Gaz Coombes

Q&A: Gaz Coombes (ex-Supergrass)

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Gaz Coombes, of Supergrass fame, is set to embark on a US tour this month in support of his brand new LP entitled, World’s Strongest Man, which is set to drop on May 4. He’ll be making a stop in San Francisco at the Swedish American Music hall on March 11, and in anticipation of his performance, we wanted to check in with Chaz to see what he’s been up to. We talked about how his solo stuff differs from what he was doing with Supergrass, what he thinks of San Francisco audiences, and how he manages to balance the rockstar life with being a husband and a dad.

How is your solo music different from what you were doing with Supergrass?

It’s a different approach writing and recording on my own. I’m able to go to places I’ve never been before and explore new ways of writing and getting sounds. I think the last four years has been the most creative period in my life.

Looking back at your days with Supergrass, what would you like the legacy of the band to be?

A band who did it all on their terms. Constantly evolved and made great records.

You’re playing San Francisco in March, what can we expect at your show?

I’ve really enjoyed getting my solo show together. It’s just me, a bunch of guitars, some loops, and a few drum machines. The songs feel great to play in this stripped down way. There’ll be some tracks from the new record which are sounding great live and definitely a few oldies thrown in too

What do you think of San Francisco audiences?

It’s a love affair that goes back to the mid-’90s. So many great memories of gigs at Slims, Bottom of the Hill, the Filmore. Always such a good vibe.

You’ve got a new album coming out entitled World’s Strongest Man. Can you talk a little about it?

It’s been a great year making this record. A very exciting time for me musically. It felt like all my ideas were clicking and the songs started writing themselves. I feel really good about this one.

What do you think of the music industry today?

It’s kind of open season in terms of how we distribute and consume music. But as fragmented as it all is, it feels kind of on the edge; like we’re all walking into the unknown. And I like to create when things around me aren’t too safe and comfortable. It’s going to be fascinating to see how the industry evolves over the next decade.

You’re married with two daughters. How do you balance being a dad with living the rockstar life?

It’s just what I’ve always done. It’s not a crazy rockstar life as such. More unorthodox really. But having kids definitely pulled a lot together for me. It brought a lot of things into focus.

What do you think of the music coming out of the U.K. today?

There’s some good stuff around. Hookworms, Warmduscher, Willie J Healy to name a few.

Noise Pop Presents: Gaz Coombes ex-Supergrass (Solo), Piney Gir // Sun March 11 Swedish American Music Hall // 7:00 PM (Doors) $25-30, 21+

Photo courtesy of Motormouth Media

Having released albums under Digital Nations, a label founded by Steve Vai, music critic Louis Raphael has remained deeply connected to the pulse of the San Francisco music scene. Following his tenure as the San Francisco Music Examiner for Examiner.com and AXS.com, he embarked on creating Music in SF® to authentically highlight the vibrant offerings of the city's music scene.