Duke Garwood

0:16Duke GarwoodAll right, my name is Duke Garwood. I'm from the island of Britain.

0:24HostGreat. First of all, I want to ask you, so I will tell you how I discovered you. I discovered you relatively recently, right? And I went from your earliest music, what I could find online, which is Saturn Warrior.

0:37?Oh, yeah, yeah.

0:38HostAnd I started with that one, and I liked it because it's my jam. Like I said, I like that kind of...

0:42Duke GarwoodYou went in on the, yeah, you came in on the top end, so to speak.

0:46HostYeah, I went to the top end, and then I started to go backwards and do research, and then I found out that I actually really like your music, and that's why I wanted to talk to you about it. Dude, first of all, let's start with the art, right, that you did for the Saturn Warrior, right? Yeah. So it's like 20 meter, is it like rice paper?

1:06Duke GarwoodYeah, it's rice paper, Japanese or Chinese rice paper in a roll.

1:10HostAnd then you scrolled it, right?

1:12Duke GarwoodYeah, so you start painting one end, and you just go through, and then you don't ever see the whole thing, which I like as a process, because you're never stuck on the last bit, yeah. So I, and I paint it like a story, like a cartoon. I'm not always inspired to. It takes about a few weeks, sometimes, or longer, but yeah, I'm glad you mentioned it, because it was, yeah, I wanted to do a video like that, and it's, it's kind of...

1:43HostBecause I saw that you do art like this, and I saw that your friends said that finally you're starting selling the, at some point you started selling the art, but they were trying to convince you for a long time.

1:56Duke GarwoodYeah, yeah, I started selling it now, and I want to sell a lot more, but it took me a while to get into selling it, yeah. Because I didn't want to, it's hard to put a price on things, and I don't...

2:08?Especially art.

2:09Duke GarwoodYeah, I don't like to put a price on things.

2:11HostYou're probably one of the artists who gives, as presents, a lot of your art.

2:15Duke GarwoodYeah, and I will tonight, when I've had a few drinks, and I'll give free pictures, yeah.

2:19HostAnd what will happen with the 20-meter art?

2:22Duke GarwoodI'd like to sell that. Either, I was thinking about that one, and I'd like to either auction that for a charity or something. That's cool. Do something else, I mean, or unless someone wants to give me so much money that I can buy a house. And I, because I would charge, I think, if they had enough money, I'd want like a million. Or if someone was nice enough, I'd give it to them.

2:45HostOr let's do like this 20 meters as paper, as cash, you know, like a one-to-one ratio.

2:51Duke GarwoodIt's a long ratio of paper to paper.

2:54HostWhen did you start painting? Was it always your thing, like at some point? Probably, probably music was first.

3:01Duke GarwoodMusic was first, but so it was, they were the same time. My mother's a painter, and I grew up with her. She taught me how to paint. And, but at the same time, I always played music. So, encouraged in music from very young. So, I've been playing instruments since I was about three or four years old, properly. So, like I'm, I'm kind of highly trained, but I'm also not at all trained. Because I can't read music or anything, I don't, I can't remember any of those things.

3:33?I used to be able to.

3:34Duke GarwoodI could read music better before I was 10 than I can now, but, now I, but I was fortunate, you know, in my, in my life to be encouraged in arts and be able to do it, you know. It's very lucky, but it also makes you, well, it's interesting. I mean, it's probably why I'm kind of a lone wolf, you know, but like, yeah, but painting is something I find nowadays. I love it more and more and more, you know, like it's, uh, not more than music, of course. No, not more than music. Um, I find it's very different thing, uh, relatively to my mental state. That when the painting is flowing, the music tends to be flowing too. And sometimes the painting isn't flowing, but the music is, the music is always flowing. The painting sometimes is flowing.

4:26?All right.

4:26HostYou think it's like some part of the part of your soul that needs.

4:30Duke GarwoodYeah, it needs like there's a, there's a nice feeling with painting. Sometimes it's good. And because I have, I have kind of a singular way that I paint and I'm not trying to paint in another way, if you know what I mean, that allows me then all the space to move in music. Um, so I, I can keep developing music while I don't, my painting gets better, but I don't really develop, if you know what I mean? It's like, it's just, I don't know. It's hard to describe it. They do help each other along. Um, but I can't imagine to suddenly be radically changing my style of painting because I, I do do it in the Oriental way, very much just ink on paper, you know, was it like that from the

5:17Hostbeginning?

5:18Duke GarwoodYeah, pretty much. I mean, I did play around with the oils at one point, but I was rubbish at that. And, um, I find, yeah, my favorite medium is the Oriental brush with the big, big brush ink and, and very absorbent paper. That's what I like. Yeah. That's my stuff. That's my bag. Cause it's, it's immediate and you, you can't go back over it. You have one go. And I apply that to music in the studio. You have one go. If you don't like it, you throw it away. Um, and have another go if you want, but you don't try and make good on something you didn't like first time, like it always, it's gotta be, I like the purity of the, the one go, cause that's you straight. That's you true. You know, that's pure.

6:10HostI heard that you like raw stuff, right? Like there's like one go, you know, like, like, like, like, like, and, uh, do you know that you do it with, with your art also? Is it like, do you think that, um, uh, you can express some things or part of your soul with, uh, visual art that you can't do with music?

6:29Duke GarwoodIt's like, it's like, it's like, it's so, yeah, I believe you can because, um, the, it's, it's, it's a different part of your brain operating and also I think you've, you know, with, with far as music goes, you're creating kind of moods in a sense, fantasies often that they, they might, you might get that feeling. It's, it's fantastical in a way in painting, maybe not it's, you know, painting is fantastical, but that involves, it's all in the viewer, you know, music. It can absolutely dominate its, its surroundings as we know, and they're going to put a tune on in here right now, it will dominate this entire place and the, depending on the tune, it will dominate this place, but there can be a painting on the wall that isn't, unless it's one hell of a painting, it's not going to dominate in the same way. And if you don't look at it, um, music is extremely powerful for, you know, which way we have to be careful with it because it's not dangerous, but in a beautiful way it is dangerous. Like in, in the most exciting way you can bring down the government or all of it with music.

7:45HostThat's how I was, I wanted to want to ask you it at any, at some point regarding like the connection, the impact of music, art in general, and the music, because I think like music is a direct, from all art medium, music is probably the most direct to the soul and immediate, you know, like it's, it has like somehow brings up emotions in you with visual art or like cinema or something like this, you need, you need some time and meditate on it maybe, and then you'll get.

8:13Duke GarwoodI wonder what it's all about. Yeah. I mean, when David Lynch just passed and we can all revisit his films with maybe a new idea, like a new way of seeing him. Now we kind of realized that he was playing with darkness to just give us a different view on things that it's not absolute darkness that he's playing with. It's not pitch black doom. It's, it's much more broad than that. So, um, yeah, like I say, but yeah, new music being, you know, you're either into it or you're not into it and you might get into it. Um, I like opera, but I don't like all opera, but I do like a bit of opera, but I mean, I mean, music to me is immensely powerful. Like, I mean, but it affects me weirdly. Like a lot of people don't get affected like I do. I mean, I, and I'm, they're probably fortunate in that regard because it has profound physical effects on me. And, um, if I don't like it, it can really make me quite sick. Damage you.

9:23?Yeah. Right.

9:24Duke GarwoodIf I'm around the wrong sounds, I can get ill.

9:28HostBut is it because the music in this case, let's say, quotes evil because it has like an inside, like some kind of, it's like, we're talking about magic stuff kind of stuff.

9:39Duke GarwoodI think there was a point, I don't know what record labels were doing, but like the, or even what the artists were doing. But if it's like, if it feels a bit evil and it sounds a bit evil, then maybe it's a bit evil. And that's a dangerous form to be playing with, with something as potent as music. But then again, it's all different tastes. Some people like that kind of sound and feeling out of it, you know, because maybe it actually helps them to feel bright, you know? Um, and in the same way, some kind of light fluffy music might make you feel really dark if like, you know, and like want to smash things up. I mean, it's a very, it's a tricky wormhole to go down, that we're going down there about music. Talking in terms of where we are in the world now, like right now, 2025 on February the 27th, it's a time for musicians to really be careful about what kind of energy they're putting over.

10:43?True. I believe.

10:44Duke GarwoodCause there's a lot of bad energy out.

10:46HostI know that's true. Uh, I know that, uh, you've been, uh, angry, then you melt down a bit. And then as, as you were a true artist, you were responding to the world around us.

10:57Duke GarwoodYeah, I can't do that. I do. And I, and I hate social media, but, um, it's all part of it. And I, yeah, often I'll write diatribes and I, I don't keep them around long. I, yeah, I mean, I do get angry. I mean, I'm permanently angry. I think I was born angry, but that's not my fault.

11:17HostIs it rage or anger?

11:19Duke GarwoodYou know, I, you know, I don't know. I think it's more like it's, I I'd say it's more like John Lydon's version. It's an energy, but it, it, it depends on the surroundings. It's dependent on how the energy feels and gets manifested. Yes. I'm angry, but it's an energy that I carry and it's, and I don't directly. It's, it's, it's a self-contained furnace.

11:43?So second.

11:44HostYeah. It's, it's, ah, you did the good, uh, furnace. Yeah. And it helps you to write your music.

11:49Duke GarwoodIt helps me to write my music, get up. It helps me to get through the day and do the things I've got to do. And, and often at times it's not actually angry. You know, it's a, it's a whole load. It's like, and when it does go angry, sure. I got to, I get out of the way of people and get along with things and maybe play things like saxophones. It's really good for you when you're feeling really wound up or smash some stuff. I also, or dig holes, like digging in the ground, you know, like is really good for you.

12:19?Like if you need to. Like physically?

12:21Duke GarwoodYeah. You know, like, see if you're, if you're a gardener, I have no idea. No, if you're a gardener or something, you know, or like work on a farm and it's good for you. Dig some hole, dig some earth. Like it's really good for you. Well, I agree. I just didn't expect that sort of person.

12:40?Yeah.

12:41Duke GarwoodNo, I think you've got to, um, yeah. But in the end, I've never actually taken it out on my guitar. I've never felt the need to thrash my instrument.

12:55HostI wanted to ask you right before, like the instrument, right? What is your main instrument or the first instrument that you go to as you need to express yourself?

13:05Duke GarwoodIt's usually the one that will give me the comfort and the peace is, is the guitar and also the piano.

13:11?Yeah.

13:13Duke GarwoodUh, but the piano like is more, that's my private business. Um, one day I'll play more in public.

13:23HostYeah. I haven't heard you play piano in your, sometimes maybe on other people's music. Yeah. Yeah.

13:29Duke GarwoodI mean, I know some terrific piano players and, and I, I sometimes write songs on the piano. Yeah. I like to, I simply don't practice it enough to go and play a show. Um, whereas cause cause, because I'm always playing the guitar.

13:43?Yeah.

13:44Duke GarwoodI like the malleability of the guitar. I like the malleability of the strings. So really it is, it is my go-to and it's always been my go-to. I mean, that was my first instrument really young, too young to know what it was and really, or even understand it at all. But then later I had to play the piano. Um, when I was four years old, I started playing piano. Yeah. It was weird. I was like, but it was the seventies. It was different then. Some, some people gave me a piano when I was that age, they could, because they believed I was a prodigy.

14:18?Gifted. Yeah. But you are gifted.

14:20Duke GarwoodWell, maybe, but, but they, because apparently back then, right, you could play me a tune and I could play it back to you.

14:30HostAh, yeah. You're a prodigy. Yeah.

14:31Duke GarwoodBut I, I don't know where that went, man. I mean, I can't do that now. I can't even understand what he was doing. I can't, I don't even know what, I can't remember.

14:41HostYou can't read music. No, but at that time you could, right?

14:44Duke GarwoodI could read music. Right. But I, I mean, I, I had this gift anyway, so they gave me a piano when I was little. And then because of the world, I think these things, they get corrupted in the brain. You know, I don't know if it's chemicals or the wrong food or sugar or whatever happens in your life when you discover booze or when you, you know, when you, your hormones change, you know, when you're young, um, but those things, they kind of banish from you and turn from being an instinct into someone you have to work on. And then, but that's the path of music.

15:23Duke GarwoodSo maybe I started out really gifted, but then when, since I was a teenager, I've had to work very hard to be able to bring it all back again so I can make music. You know what I mean? I, I can't rely on it. I, it's not something I can rely on anymore, which is good because you've got to work for it, I think.

15:46Duke GarwoodAnd, uh, because then you can discover what you feel, like you discover what you love, you discover something in that search. You know, you really do find out what it means to you because otherwise it's something I can just throw away.

16:00?You don't appreciate it.

16:01Duke GarwoodYou know, I can go and do something else, but I can't because I, you know, I want to keep learning. And I want to be able to get back to being that kid again, who can just play you something back just like that. Maybe I will when I'm an old man.

16:15?Ah, maybe.

16:16Duke GarwoodMaybe that's what happens. Maybe it's all the full circle. Yeah. When I'm sitting around. I can play the tune again. Peeing myself. I got to the point. No good questions. I mean, you know, I'm intrigued by it. It's, I mean, I just feel like music's the greatest adventure you can have in yourself, like, um, to find your confidence and your, your strengths and your, your sort of real like love muscle. And then you, and you can share it with other people and you never know what they're going to think either, you know, and you can also never rely on the fact that you think you're really great because you can have a bad show and that can have a number of factors and none of them is anything's fault or maybe, but if you are the performer, it's definitely going to be your fault. If it doesn't work, you can't blame the sound or the lights or the PA guy or the venue or the fact that your rider wasn't what you wanted. I, it's you, you know, and, and that I think is important for me. Anyway, it's all down to me.

17:25?Yeah.

17:26Duke GarwoodAnd in that, then I can rely on myself, be self-sufficient, you know, take care of business and enjoy it. And it's just beer in Vienna, you know, which is like a luxury, you know, cause it's a luxury life, right? So you got to work for it. There's not many people get to go to Vienna, drink a nice beer, have a nice chat, let's sit in a beautiful place.

17:44HostSo you, you're a believer in hard work and in the art. Like.

17:48Duke GarwoodOh yeah, definitely. Like, cause you know, you want to be involved in the arts.

17:51?Oh yeah.

17:52Duke GarwoodThen you're going to have to work a lot harder than anybody else.

17:56HostAnd if you want to live like a life in an artist, like a proper one, all you need to work hard.

18:00Duke GarwoodWork very hard and you have to, yeah, not try and separate yourself from everybody else because it's very hard getting up every day or going to a job every day. Oh yeah. I mean, I've done that and I sometimes I still have to do that too.

18:16?Yeah.

18:17Duke GarwoodI don't know what it's about, but I, I do have this fortunate aspect of my life.

18:21HostLet's talk about what, like your current music. What, what have, like, I haven't found any information and have you, like you've been doing recently.

18:28Duke GarwoodYeah. Yeah. So the tune Saturn Warrior, that was the, the basis of making a new record. And the, the rest of the record doesn't sound much like that tune, but that's a good record anyway. Um, I have two new albums and how I'm going to put them out. I'm not sure. But the Saturn Warrior is definitely, hopefully going to materialize in a digital form and maybe some kind of product form in April. Um, if all goes well, that's a whole, a collection of tracks that span from quite a large range of time that I finally got together. And I made a record with a cat called Hugo Race, who's a legend, uh, from Australia. He was in the original Bad Seeds with, uh, Mr. Nick Cave. Yes. And I got to record with him in Italy. And we made a cool collection of cuts together, which will be something I want to put out pretty

19:25?quickly after Saturn Warrior. Cause it's been too long to put a record out. So I want to put out two really quick.

19:31?And then we'll see.

19:34Duke GarwoodAnd what kind of band I'll have, I don't know.

19:36HostUm, I, but do you want to have a band or you want?

19:40Duke GarwoodYeah. Cause I have, I have a great, well, I have me, me alone. I have a great duo. I have a great trio. I want to make a larger group that has horns so I can pull off these tunes. But, um, how far wide we could travel will be down to the money. You know, these horrible things. Ideally, my ideal situation is I travel with a core group and then players from different places join me. Uh, so if I need some horn players, I come to Vienna. I, I cast the net around and horn players from here come and join me rather than, because otherwise what happens is if I try and take a big group on the road, I'm not going to be able to afford it. And, and it means that it means I have to say, Oh, I can't do this tour. You know, because if I want a larger thing, I want to be doing something different. So I'm racking my brain and racking everyone else's to try and make it, make it happen. But you've got to do what you've got to do. I mean, I've seen so many bands that they book a tour and right before they're going to go, they're canceling it because they realize they can't make any money. They can't afford it. They're going to lose money. And I feel for them. I hate, it's a terrible thing. It's just so much work, but that there's so many people involved in, in everything, you know, like you, you're not isolated when you put a tour together. It's a lot of people working. So I always try and make sure long before, before even I tell anyone I've got a tour, if I can do it or not. I'm not, I'm not going to do that. But I'm doing this one alone, but this one is nice alone. It's suiting being alone. The menus are good alone. Everything's perfect. This one. The next one. Yeah. I'm going to bring the satin warrior out, change the world, bring down the government. Everything's going to be great. Oh, I wish. Best of luck with that. I hope, I hope if.

21:24?I'm a positive guy.

21:25HostI'm like, if anybody can do it, I know you can do it. You know, like I have my faith in you and I would like you to do it than somebody else. Yeah. Or somebody else can also do it, but I know you can.

21:36Duke GarwoodYou know, we should all do it at once and I'm really excited about it.

21:39?All together. Yeah.

21:40Duke GarwoodWe're going to do what we meant to be doing, you know, which is not trying to be famous rock stars.

21:46?Yeah.

21:46Duke GarwoodBut be, use, use our immense and awesome powers to, um, do something fantastic rather than trying to, trying to isolate ourselves in an elite platform, which is what's always made me feel sick, which is why I've always been a bit anti all that. Cause it's like, why would you want to use all your awesome ability to simply isolate yourself, put yourself on a shelf with elite where you want to sit in the VIP room and go on first class flights? I mean, what's that about? I don't understand it. It's much more fun and coach.

22:18HostThat's why I didn't like, I was thinking of asking you about like what angers you, but then I was like, I don't want to.

22:24Duke GarwoodYeah. It's going to be a rant. Many things do. I know. But like, but they're the things that now I think, not that I'm ahead of my time or ahead of the game, but I think the things that I've always been angry about, I think everyone's angry about.

22:39?I'm pretty sure. Yes.

22:41Duke GarwoodSo I feel quite relaxed at last. In fact, I'm the mellow guy.

22:46?Yeah.

22:46Duke GarwoodI'm like, Oh, I've been angry about this since I was a little kid. So like, Hey, we're good now. Everyone has caught up at last. It takes a while to realize, but I'm, like I say, I'm fortunate in traveling the world and having insight like that.

23:01HostAll right, Duke. So the music will come out in April and you will have the rest of the tour because this episode will come out in two days. I will post it.

23:11Duke GarwoodBeautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful. That's a good idea.

23:13HostI do it fast so that other people who are on the tour can learn about you and everything.

23:18Duke GarwoodOh, lovely. That's really great. Nice. Yeah.

23:20?So I wish you all the best.

23:21HostCan you give me, could you please give me a song of yours, which I will put at the end of the interview, which is a good introduction to you.

23:30Duke GarwoodSaturn Warrior. You move like starlight, quick like the silver.

23:57Duke GarwoodYou move like starlight, quick like silver.

24:26Duke GarwoodLooking out at the crushing rain. no sense in bleeding.

25:29Duke GarwoodNo sense in bleeding, no sense in bleeding.

25:45Duke GarwoodLike starlight quick like the silver. Since you're running