Flynn Gower
Encyclopedia
Flynn Gower is an Australian vocalist, composer
and guitarist
, best known as frontman of the rock band
Cog
. He was also a guitarist
in now-defunct funk metal
band The Hanging Tree
.
, Australia
, and is the oldest of 3 children. He initiated his career in the early- to mid-90s forming the funk metal
band The Hanging Tree
, which became one of the most popular bands in the Sydney
live circuit. After a few years developing a following through extensive touring, the band released a debut, self-titled album in 1996.
Shortly before the recording of this album, Lucius Borich
, a childhood friend of Gower joined the band on drums, after leaving ARIA Award
nominated grunge
band Juice
. In 1997, Borich left the band and travelled to the U.S.
to do session work. Throughout, however, Gower was communicating with Borich, both writing new music. This led to the formation of Cog
in 1998.
Gower had, in preparation for a move to the U.S.
, sold all of his gear. However, Borich had returned home, unhappy with the session work he had been undertaking. For the next 8 years, Cog
consumed the musical direction of Gower, though much of the music the band was playing had been written before the 1998 formation of the band. The band recorded demos in 1998, with Borich playing bass. Flynn's brother Luke Gower
was brought in on bass guitar
for live shows.
Initially, Cog played instrumentally, but after failing in a search for a vocalist, Gower took up the role, though without any previous experience. From 1998 to 2002, the band played through Sydney
, gathering a following to rival that of The Hanging Tree
in the mid 90's. In 2002, the band came to the fore of Australia's heavy rock
/metal scene with the release of the Just Visiting Part One and Just Visiting Part Two EPs. In early 2003, Gower contributed vocals to the track Perception Twin by peers The Butterfly Effect
, appearing on their Begins Here album. Cog released the single Open Up in March 2003, and continued to tour Australia. In mid-2004 the band shifted management and labels, before recording a debut album in The New Normal
. After its release in April 2005, the album saw a slight shift and a massive growth in the band's fanbase, in accordance with a more commercial sound, while retaining a progressive feel, some tracks topping 10 minutes. After four national tours in the space of a year, the band returned to the US
began to record and write tracks for their second album, entitled Sharing Space
, in Weed
, California
. Sharing Space was released on the 12 April 2008. In February, the band announced that they will be touring around Australia
in support of Sharing Space in May and June.
, Gower, for the past decade has sported an almost entirely shaved moustache, besides the edges, which are quite lengthy.
s to extremes. Over the course of Cog's history, the semi-falsetto has been replaced with more conventional singing, but remaining is the odd word formation.
, Tool
and Soundgarden
. The tuning of his guitars are all the same in the 4 lower strings. The tuning being (low to high) CGCf always for the lower strings, and the 2 highest strings vary in tuning, depending on the song, for example, "The Spine" and "Doors.." are tuned (low to high) to CGCfcd. The tunings used were all made up, writing the music first, then tuning the guitar making it easier to play what had been written. In Cog
, where rhythm plays a significant part in the music, there is usually a lot of interplay between drums, bass and guitar. Of late, his style seems to be somewhat influenced by heavier post-rock bands such as Isis
and Pelican
.
Flynn Gower uses a selection of guitars made by Gibson
(he has been seen using different guitars). His main guitar is a Goldtop Gibson Les Paul
Standard. His other tour guitars include another Gibson Les Paul
and a Gibson Les Paul Double-Cutaway
.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, best known as frontman of the rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
Cog
Cog (band)
Cog are an Australian progressive rock band that formed in 1998. Their debut album The New Normal was nominated for Triple J's 2005 J Award. The band's music draws influences from Tool, Isis, Nina Simone, Bob Marley, Leftfield, Deftones and Helmet...
. He was also a guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
in now-defunct funk metal
Funk metal
Funk metal is a subgenre of funk rock that fuses elements of heavy metal and funk. Allmusic has claimed that "funk metal evolved in the mid-'80s when alternative bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Faith No More, Infectious Grooves, Mordred and Fishbone began playing the hybrid with a stronger...
band The Hanging Tree
The Hanging Tree (band)
The Hanging Tree was an Australian stoner rock band of the mid to late 1990s.-History:Formed in the early 90s by Daniel Parkinson, The Hanging Tree suffered from the usual lack of a permanent drummer until former Juice member Lucius Borich moved in to the position and the band began to establish a...
.
Biography
Flynn Gower was born in 1972 in SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and is the oldest of 3 children. He initiated his career in the early- to mid-90s forming the funk metal
Funk metal
Funk metal is a subgenre of funk rock that fuses elements of heavy metal and funk. Allmusic has claimed that "funk metal evolved in the mid-'80s when alternative bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Faith No More, Infectious Grooves, Mordred and Fishbone began playing the hybrid with a stronger...
band The Hanging Tree
The Hanging Tree (band)
The Hanging Tree was an Australian stoner rock band of the mid to late 1990s.-History:Formed in the early 90s by Daniel Parkinson, The Hanging Tree suffered from the usual lack of a permanent drummer until former Juice member Lucius Borich moved in to the position and the band began to establish a...
, which became one of the most popular bands in the Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
live circuit. After a few years developing a following through extensive touring, the band released a debut, self-titled album in 1996.
Shortly before the recording of this album, Lucius Borich
Lucius Borich
Lucius Borich is an Australian musician, best known as the current drummer for the band Cog, and previously the drummer in funk metal band Juice and in The Hanging Tree.-Biography:...
, a childhood friend of Gower joined the band on drums, after leaving ARIA Award
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
nominated grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
band Juice
Juice (band)
-1991:*Amarnath Jones *Krishna Jones *David Kyle *Lucius Borich -1995:*Amarnath Jones *Krishna Jones *Ben Rosen *Lucius Borich -1996:*Amarnath Jones...
. In 1997, Borich left the band and travelled to the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to do session work. Throughout, however, Gower was communicating with Borich, both writing new music. This led to the formation of Cog
Cog (band)
Cog are an Australian progressive rock band that formed in 1998. Their debut album The New Normal was nominated for Triple J's 2005 J Award. The band's music draws influences from Tool, Isis, Nina Simone, Bob Marley, Leftfield, Deftones and Helmet...
in 1998.
Gower had, in preparation for a move to the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, sold all of his gear. However, Borich had returned home, unhappy with the session work he had been undertaking. For the next 8 years, Cog
Cog (band)
Cog are an Australian progressive rock band that formed in 1998. Their debut album The New Normal was nominated for Triple J's 2005 J Award. The band's music draws influences from Tool, Isis, Nina Simone, Bob Marley, Leftfield, Deftones and Helmet...
consumed the musical direction of Gower, though much of the music the band was playing had been written before the 1998 formation of the band. The band recorded demos in 1998, with Borich playing bass. Flynn's brother Luke Gower
Luke Gower
Luke Gower is a member of the Australian band Cog. He plays bass, and sings background vocals. Luke's brother Flynn Gower is the lead singer and guitarist in Cog....
was brought in on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
for live shows.
Initially, Cog played instrumentally, but after failing in a search for a vocalist, Gower took up the role, though without any previous experience. From 1998 to 2002, the band played through Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, gathering a following to rival that of The Hanging Tree
The Hanging Tree (band)
The Hanging Tree was an Australian stoner rock band of the mid to late 1990s.-History:Formed in the early 90s by Daniel Parkinson, The Hanging Tree suffered from the usual lack of a permanent drummer until former Juice member Lucius Borich moved in to the position and the band began to establish a...
in the mid 90's. In 2002, the band came to the fore of Australia's heavy rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
/metal scene with the release of the Just Visiting Part One and Just Visiting Part Two EPs. In early 2003, Gower contributed vocals to the track Perception Twin by peers The Butterfly Effect
The Butterfly Effect (band)
The Butterfly Effect are an alternative metal band from Brisbane, Australia, formed in 1999. The band consists of Clint Boge , Ben Hall , Glenn Esmond and Kurt "Puddles" Goedhart . Their debut album received high rotation play on influential radio station Triple J.-The Butterfly Effect EP:The band...
, appearing on their Begins Here album. Cog released the single Open Up in March 2003, and continued to tour Australia. In mid-2004 the band shifted management and labels, before recording a debut album in The New Normal
The New Normal
The New Normal is an album released by Australian progressive rock band Cog in April, 2005. The album was produced in Weed, California by Sylvia Massy, who has worked with artists such as Tool and Spiderbait...
. After its release in April 2005, the album saw a slight shift and a massive growth in the band's fanbase, in accordance with a more commercial sound, while retaining a progressive feel, some tracks topping 10 minutes. After four national tours in the space of a year, the band returned to the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
began to record and write tracks for their second album, entitled Sharing Space
Sharing Space
Sharing Space is the second full-length album by Australian progressive rock band Cog, released on 12 April 2008. The album debuted at number 2 on the Australian Music Charts. The album was produced in Weed, California by Sylvia Massy, who produced their first album, The New Normal and has worked...
, in Weed
Weed
A weed in a general sense is a plant that is considered by the user of the term to be a nuisance, and normally applied to unwanted plants in human-controlled settings, especially farm fields and gardens, but also lawns, parks, woods, and other areas. More specifically, the term is often used to...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Sharing Space was released on the 12 April 2008. In February, the band announced that they will be touring around Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in support of Sharing Space in May and June.
Facial Hair
Amongst his musical pursuits, Gower is known for his intriguing facial hair. In a style that evokes images of a catfishCatfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
, Gower, for the past decade has sported an almost entirely shaved moustache, besides the edges, which are quite lengthy.
Vocals
His vocal style is intriguing and unique, particularly in the early stages of Cog's development, alternating between a bizarre high-pitched semi-falsetto sung from the throat and more masculine timbres. His formation of words is also fairly unique, drawing out diphthongDiphthong
A diphthong , also known as a gliding vowel, refers to two adjacent vowel sounds occurring within the same syllable. Technically, a diphthong is a vowel with two different targets: That is, the tongue moves during the pronunciation of the vowel...
s to extremes. Over the course of Cog's history, the semi-falsetto has been replaced with more conventional singing, but remaining is the odd word formation.
Guitar
Gower's style is fairly left field, with a lot of contrast between heavier and lighter timbres. Primary influences on his style are not very apparent upon listening, though he has cited HelmetHelmet
A helmet is a form of protective gear worn on the head to protect it from injuries.Ceremonial or symbolic helmets without protective function are sometimes used. The oldest known use of helmets was by Assyrian soldiers in 900BC, who wore thick leather or bronze helmets to protect the head from...
, Tool
Tool (band)
Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
and Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
. The tuning of his guitars are all the same in the 4 lower strings. The tuning being (low to high) CGCf always for the lower strings, and the 2 highest strings vary in tuning, depending on the song, for example, "The Spine" and "Doors.." are tuned (low to high) to CGCfcd. The tunings used were all made up, writing the music first, then tuning the guitar making it easier to play what had been written. In Cog
Cog (band)
Cog are an Australian progressive rock band that formed in 1998. Their debut album The New Normal was nominated for Triple J's 2005 J Award. The band's music draws influences from Tool, Isis, Nina Simone, Bob Marley, Leftfield, Deftones and Helmet...
, where rhythm plays a significant part in the music, there is usually a lot of interplay between drums, bass and guitar. Of late, his style seems to be somewhat influenced by heavier post-rock bands such as Isis
Isis (band)
Isis was a Los Angeles, California-based post-metal band, founded in Boston, Massachusetts, with a career spanning from 1997 to 2010...
and Pelican
Pelican (band)
Pelican is a post-metal quartet from Chicago, Illinois.-Biography and description:The band is known for its dense combinations of different melodies and extended track lengths. Its distinctive sound draws from stoner rock, doom metal, post-rock, and other influences...
.
Equipment
Guitars:Flynn Gower uses a selection of guitars made by Gibson
Gibson
Gibson may refer to:* Gibson Amphitheatre* Gibson Appliance* Gibson Girl* Gibson Guitar Corporation* Gibson * Gibson Generating Station-Places:In the United States:* Gibson, Arkansas* Gibson, Georgia* Gibson, Iowa* Gibson, Louisiana...
(he has been seen using different guitars). His main guitar is a Goldtop Gibson Les Paul
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
Standard. His other tour guitars include another Gibson Les Paul
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
and a Gibson Les Paul Double-Cutaway
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
.
- Amplifiers and Effects used Live:
- MarshallMarshall AmplificationMarshall Amplification is a British company, founded by drummer Jim Marshall, that designs and manufactures music amplifiers, brands personal headphones/earphones , and, after acquiring Natal Drums, drums and bongos. Marshall amplifiers, and specifically their guitar amplifiers, are among the most...
4x12 Cabinet - Orange 4x12 Cabinet
- FramusFramusFramus is a German guitar, bass, lap steel guitars and banjo manufacturing company, that existed from 1946 until going bankrupt in 1975. The Framus brand was revived in 1995 as part of Warwick GmbH & Co Music Equipment KG in Markneukirchen ....
4x12 Cabinet - SoldanoSoldanoSoldano is a guitar amplifier manufacturing company, founded in 1986 by Michael Soldano in Los Angeles, California and later relocated to Seattle, Washington. It is mostly known for its modern high gain amps, particularly their flagship model — Soldano SLO-100, but product lineup also...
4x12 Cabinet - Mesa/BoogieMesa BoogieMesa/Boogie is a company in Petaluma, California that makes amplifiers for guitars and basses. It has been in operation since 1969....
Roadster Head (x2) - Mesa/BoogieMesa BoogieMesa/Boogie is a company in Petaluma, California that makes amplifiers for guitars and basses. It has been in operation since 1969....
Rectifier Roadster FootSwitch - BossBoss CorporationBoss is a manufacturer of effects pedals for electric guitar and bass guitar. It is a division of the Roland Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer that specializes in musical equipment and accessories...
DD-20 Giga Delay (x2) - BossBoss CorporationBoss is a manufacturer of effects pedals for electric guitar and bass guitar. It is a division of the Roland Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer that specializes in musical equipment and accessories...
DD-3 Digital Delay - BossBoss CorporationBoss is a manufacturer of effects pedals for electric guitar and bass guitar. It is a division of the Roland Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer that specializes in musical equipment and accessories...
OC-3 Super Octave - BossBoss CorporationBoss is a manufacturer of effects pedals for electric guitar and bass guitar. It is a division of the Roland Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer that specializes in musical equipment and accessories...
PH-2 Super Phaser - BossBoss CorporationBoss is a manufacturer of effects pedals for electric guitar and bass guitar. It is a division of the Roland Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer that specializes in musical equipment and accessories...
RV-5 Digital Reverb - BossBoss CorporationBoss is a manufacturer of effects pedals for electric guitar and bass guitar. It is a division of the Roland Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer that specializes in musical equipment and accessories...
LS-2 Line Selector - Electro-HarmonixElectro-HarmonixElectro-Harmonix is a New York-based company that makes high-end electronic audio processors. The company was founded by Mike Matthews in 1968. They are most famous for a series of popular guitar effects pedals introduced in the 1970s and 1990s....
Sovtek Big MuffBig MuffThe Big Muff is a fuzzbox produced in New York City by the Electro-Harmonix company, along with their Russian sister company Sovtek, primarily for use with the electric guitar... - DODDOD ElectronicsDOD Electronics or simply DOD is a Harman International company specializing in making guitar effects pedals, most of which are now discontinued. Additionally, the company has made active crossover gear....
FX25B Envelope Filter - VoxVox (musical equipment)Vox is a musical equipment manufacturer which is most famous for making the Vox AC30 guitar amplifier, the Vox Continental electric organ, and a series of innovative but commercially unsuccessful electric guitars and bass guitars...
V847-A Wah - TC ElectronicTC ElectronicTC Electronic is a Danish audio equipment manufacturer.Its current product ranges include guitar effects, bass amplification, computer audio interfaces, audio plug-in software, live sound equalisers, studio and post production equipment, studio effect processors and broadcast loudness processors...
G-System
- Marshall
Albums
- The New NormalThe New NormalThe New Normal is an album released by Australian progressive rock band Cog in April, 2005. The album was produced in Weed, California by Sylvia Massy, who has worked with artists such as Tool and Spiderbait...
(Difrnt Music/MGM DistributionMGM DistributionMGM Distribution is the largest independent distributor of Australian music and music related merchandise and was established in April 1998 by Sebastian Chase....
, 2005) AUS#19 - Sharing SpaceSharing SpaceSharing Space is the second full-length album by Australian progressive rock band Cog, released on 12 April 2008. The album debuted at number 2 on the Australian Music Charts. The album was produced in Weed, California by Sylvia Massy, who produced their first album, The New Normal and has worked...
(Difrnt Music/MGM DistributionMGM DistributionMGM Distribution is the largest independent distributor of Australian music and music related merchandise and was established in April 1998 by Sebastian Chase....
, 2008) AUS#2 - Just VisitingJust Visiting (Cog album)Just Visiting is a full-length album by Australian progressive rock band Cog, released on 16th August, 2008. The album is a compilation rerelease of the 2002 EPs Just Visiting Part One and Just Visiting Part Two as a full album with the intended track listing and with the original long version of...
(Destra CorporationDestra Corporationdestra Corporation Limited was an independent Australian owned media and entertainment company based in Richmond, Victoria founded by Domenic Carosa....
, 2008)
Singles and EPs
- Pseudo (2000)
- Just Visiting Part One (Little Samurai/MGM DistributionMGM DistributionMGM Distribution is the largest independent distributor of Australian music and music related merchandise and was established in April 1998 by Sebastian Chase....
, 2002) - Just Visiting Part Two (Little Samurai/MGM DistributionMGM DistributionMGM Distribution is the largest independent distributor of Australian music and music related merchandise and was established in April 1998 by Sebastian Chase....
, 2002) - Open Up (Little Samurai/MGM DistributionMGM DistributionMGM Distribution is the largest independent distributor of Australian music and music related merchandise and was established in April 1998 by Sebastian Chase....
, 2003) - "Run" (Diffrnt Music/MGM DistributionMGM DistributionMGM Distribution is the largest independent distributor of Australian music and music related merchandise and was established in April 1998 by Sebastian Chase....
, 2005) - "Resonate"
- "Real Life"
- "What If" (2007) AUS#45
- "Bird of Feather" (2008)
Videography
- "Paris, Texas" (2002)
- "Open Up" (2003)
- "My Enemy" (2005)
- "Run" (2005)
- "What If" (2007)
- "Bird of Feather" (2008)
- "Are You Interested?" (2008)