Gary Wilson Goes to Outer Space with New Album in 2017

Jul 20

Jul 20 Gary Wilson Goes to Outer Space with New Album in 2017

Avant-Garde, Blogging, DIY Music, Experimental Music, Home Recording, Interviews, Journalism, Music, New Music, Outsider Music, Record Labels,

One of our favorite home recording pioneers, Gary Wilson, released Let's Go to Outer Space on July 21, 2017. As the title suggests, this latest contribution (available here on Cleopatra Records) to Gary's ever-growing body of work explores space themes and also makes intergalactic detours to include romantic mannequins, pin-up girls, and more. Gary kindly shared some background to the new album with us just before its release.

*Gary Wilson, 2017. Photo: Weirdo Music Forever*

Bobby Weirdo: What inspired the space theme on your new album, Let’s Go to Outer Space?

Gary Wilson: Well, I like horror and sci-fi movies. I wanted to keep album in a sci-fi vein if I could, and blast off to outer space.

BW: Do you have a favorite space movie or soundtrack?

GW: There’s one I like a lot called I Married a Monster from Outer Space. It’s a good one, and well-acted. I have a bunch of them on VHS tape. There’s one I was just watching called Tormented with Richard Carlson. That’s an interesting one.

BW: There’s a musical reference to your classic 1980 EP, Invasion of Privacy, on this album, right?

GW: You’re right. There’s a section on the last part of the album that started as something I did live, and then became part of a p articular version of "Cindy" that is only included on Invasion of Privacy. I revamped it for Let's Go to Outer Space.

BW: Is there a track on the new album you’re particularly proud of or excited about?

GW: You know, I was just listening to it, and there’s a lot of good songs on that album. I did a video for “She’s the Girl from Mars”, and “Gary Kissed a Mannequin” is a peppy tune with nice drive to it. “You’re the Girl from a Magazine” is a neat song, and I think there could be a good video for that one.

BW: How long have you been interested in mannequins? That’s something that pops up a lot in your work.

GW: I don’t know – it just evolved. There’s that one Twilight Zone episode “The After Hours” that I grew up with, and it stuck in my brain. Anne Francis is stuck in a department store after it closes, and becomes a mannequin. I used to watch that when I was a five or six-year-old kid. Mannequins are interesting.

You can buy Let's Go to Outer Space here

-BW