Husky

Husky Gawenda and cousin Gideon Preiss spent their Australian upbringing immersed in music, trading songs and poring over records together as teenagers. They launched the project in 2008 by recruiting Melbourne figures Evan Tweedie for bass and vocals and Luke Vollins on drums, rounding out Preiss’s keyboard and vocal contributions alongside Gawenda’s guitar and vocal work. The resulting quartet adopted the name Husky.

Their approach drew from the pair’s affinity for introspective classic-rock touchstones, fusing intricate compositions in the vein of Leonard Cohen and the Doors with Gawenda’s poetic lyricism. After refining material through constant writing and shows, the members assembled a provisional home studio to capture the core tracks of their debut. Months later they passed the unfinished recordings to producer Noah Georgeson—recognized for prior work with the Strokes and Joanna Newsom—for mixing. The sessions produced the atmospheric, folk-tinged album Forever So, issued in late 2011 on Liberation Music.

Also in 2011, Husky won the Pushover competition run by Triple J radio. The victory expanded their reach, drawing fresh listeners and earning support slots with Gotye, Devendra Banhart, and Noah and the Whale. The band then signed with American indie label Sub Pop—the first Australian act on its roster—which arranged a worldwide reissue of Forever So for 2012. Their second album, Rucker's Hill, followed in 2014 via Liberation Music at home and Sub Pop in the United States. June 2017 brought the third LP, Punchbuzz. An ensuing Australian tour encountered postponements when Gawenda was diagnosed with glandular fever.