CREATIVE CONVERSATIONS 127: GREG GOULD ON 'MARCHING ON’ AND THE QUEER COMMUNITY's FIGHT FOR EQUALITY | VIDEO

Interview by Brooke Gibbs.

Australian singer-songwriter Greg Gould is no stranger when it comes to standing up for the Queer community. It comes with no surprise that his original song, Marching On, has been chosen as the official anthem of Darwin Pride 2023, which he will also be performing at.

Greg chats to Futuremag Music editor Brooke Gibbs, about all things Darwin Pride, the queer community’s fight for equality, and his upcoming album.

Watch the full interview below.

FMM: Thank you so much for joining me today. Love the backyard, by the way. Where are you joining us from?

Greg: I thought I'd invite you to my mum's backyard. I'm here on the beautiful Central Coast, New South Wales.

FMM: Today is a very exciting day for you to be joining us because the Marching On remix was released today. It must be feeling like it's your birthday with all the excitement that you must be receiving today.

Greg: Do you know what? It's exactly what it feels like every time you release a song. It's like you're giving birth to a child, almost, and to see the reaction, t's just a beautiful celebration. This song's been a labour of love and something I've worked on for a long time, so it's nice to finally see it out in the world.

FMM: I know you're mid tour at the moment as well, so you must be very busy, but how are you celebrating the release today?

Greg: I had a nana nap. To celebrate, as soon as I'm done with you Brooke, I'm heading to dinner to catch up with friends because I'm from the Central Coast, but I live in Melbourne, so I'm seeing some friends that I've not seen in a long time and I'll see my godson. So I think, what better way to celebrate than to be with your closest family?

FMM: That's a perfect way to celebrate. I love that you included the nap as well, because, look, that's the reality of it and that's what we do.

Greg: I'm over 30, that's what we do [laughs].

FMM: How has the reaction been to it so far? Have people reach out to you and been like, hey, I'm loving this song, or, what sort of messages have you been getting today from people?

Greg: Well, this is obviously the remix that came out today, so the song's been out for about a month. And, yes, I wrote this song about the queer community's fight for equality. It's about how far we've come from the shoulders that we stand on to be able to celebrate pride the way we do today. You only have to look around the world to see what's happening. People are still fighting for their rights and they're still trying to tear our rights apart. So, I definitely feel like it has resonated with people.

I've had some beautiful support and people saying, “Wow!” It's also a statement as me stepping forward as an original artist for the very first time as well. It's a pretty bold statement for me to come forward and write a song that means so much to me and hopefully to other people as well.

FMM: Yeah, you're right. It is a bold statement, so well done on having the courage to come out with that song and also being a voice for so many people in the community who don't have that voice at the moment.

Greg: Yeah, it's scary. I feel like we're being targeted pretty badly at the moment. I mean, you only have to look at what's happening in Tennessee with the drag bill, the drag bans, and the taking away trans rights and Uganda now bringing back, it's illegal to be gay again. We want to be stepping forward with progress, not taking steps backwards, but sometimes it is two steps forward, one step back to get where we need to go.

But as long as we keep pushing forward, and that's what the song is about, keep marching on, keep pushing forward and be yourself. Don't ever be afraid to be yourself.

FMM: It's an important message of encouragement. Thank you so much for writing this song and sharing it with others. As you said before, this song has been out for a month and the remix has come out today. Why was Dave Aude, who's an incredible producer, the perfect fit for delivering this powerful message?

Greg: Well, to be honest, I just wanted someone really special and big enough to carry this message further than I could. I am 35 years old. Back in the day, the Dave Aude mixes were definitely a staple in the gay clubs that I used to dance. I think he's always been so supportive of the queer community himself. Funnily enough, David Aude's team, most of them are gay. He's got some wonderful gay friends. His remixes, I think they speak to the older generation, but also the younger generation, so he can carry the torch across a lot of that.

If you listen to the mix, the song's got power behind it and it still carries the message within the beat. I think a lot of times when you add extra production or you speed a song up, you lose that passionate part of it. I think that he's definitely kept that fight in the song, which is important.

FMM: I think so, too, because when I listen to the differences between the original and the remix, both are uniquely great in their own way, but that remix just has that extra oomph of power and it's all about marching and reclaiming that power.

Greg: Totally! I can’t wait to dance with you when I come to Darwin. I've never been to the Northern Territory. I'll tell you how bad this is. I was talking to the team at Darwin Pride and this is how much I don't know anything about the Northern Territory because I'm like, I can't wait to see the Ayers Rock. And they're like, Babe, that's nowhere near Darwin. So I'm looking forward to having the proper, full Darwin experience when I come for Darwin Pride in June. It's a place that I've wanted to come to for a long, long time. And I'm so, so excited Brooke, so you're going to have to show me around.

FMM: Definitely. I mean, I can't show you the Ayers Rock, unfortunately, because it's a bit far out from where you'll be performing, but I can show you around.

Greg: Lovely. Lovely.

FM: And it's incredible because what a great title to have that Marching On is the official anthem of Darwin Pride 2023. How does that feel, knowing that of all the queer songs, your song was chosen?

Greg: It means a lot to me, especially being an original song. I spent the last ten years since Australia's Got Talent… It was ten years ago this year. Funnily enough, before you do your audition, which my audition song to the public that was aired was Purple Rain by Prince, so it was all covers. But, I actually auditioned to the producers for Australia's Got Talent with original music. Cut to ten years later, for whatever reasons, I've had a lot of false starts to my career, broken promises from record labels, things like that, that I've never actually… this is technically my first original album, the start of my first original album ten years later, which it just happened that way. But, majority of my success has all been in the covers world. It's been interpreting other people's songs. So, to have a song that I've written as the theme for something so special, that represents a lot of people, and especially in Darwin, that represents such a rich, Indigenous First Nations culture as well, it means the world to me, the absolute world to me.

[A dog jumps onto Greg’s lap]

FMM: Who do we have here?

Greg: Hi. This is Zoe.

FMM: Hello. She's beautiful.

Greg: Hello Futuremag Music. She's a diva like me and had to come and interrupt.

FMM: What breed is she?

Greg: She's a terrier of some description. Mum just called out. She's a Silky Terrier.

FMM: Thanks, Mum.

Greg: I'm going to call her a cheeky terrier.

FMM: I'm excited to come see you live and get up and dance and I feel so lucky to be in Darwin and have a song like yours as our official anthem.

Greg: That means everything to me, Brooke. And it's connecting with people like yourself that do resonate with the song. I want it to feel like your anthem. Even though it's my song and I've written it, I want it to be the people's song because especially writing it about something so bigger than you and I. 1978 was the first Mardi Gras in Sydney, for instance. It started as a protest and people were getting arrested and people were losing so much. People lost their lives. There's so much rich history in what marches mean in this country. I started marching during the marriage equality debates. I did a lot of rallies and stuff like that, so I know what it's like to be in the trenches, so to speak. But, I sit on the shoulders of people way before me who lost so much more than I have, for us to be able to even be free in a gay bar. We have come a long way, and I'm going to be coming a long way to come to Darwin to celebrate. If it weren't for those people before us, I wouldn't be able to be getting on a plane and coming and celebrating and being in such a public space, in such a public, beautiful way to celebrate being queer and happy and being yourself.

FMM: And I think that's what makes it more special. Especially in Darwin, because, as you say, Darwin is a very small place as it is. So then you take the queer community and then you also take the First Nations people. They're already such an excluded community. So then trying to be a First Nations person who's also gay or trans or queer, it can be very hard up here.

Greg: You know what? This song, trying to remember who said it, someone recently said to me, this song isn't just it for the queer community and I tend to agree. That's what it stems from, but it's about any minority, any outcast, any underdog, anyone that's been overlooked or under-appreciated or cast aside. Stand up for who you are. Stand up. Be tall, be you.

[Greg pointing to the sunset behind him] Can you see the sunset? Yes, sunset. I was about to say sunrise. No, it's not sunset. Look at it. It's beautiful.

FMM: Speaking of Pride events, this isn't your first pride rodeo. You just performed at Pride Cup, you performed at Sydney World Pride. From your experience and seeing all these different pride events, how has it been seeing the community come together and resonate with your songs and just coming together as one?

Greg: Honestly, there was magic in the air in Sydney for World Pride. It was unlike anything I've experienced and I'd lived in Sydney for four years. I'm in Melbourne now, obviously, but it was just magic in the air and I didn't see anything pretentious. I saw no one trying to tear anyone down. It was beautiful. That's what I love about people. People ask the question, well, you've got equality now, why do you need to have your own prides? I said it's about having safe spaces to celebrate and it's exactly what I said before. The reactions that we get to pride sometimes is the reason why we need to keep having prides. Homophobia is still very much rife. I copped a lot of it online during the pride season, which was sad to see. More than I ever had, really. I think people were targeting Facebook pages of people that have tagged World Pride and things like that. So I got a lot of trolling more than I normally do. So that's when people say, why do you need a pride? Have a look. That's exactly why we need a pride. We need these safe spaces. We need to celebrate the people that have come before us. We carry them with us.

FMM: Yeah, I agree. Especially in Darwin, too, because unfortunately, recently, one of our murals was graffitied with some very transphobic comments. That's obviously stuff that's still happening leading up to our pride event as well.

Greg: You know what? I need to get a quick selfie because I'm going to post this and say I did… ready? [Greg snaps the selfie]. I did a great interview in the sunset. Hold on. Ready? I can't miss the sunset.

FMM: Love that.

Greg: So, yeah, it's it's still very much out there and especially for places like Darwin. I hope people don't take for granted that we get to celebrate the way we do. It's not always been the case and it's not the case everywhere. It's so important.

FMM: I agree, and as I said before, we feel so lucky to have you here as a voice to many of the people in our community as well.

Greg: It means a lot to me if anyone wants to reach out to me on social media and they're feeling some sort of way, I'm so accessible and I think that's important. As an artist, you can't just make music and make it your brand. This isn't a brand for me. This is who I am and I want people to know that I'm very there for them. So I'm not just there as an artist, I'm there on a human level, because at the end of the day, that's what we are and that's what we all are.

FMM: Yeah, you said it so truly and that's why we really appreciate the honesty that comes with your music. Speaking of that honesty, one of my favorite lyrics in Marching On is, "I'm so proud of me." So for anyone that doesn't know who you are or your music, who are you?

Greg: {Greg singing} I'm so proud of me and I'm so proud of you, Brooke.

Sorry, what was the question?

FMM: Well, as you just sung, you're so proud of yourself, which I love. So for anyone who doesn't know you or your music, who are you?

Greg: Who am I? I'm someone that just loves to sing and has loved to sing for a very long time, since I could talk. But, I'm also someone that been through a lot for a 35 year old, and I'm talking a lot. I've experienced a lot of things. We all do. We all go through things, but I do feel like I've had my fair share. So I know, as we just said, I'm human, so I have a lot of empathy for human beings because I know what it's like to go through a lot of things. I can't speak for everyone, I'm not every minority, but I have been through a lot, Brooke, so my music comes from a place of realness and I like to think that I practice what I preach in my music and, and I think I'm a very authentic artist. I speak the truth and I'll always stand up for the underdogs and the minorities, because that's who I am. It's like standing up for myself, but standing up for people like me. I want to support people like me that have been through similar things to me.

This next album, which has just been announced, it's called Strings Attached and it features all original songs with live strings. Every song has a live string section, which is really special to me. The fabulous John Foreman and Ryan Ewens have arranged amazing string arrangements to my songs and, yeah, they all come from a really personal as I said, this is ten years in the making, really, of original music for me.

It's my first statement and my first body of original work, but there's some really personal stuff in there, Brooke. I want to make music that matters, that says something and stands up. Hopefully people can find solace. One of the songs that I've started performing live is an anthem for abuse, and I had someone come up to me… I haven't released that yet, so that's an exclusive, but I had someone come up to me after the gig and said, “I wish someone had written this song when I was going through what I went through.” So, I want people to be able to find hope and I want people to see themselves in my music.

FMM: Well, I think you've definitely achieved that. Listening to your music and listening to you explain today what your goals are of your music, you've come a long way and you're achieving those goals, so hopefully you recognise that and realise the good that you're doing.

Greg: Thank you.

FMM: And what are you up to at the moment? I know you're very busy, you're on tour at the moment and tomorrow is the closing night of the Synthony No. 3 What's been your experience with that, and what can we expect from the final show tomorrow?

Greg: Synthony is like one of those pinch-me gigs. I'm so proud to be part of the show like that. It's epic. So you’ve got myself, Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Cassie McIvor, Thandi Phoenix and Ilan Kidron from The Potbelleez on vocals. You've got the mighty Metropolitan Orchestra led by the incredible Sarah Grace Williams and her in herself is an experience. Just to see her, like, the way she commands the entire production and these incredible musicians and the lights and just the energy, the energy from stage to audience, it's like a relationship I've never experienced before and I love it. It's epic in every sense of the word. You can just expect big vocals, big sound and just it's kind of like no other show that I've ever been part of. It's amazing.

Greg: Yeah, it sounds like an incredible opportunity. You must feel sad that it's coming to an end tomorrow night.

Greg: Yeah. Look, this tour, I'm going to say third tour because I've done two tours of Australia, but I've also done an international show. I did Synthony in Singapore. I feel like this isn't the end of the chapter, but it does feel like each show is slightly different, so it's the last time of doing this particular show. So, of course there's that feeling, but I'm part of the Synthony family and I know that there's lots more to experience within the Synthony family.

FMM: Yes, you've got a lot more coming up to look forward to as well. You mentioned you've got, the album coming up, obviously, you're coming to Darwin. What else is in the works? What does the rest of your year look like at the moment?

Greg: That is the rest of my year. This album is my focus. I said to myself, if you're going to do an original album, you've got to really focus in. Look, I'll definitely be doing lots of gigs this year and I'll definitely take opportunities that come my way, like Darwin Pride, which is amazing. But, yeah, my focus is this album, so it'll probably be out in December with a bunch of singles in the lead up to that, but December will be here before you know it.

FMM: I love that it's in December because I love Christmas. So, getting into the Christmas spirit and we've got, your album to look forward to for Christmas as well.

Greg: It'll be that first week in December. I think it just feels right for me, and then we can enjoy it then. It's like the fruits of your labour. I work really hard on it, put it out there. Then I can have Christmas, my family and celebrate in a big way.

FMM: Yes. It sounds like you've got an exciting year ahead, and I'm so excited to see you in Darwin and hear Marching On as our official anthem as well.

Greg: Yay. Well, now that I know that you know all the words, I'm going to be expecting to see you in the audience singing along.

FMM: Yes. Well, thank you so much for joining me tonight. And I'm surprised, how fast it got dark. I'm just watching your background.

Greg: I know. I think we got perfect sun. You got to see the sunset, which is beautiful. Could you see that behind you here?

FMM: Yes, I could. Yes.

Greg: Gorgeous. Well, thank you for having me, and it's so great to have the support of yourself, Brooke, and Futuremag Music. I'm really happy to be part of this.

FMM: Yes, absolute pleasure. And I look forward to seeing you in Darwin.