W: George Gray. I:
Good Health Good Wealth are the alt duo that if you don’t already know it’s time to get to
know. They’ve been on the block a while already, grafting out a sound and a style that
seems to be finally getting the recognition it deserves.
With deep-rooted British and London influences at its core, their work’s direction and inspiration is also laced with stylistic reference to modern day story-tellers and pulse-racing production. A sound that takes from the worlds of classic Hip-Hop, electronica, and even the likes of alt-rock heroes Radiohead.
Think of it as 21st century Britain’s answer to Ian Drury and The Blockheads. A skeleton of punk, new-wave, rat-pack and even hints of Motown, fleshed out by electro beats, fast melodies and that dry witty vocal. No nonsense music to a T.
So in the aftermath of a raucous evening set on the Thursday night of Truck Festival we
grabbed the boys for a quick chat, their immediate reaction: “That was amazing.”
They were enthusiastic for good reason. After Bloc Party had topped off the opening day’s
mainstage billing, many were left walking the fields for their final fill of action and in Good
Health Good Wealth they got their plentiful.
With electric stage presence, the boys delivered hit after hit, and the crowd just kept
swelling. We thought it’d be good but as we looked around at the sea of limbs, and bodies
going at it around us it was hard not to join in, belting out lyrics too.
The duo admitted it exceeded expectations, but credited the crowd and festival for coming
together to give it the perfect vibe, “the feel is good and people come through”.
It’s part of something wider at Truck they add, “we were saying earlier it’s a really underrated
festival, absolute quality”, and with this being their biggest performance of several at the
festival, it’s a take worth listening to. So still on that high it’s no surprise Bruce and Simon
(singer + guitarist respectively), feel as though they’re finally hitting their stride.
It’s taken time, but their unique sound has been a product of years of interest and real life
experience. The result, as we put earlier - bringing that Ian Drury to the modern day raver.
“That’s a brilliant way to put it! We’re gonna nick that, much better than The Streets from
Wish”, the boys joke in our summary, but there’s a seriousness to it when you look at the
roots of their inspo.
“It comes from my dad’s records, his dad’s records, living in London and everything that comes from real life”, crediting their outlook to those same artists that their dad’s shared with them, like Drury, who put a spotlight on the everyday person’s emotions.
“It all comes from actual stuff that we’re experiencing, it’s about us not fictional stories, not something that might’ve happened to someone, somewhere - it’s real life”, Bruce reinforces.
All of a sudden those lyrics we’d been belting out had an extra grittiness to them, stories not fiction, lyrics written on empiricism and not fantasy.
You’d wonder if there might be a political drive to all this, but to Good Health Good Wealth,
it’s more clear cut - it comes down to ethics. Core societal values of looking after each other,
uplifting those around you on a day to day basis and fighting through the smaller picture of
our routine.
A powerful message, that places their music at the heart of a listener’s experience=. It’s an
idea maybe hard to hear at first, almost unconformable - but it's a sound that shakes off
stigma, something you can’t help but get lost in. Like we said, it’s the very thing we saw in
the crowd around us, people connecting to real life experiences, limbs all over the place and
energy reverberating.
“We have to carry that energy through festival season, and beyond to the tour”, the boys
affirm excitedly, “the tour’s gonna be crazy”. So as we wrap up, what’s the goal beyond that -
where will Good Health Good Wealth be in 3 or even 5 years time?
“Up there”, Simon thrusts a finger to the main stage. “Would be nice wouldn’t it”, a sly grin on the pair of their faces, a plan written across their expression. We’re no oracles but whatever lies ahead, the future’s looking good for the boys.
Catch Good Health Good Wealth, at upcoming festival and Tour dates!