GREGORY

Words: Keeley Thompson

Images: Angus Kirby (@shlongus)

An assortment of shells collected during beach holidays sit on the bedside table next to a mug of English Breakfast tea with two sugars and just a splash of milk. Dried flowers hang from the window sill, the breeze flicking old petals across the floor as cicadas call in the night. 

This is Gregory. 

A sweet balance of whimsy and tenderness, Gregory is the sugary-dreamy-folky-psych-pop project of Meg Macdonald (vocals), Javier Langham (guitar), Emma Walton (bass) and Bodhi Towers (drums). 

KEELEY: What was the evolution of Gregory?

MEG: Well, it’s a tale as old as time. I’d always wanted to start my own project with a large band. I had a lot of ideas but needed help bringing them to fruition, so I approached Javier. We started by recording a bunch of demo’s and then looked to bring others in. We’ve known Emma for a long time (she’s the lead guitarist in Bad Sext) and we knew she’d be a great fit. We didn’t know Bodhi very well at the time but we’d seen him play in other projects and loved his musicality. 

We love our little team. 

KEELEY: Do you think your approach to Gregory has changed over time? 

JAVIER: Yeah absolutely. When we started, Meg and I had those demo’s and so the songs were (more or less) already done. Since getting Emma and Bodhi on board, we’ve actually started writing songs all together. As time has gone on we’ve all gotten closer and that’s had a really positive impact on the way we create music as a group. 

EMMA: I’d also say that Bodhi and I now have a better idea of the vision that Meg is looking for so we’re able to facilitate that vision easier.

MEG: It’s so nice to be understood and to have my ideas come out in real-life. We all have tasteful intuition, I think. 

KEELEY: Three desert island albums? 

MEG: Oh this is hard. Broken Social Scene’s You Forgot it in People, also Are We There by Sharon Van Etten and Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You by Big Thief. 

EMMA: Tramp by Sharon Van Etten, About Face by #1 Dads and also Warpaint’s Self Titled Album. 

JAVIER: This is really hard for me. It’d be different every day, but today it’s going to be Siamese Dream by Smashing Pumpkins, Mm..Food by MF DOOM and Trompe le Monde by Pixies. 

KEELEY: So you’ve got a new single coming out! Tell me about it. 

MEG: Yes! It’s called Quiet on my Own. I wrote it in 2020, during COVID and it’s finally here. It’s basically about experiencing grief within your own space and dealing with that discomfort but also learning to grow through that. Even though it was originally written about my feelings during that time, I think the themes in the song can translate to a lot of different situations. 

JAVIER: The track is a great example of our early-days approach and sound. I think we’ve shifted sonically a bit since then. 

KEELEY: And how do you think your sound has shifted? 

JAVIER: I think we’ve found our sound, tonally a bit more and I think we understand the context and vision we’re going for more now. It’s a lot more intuitive and collaborative.

KEELEY: Fuck, marry, kill - members of The Beatles. Since there’s four, one can be spared. 

JAVIER: Well. I would kill John Lennon, I’d marry George and fuck Paul. 

EMMA: I would also kill John, I’d marry Ringo and I’d fuck either of the other two. 

MEG: I’d also kill John. I think he needs to be taken down a peg. 

JAVIER: Yeah Mark Chapman was right. 

MEG: I’m gonna fuck Ringo and marry Paul. 

KEELEY: What’s the dream for Gregory?

JAVIER: Personally, it’s just to make music that people enjoy and connect to. On a bigger scale, it’s that we make a song that gets picked up by a company and gets used in an Ad so I can buy a house and make art forever. 

EMMA: Yeah, to make enough money from music to be able to quit my day job would be amazing. Besides that, just playing at beautiful venues with beautiful people. 

MEG: I second everything that’s been said but personally, I would love to tour. It’s something I’ve never done that I’ve always wanted to do, even if it’s just little venues. 

KEELEY: And finally, what can we expect to see from you all? 

MEG: Our single launch is on Friday the 23rd of February at It’s Still a Secret! We’re also recording two new songs, Cut Your Hand and Friend of a Friend. Hopefully a music video and merch soon too!

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