Doomed Confessionary: Gabriel & Matheus (Mushgroove)
Photos by Dhyego Xinxilah
Mushgroove is a psychedelic heavy/stoner rock trio from São Paulo, Brazil.
They have released their second EP »Evil Witch« on October 11th, 2024. The new EP is digitally distributed through Abraxas Records and available now on all major streaming platforms.
The central idea for the cover art was brought by Vinicius Crivellari, the band’s guitarist, and the concepts were developed together with the other members, Gabriel Leme (bass and vocals) and Matheus Roma (drums).
The forest, dense and obscure, represents the mystery that the listener is about to unravel. The serpent following its own tail represents the endless cycle of life and death that all beings go through, while the eye represents the search for consciousness and knowledge of all things. There was a simultaneous convergence between the cover creation process and the choice and organization of the tracks. The enigmatic aesthetic achieved from these elements illustrates very well the compositions present in this EP.
Can you say a few words about your band?
Gabriel: I’ve known Vinicius since I was a teenager, we’ve been working together with music for at least 8 years, after some experiences we had the idea of creating a power trio that sounded heavy, but maintaining the groove present in the origins of rock n roll. That’s when we invited Matheus and then we started what we now call Mushgroove.
Matheus: When the boys invited me to be part of the project, I didn’t have any band to play with at the moment, my old band had gone on hiatus and I had just returned to the city, right away I got interested in the proposal and the songs, we started rehearsing and the members’ language was very similar, it was a matter of time for us to finish the compositions and record the songs for the first EP, the rest flowed naturally and things have been happening spontaneously with the band.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Gabriel: It was definitely keeping our creative process and productivity right from the beginning, we had just gone through the pandemic and our first year as a band was basically in the studio, composing and discussing what paths we would take as independent artists.
What can you be most proud of so far?
Our latest release is certainly a source of pride, we recorded our EP at Electric Hill Studio, which is located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where we were able to achieve the sound we expected, and it was also the moment to record our first videoclip. »Evil Witch« records the moment in which the band reaches its creative peak since its formation, in 2021.
What was your biggest regret?
Gabriel: I think in general we don’t have any kind of regrets related to the band, everything we’ve done since our debut has brought us exactly to where we are, things are the way they are, we must deal with reality. The Road has made us mature and we are following a good path.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
It was at the end of 2023, between October and December, it was the period in which we played the most around Sao Paulo. We had the opportunity to discover new bands and conquer an audience that had not yet been reached. It was a somewhat exhausting mini tour, but it was worth every stage we went to.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
The fact that there is still interest in heavy music today, we see new generations searching for our sound, forming their own bands and drinking from common influences. Music is constantly changing and heavy rock is still alive, even in different forms of expression.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Something interesting that adds a lot to our current musicality is that the three of us listen to different artists and bands, even outside of heavy music, Brazilian music is very broad and full of colors, but of course in our rotation we cannot miss main source of inspiration, which is Sabbath, as well as names from the 90s/2000s like Sleep, Kyuss, Red Fang and even current ones like Kadavar. This mix of references results in the sound we have recently achieved.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Not caring about numbers, especially when it comes to social media. We live in the internet age, people don’t consume music like they used to and the way artists work has changed drastically. We must learn to enjoy the process of creation, production and execution, with passion for what we do and without worrying about engagement and results in numbers. Worrying about the number of followers and likes can be frustrating and can hinder the way we deal with our music.
What are your guilty pleasures?
Matheus: Drugs and League of Legends.
Gabriel: Well, as the lead singer of a noisy band, ironically I really like to be silent and sometimes I isolate myself from the world around me. I’m currently living in Canada, while the band and everyone I know are in Brazil and I can go days without communicating. even with those closest to me. You know, silence is important, but there must be a balance.
Can you say something more about the current music scene in São Paulo?
Matheus: The scene here is quite complicated, bands don’t have a festival circuit to showcase their work, there are many cover bands and musicians who play what the contractors want, and the space for underground bands is very few. Even so, we managed to have a busy schedule, largely thanks to friendly bands and collectives that promote independent culture in nearby cities (Mar de Lobos, Presidente Judas, Coletivo Pé Vermeio, Pancada Produções, etc.) and to the contacts we managed after receiving advice from Bruxa Verde staff.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
At the end of the year we have dates at some alternative music festivals, we played 24/11 in Itapetiniga/SP, at Passeiata do Rock; in Boituva/SP on 12/07 at the Gemeos festival and in Tatuí/SP at the festival organized by the Pé Vermeio collective.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
Matheus: Continue producing, playing, composing and experimenting with new influences to add more layers to our sound. We also want to have more presence and play more in the capital of our state, São Paulo.
Gabriel: As soon as we return to Brazil we will get together to start recording our next album, we already have most of the tracks and some are already played live, but there is a lot of unreleased material and this will be released in 2025.
Do you have any special plans for New Year’s Eve?
Matheus: My plan is to spend New Year’s Eve on the beach in Bertioga at a friend’s house.
Gabriel: The band will be on vacation but I won’t haha, so I’ll remain here in Canada until at least March 2025. Vinicius will probably be working too. He wasn’t able to participate in this interview due to his rush, in fact.
How can people best support your band?
By listening and promoting our sound, the more people know our work, the better for us. Any monetary support at Bandcamp is also welcome. For those who are going to see us live, buy our merch, this also helps a lot to keep the band active and traveling around the country.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Matheus: Drink water, eat well, follow us on our social networks and streaming platforms and collaborate to overthrow the capitalist system.
Gabriel: I would like to say thank you to our entire audience, you are very important and motivate us to continue bringing our art to life. Listen and share our latest release »Evil Witch«, stay tuned because in 2025 a lot will happen. And don’t listen to Matheus haha!
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well