles “Dance of the Gecko” and “El Techno” are available now. Order page is here. The full length record will be available on LP, CD, and digital formats. A transparent red vinyl pressing will be widely available and a limited gold vinyl pressing will be available exclusively from Org Music, PIAPTK Records and at live shows.
Album Tracklist
1. Wedding Waltz
2. Dance of the Gecko
3. Lo Hice
4. Black Diamond
5. El Techno
6. Scoundrel
7. River Song
8. Botas Negras
9. Blame it on the Ocean
10. Equilibrio
11. Red Spade
