Interview: The Glitch Mob

Three men, one of a kind. The Glitch Mob have stood the test of time with high-energy, high-quality music – and their third studio album is no exception. The trio are a rare breed when it comes to their art as their view on music isn’t quite the norm. In fact, only a handful of artists come to mind who will openly discuss their lack of involvement in the creative process (PNAU’s Peter Mayes being one of them). Their is a theory among these few artists that they aren’t the ones necessarily writing the music, but it writes itself through them with the eradication of the ego being the key factor.

We caught up with TGM to discuss their new album, what they like to do outside of music and how they’re bringing virtual reality to the music world.

Hey TGM thanks for chatting with us, ‘See Without Eyes’ is a beautiful journey drenched in emotion and grit. If you had to describe it in one word, what would it be?
Immersion.

You’ve said all of your music is “written on a feeling”, instead of an idea. Do you have any methods in place that help you channel your creativity?
For us, music is all about getting our egos out of the way and letting the music do it’s thing. It’s a mysterious process, but the best stuff happens from a feeling and not a musical concept. The best stuff happens when we don’t overthink it; capture an emotion and tell an authentic story.

Tell us a little about where you’re from, where’s your favourite pub/bar/club to hang out?
We all live in Los Angeles, east side around Silverlake / Mt. Washington. Places to hang out would include nature, climbing gyms, and a BBQ in our backyards with friends.

A lot of your philosophy is based on spiritual practices, especially with your latest album (as it’s name suggests). As human beings, what led you to become students of spirituality?
Spirituality is, for myself, about the mystery of being a human. Where do our thoughts end and intuition begin? There’s so much that we do know about consciousness, and even more that we don’t. Music and contemplative practices are a way to explore these questions.

We heard you’re about to incorporate virtual reality in your live show, may we ask how?
We are working on a VR project with The Wave. It’s a whole new way to experience the album. It’s a separate thing altogether than the live show. You can read more info here and hopefully experience it when it’s out.

On your travels, your fans are exposed to the very immersive feel of your live show. Where have been some of your favourite cities/countries to perform?
Every show is different. We love all of it. The best shows are the ones where the vibe hits a high point and everyone is connected as one musical organism.

Staying on the same topic, where is a place you’ve traveled that has inspired you to write your music? (if you have an image of this place or something similar please also include)
Joshua Tree desert. We’ve started the past two albums living out there.

You released your album on May 4th… are you Star Wars fans or is the chosen date a coincidence?
That was a coincidence!

Finally, when you’re not touring or writing, what do you like to do?
Explore nature, read books, goto the climbing gym, cooking, and spiritual journeys. 🙂

The Glitch Mob ‘See Without eyes’ is available now.