Music Style Alternative Rock with a heavier edge

Similar Artists You tell us!

Group Members Denise Gouge, Jamie Ferrini, Mark Niles, Erol,Kusco

Instruments Vocals... lots of guitar... Bass..... Drums

Albums Consume Me - November 2001

Press Reviews If you feel like the only person who has gone through something, listen to the googe and you'll find someone who has been there, done that and turned out okay. The band's debut release, Consume Me, is therapy delivered with a feisty, alternative rock crunch. The words and music of lyricist/guitarist Denise Gouge (pronounced “Googe” thus the band name) are a prescription for life because sometimes life hurts. The self-released CD has 10 tracks plus one bonus track. With titles like "Truth," "Down Below" and "Should Have Known," and lyrics that touch upon awakenings, goodbyes and happiness, it's like the googe is letting the listener in on a secret. One thing she wants her audience to know is that the googe does not intend to come off as a somber, wallow in your sorrows kind of band. "I actually compare the googe to Everclear," Gouge said. "We're both talking about serious issues that deal with childhood experiences, but the music is upbeat and celebratory." Although her lyrics are serious, performing the songs becomes a celebration of overcoming obstacles. Gouge wants people to be uplifted when they hear her music, which is why the music is guitar driven and upbeat. Whether people are playing the CD in the background or carrying on with friends, she wants them to mosh to it , bop their heads up and down and maybe yell “rock and roll” when they hear the music. Gouge said that performing live is a way to be in the spotlight for a while and a way to feel like a different person for that brief moment. The confidence and pride that flows from her lyrics also comes out on stage. If you're looking for a sound like Jewel's or Shania Twain's, you won't find it in the googe. It's a rock band, plain and simple. Musically, the band, also consisting of Jamie Ferrini, Mark Niles and Erol Kuscu, has been compared to Kaye's Choice. Gouge writes for the moment, whatever she's feeling is put down on paper and a guitar. She said the title song, Consume Me, sums up the overall feeling of the album. For years, Gouge has been wrestling with the pain of childhood sexual abuse. The first verse, Don't believe in black or white, who's to say who's wrong or right talks about feeling that somehow the abuse is the victim's fault. Maybe they deserved it. A line from the song goes like this: Share a labyrinthian bed, no sign of an exit ahead, yet we walk hand in hand, so confusing. Gouge said these lyrics are about how you can love someone, yet not know how to show it or feel comfortable with that emotion. The one in love is left feeling that there is no end in sight to all the struggle. Consume me, watch it swallow me describes the desperation that manifests itself into suicidal thoughts, drugs or other addictions. "I have come to grips with the consequences of childhood sexual abuse," she said. "My lyrics, for the most part, represent phases throughout my experiences. Some are taken from my point of view, some are taken from the view of other people who are dealing with the same thing." There are no pity parties where Gouge is concerned. She said writing kept her sane through periods of severe depression. "Instead of escaping to drugs, alcohol, whatever...I escaped to my guitar." Her music not only lifted her out of the depths of depression, but Gouge hopes it will uplift others as well. Send a Message, co-written by Michael Wittmer, who left the band to become a father, starts out with What's wrong with her today? It is a song about a woman who is tired of being depressed and being the scapegoat for all of the issues that come up within a relationship. The song shows Gouge's 80s influence with a Veruca Salt kind of twist on the chorus: Listen to what you're saying/Shut your mouth and stop complaining/It's not the words, it's the way you say it/ So shut your mouth and stop complaining. "Send a Message is promoting healthy communication," she said. "People often feel that they communicate with each other, but really, they are only talking. It's the quality of the conversation that counts. It's about not staying quiet any longer, but bringing up things in a constructive manner." The song Window was also written in the moment, but five years ago, unlike the rest of the songs which were written in 2000. In the song, Gouge waves goodbye to her friends and family, to mommy and dad and to her Winnie pooh bear. She covers her eyes, covers her ears to cover the screams in the hallway, to take her away to the place where she really wants to go. "It is about how children escape the adult world they are subjected to through imaginary thought, such as the tooth fairy, which I allude to in the first verse," Gouge said. "This child is playing in her bedroom though the parents outside the door can easily be heard. "Peaceful Bliss, which has a Toadies feel, is about someone who is finally seeing a clearing in the sky. In other words, sexual experiences have never really been positive, but finally, there is light at the end of the tunnel. It's about lying on a beautiful beach and falling asleep in your lover's arms. The scheduled CD release is Nov. 21. All Gouge wants is for people who listen to the music to have a positive experience. "The overall message I hope people get out of my music is that they can make mistakes. You can accept yourself for who you are, but always try to become a better person."

Location Houston, Texas - USA

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