We Are Doomed, so We Might as Well be Dancing! Q&A with LOVESICK’s David Goolkasian

If you’ve spent any time listening to the Granite Rodeo here on WSCA, you’ve undoubtedly heard The Texas Governor permeating from your stereo speakers. The band has long been a staple of the playlists that make up the Rodeo’s program, and, further, are divinely stitched into the fabric of seacoast music scene lore. Frontman David Goolkasian is a true artist and puts more into his music than simply the music itself. There’s something to be said for that.

It’s been a long time since Goolkasian has put out new music. Over a decade, in fact. We’ve all been collectively watching it all blowing by as time plods along; now (finally) presenting us with something we’ve all been patiently waiting for. LOVESICK. Goolkasian’s new band with partner Heather Joy Morgan. As you can imagine if you know any of Goolkasian’s backlog, the music is fun. It’s wild. It’s spacey. It’s a spectacle for the ears. And, with a release show for “…hoping this is the end…” happening at Auspicious Brew in Dover on Saturday, April 8, it’ll soon be a spectacle for the eyes as well. Here’s to hoping this is just the beginning…

Granite Rodeo: What excites you about offering up some new music? How long has it been?

Goolkasian: I’ll pick a number: 17 years. I have no idea if that’s correct, but that’s a good number.

Granite Rodeo: It’s been a long time! And now, you’re introducing the world to Lovesick. Tell us about the project? How’d it come to fruition? Why’d it come to fruition?

Goolkasian: Oh man, that’s a hard question. “Fruition” is a funny word and all I can picture is Fruit & Nutrition.

I was working away on the 3rd Texas Governor record, and my computer died with all of it on it. I actually have a whole other EP which I worked on with Terry Palmer, who is brilliant. I am excited to follow up with that soon, but I made the mistake of adding a cover song, so we are stuck in licensing limbo.

Somewhere around the time my computer died and the start of my second divorce, Heather Morgan and I found each other. Amidst romantic devastation, we fell into the madness of our own passions, a long-distance relationship. While we tortured one another with the push and pull of romance, we started writing songs together. Heather Joy Morgan, who was living in Brooklyn, came to visit and she loved music even though she had never played before, so I started writing with her and loved it.

I was thinking, “What’s more sickening than a new Couple in Love? One that plays music together as well!” Hahaha, so we decided to call our project LOVESICK.

I love the name because, conceptually, it feels infinite to me. It has both a positive and negative connotations based on one’s perspective. When you are longing – you are LOVESICK in a sad and romantic way. When you are HAPPILY IN LOVE – YOU ARE LOVESICK in a positive way. When people see a happy couple in love, they’ll say, “oh, such a happy couple,” then perhaps after they leave, “my God, they are so in love; it makes me SICK. I think I’m going to go throw up.”

Working with Morgan has been really exciting as the means of exploring this feverish relationship, and it’s fun because she approaches music as a writer and painter, with a theatrical quality, not as much as a musician. It adds something very different for me to reflect off of. Every time we sit down to work on music, it feels like we are discovering new ways to combine our creativity. It’s a blast.

Granite Rodeo: What were the goals behind the record? How did your other forays into making records (with Elevator Drops, Texas Governor, etc.) influence or inspire how you tackled this one?

Goolkasian: I strive to create new projects and sounds, but I mean, there are always echoes of the past in the music one creates.

Granite Rodeo: What was the songwriting process like? Was it a collaborative effort? I like how you and Heather take turns singing. Seems like you both had a lot of fun with this thing.

Goolkasian: This record was conceived and recorded during the Covid lockdown, which brought morbidity to the forefront of societal consciousness. It was great fun. We are doomed, so we might as well be dancing! Morgan likes to say that, anyway. She’s great with words and the having of opinions; I do most of the arranging. It’s definitely a collaborative process.

In addition, when I thought the record was done, I tried to get it mastered. I sent it to Ross Cisneros at Studio Geist. Ross asked if he could “produce” it a bit. Next thing we knew, he had added some amazing guitar parts and had Tony Garnier playing stand-up bass on a few tracks (he’s a staple on a lot of Bob Dylan & Tom Waits records). Ross is brilliant, and he added a lot of beauty to the sound of the record, but he also made us recut some of our vocals with better Microphones, so that is why it took so long to materialize.

Granite Rodeo: Tell us about the singing Italian Greyhound Puppy, Cozimo.

Goolkasian: When we started practicing, Cozimo, our energetic Italian Greyhound, would run in and start singing along. It often gets so loud and obtrusive, that it actually makes it hard to practice music in the house. While we’re recording the last song on the record, he burst into the studio and sang right over heathers part. So, we wound up incorporating his beautifully somber crooning into the song, “We’ve Been Down This Road before.” I expect to hear more from him on the next record. He’s Italian – it’s in his blood.

Granite Rodeo: In general, why music? Why do you seek it? Why do you create it?

Goolkasian: Why release an album in 2023? Not to make money, that’s certain! I need to keep creating things for the state of my own spirit. Being a musician is like being a drug addict without all the negative side effects.

Granite Rodeo: You’ve been away from the music scene for a decent spell. What have you been up to? What led you to scratch the itch and take music for a ride again?

Goolkasian: Having a creative partner has really made it fun to conceive live performance, making videos, connecting with audiences again.

Oh, we are so excited to release our first video for “BLUE SKIES ON MARS.” It’s homemade, and it’s fun.

Granite Rodeo: You all are rolling the band out for a release party at Auspicious Brew on April 8. What are you looking forward to as it pertains to the gig? What can folks expect?

Goolkasian: We have a killer band with Adam Wade on Guitar, whom we know from back in Boston from his Goth Band Funeral Party (laughs). I guess with that name, Labeling it “Goth” is rather redundant.

Crazy story: we had The Chameleons UK play a private show at our house last year. Adam showed up, and it turns out we are neighbors, so obviously, we started playing together, and I love his guitar playing. The bombastic drums are provided by Palana of Palana vs the Man. We love her!

Granite Rodeo: What can folks expect?

Goolkasian: CAUTION: Lovesick is not a folk duo. Bring an open mind and earplugs! We are loud!

Auspicious Brew has delicious Lavender Lemonade and Alcohol Infused Kombucha.

Oh, and bring lots of money ’cause you should actually buy our record cause it’s great.

Also, check out The Jerritones (super fun OFFICE ROCK) and the amazing DANNY BLAKESLEE. This feels like a sort of homecoming as Blakeslee and fellow Calabash Club band member Nick Phaneuff were the first musicians to really help welcome the Texas Governor to the area.

This show is a celebration of the completion of both this new release, and our live band. People can expect loud sound, a bit of spectacle, and a lot of feeling.

For more information, check out www.lovesickband.com and www.auspiciousbrew.com/live-music.