Kara Gordon isn’t a journeyman but the Kiwi guitarist probably feels he’s been on the road forever. Last year, alone, he clocked up more than 150 shows around New Zealand. Now, at least, he has something to show for all of that sweat and toil – his first official album, the self-titled Kara Gordon and the Wreckage.
“There’s nothing like playing live,” Gordon says. “I love that buzz and the energy you get when you’ve got an amped up crowd. The one thing that has been missing though is an album, so I’m relieved I’ve got something people can actually listen to.”
The album was recorded at Red Room Studios in Helensville, north of Auckland, in November 2011 and produced by Smith & Couldrey (TeMatera Smith and Markus Couldrey) for AllGood Absolute Alternative (Triple A) Records.
“We did the whole album just one take live. It was a pretty full-on week. There were no overdubs or drop-ins,” Gordon says. “I wanted to record something that reflected what the band was all about. Of course, it would be great to have all of the time and money in the world to lock yourself away in a studio but I’m a great believer that it’s silly to strive for perfection because it’ll never happen.
“As musicians, we are always striving to push ourselves creatively but what’s more important to us is enjoying the moment. I think the album is was raw and alive and captures the feeling and emotion of what we do onstage. It’s just a fun rock’n’roll record.”
Kara Gordon and the Wreckage – bass player Ross Larsen and drummer Dean Blake – just recently supported Slash in Auckland this August before they headed overseas to support Alabama3 on their European tour