Gung Ho

The sunny streets of Brisbane have just enough energy and mind-numbing monotony to make any kid want to start a band. At least that was the case for Michael McAlary and Oliver Duncan. The duo first met in high school but didn’t start playing music together until 2010. Before that they were the stand and stare audience to their friends bands’. The two worked behind the scenes, directing videos and recording and mixing tracks for their peers, but all the while knowing that they had the big ideas and blend of styles that would eventually take them to the stage in their own right.

Gung Ho’s infancy was raw but infectious - the combination of Oliver’s retro bass lines with Mike’s hook laden guitar riffs made for a unique environment for the lead vocals to rhyme and scream through. After Michael weaved his melodic backing vocals through the choruses they knew that they had an eclectic formula they could derive a set from.

Their catchy collage jams soon caught the interest of drummer James Wright and the three of them holed themselves up in a sweaty rehearsal room readying themselves to play in Brisbane clubs for the next 12 months.

In 2011 the band was sonically ready to move beyond their infancy. They made a conscious decision to become more relevant, but at the same time, to retain their energy and originality.

Gung Ho’s first official single ‘Twin Rays’ did just that. They received their first taste of radio play, with triple j showing strongest support by handing them an opening slot at the 2011 Harvest Festival in Brisbane. They received international attention for ‘Twin Rays’ and their back catalogue from blogs such as ‘The Recommender’ and ‘Potholes In My Blog’ before eventually being swept up by Sydney tastemaker label Future Classic.

Sliding into 2012, and with a new single called ‘Side By Side’, Gung Ho is preparing the release of their debut EP, squeezing in recording sessions amongst endless support slots with the likes of Whitest Boy Alive and Wavves and touring with the likes of Dune Rats, Bleeding Knees Club, Millions, Bluejuice, Yacht Club DJs and, most recently, Last Dinosaurs on their sell-out album tour.

Their forthcoming EP is a bite sized concept record of their musical journey so far. It will feature their prominent post-punk jams alongside other melodious new wave singles with producer Sean Caskey (member - Last Dinosaurs) at the helm; it looks as if this is only the beginning for Gung Ho.