Columbus – After a year of personal challenges and a short break from the stage, Kill Gosling is ready to share a fresh musical chapter with the local community. Frontman Chandler Maguire, who spent 2024 battling depression and heavy drinking while living alone, has found renewed purpose through sobriety, a supportive partnership, and a renewed love for the city’s music scene.
From burnout to rebirth
In the wake of the 2024 EP Waster, Maguire described a period of isolation that left him feeling disconnected from his art. “When I wrote the songs for that album, I was living by myself for the first time in a while, and I was depressed and drinking really, really heavily,” he recalled. The EP captured that six‑month stretch, but a decision to get sober and move in with his girlfriend sparked a positive shift in his life.
Short tours following the EP left Maguire dissatisfied, and he admits he began to let outside voices dictate his creative direction, further draining his joy. “This has been my passion my whole life. How the heck do I make sense out of that?” he said.
Finding a normal life
Choosing to step back, Maguire focused on building a “normal life” – buying a house, spending quality time with his partner, and hosting biweekly family game nights. A conversation with a veteran of the local scene reminded him that a brief pause, not a permanent exit, was the healthier path. “There’s no reason to make a crazy jump to quitting music. You’re just burned out. Take some time off and just chill for a bit,” the older friend advised.
That counsel helped Maguire re‑enter the creative process on his own terms, treating music as a source of joy rather than obligation.
“Super Plume” – a meta, self‑referential record
The new album, Super Plume, reflects those tumultuous months and the band’s evolving approach to songwriting. Maguire explained that the group now writes the music first, adding lyrics afterward – a reversal from their earlier, lyric‑driven method. “I just got tired of the really lyric‑driven, very punky songs. I wanted to jam out a little bit more, play a little bit slower, play stuff that felt a little bit bigger,” he said.
Tracks such as “Lost” convey confusion, “Fuck the World” blends slower, melodic elements with raw anger, and the closing piece “Crayon” offers catharsis through an extended instrumental coda that feels like a powerful nor’easter of sound. Maguire noted, “I was having so many weird feelings about music, and I was specifically having a hard time getting it out in words… I think I was more so trying to speak through the composition and guitars.”
Celebrating the release locally
Kill Gosling will celebrate the launch of Super Plume at Café Bourbon Street on Saturday, Sept. 26. The show will feature supporting acts Abel, BTS, and Sour Fiction, and will give fans a chance to experience the album’s energetic, guitar‑driven sound live.
Band members Violet Eadie (guitars/vocals), Walter Maguire (bass) and Christian Gehring (drums) join Chandler onstage, underscoring the collaborative spirit that defines the Columbus music community. The event highlights how local venues and fellow musicians continue to nurture talent and provide a platform for artists to share their stories.
Looking ahead
While the band is proud of the current record, Maguire hinted at future possibilities, including experimenting with piano and strings on a potential follow‑up. “If we do another Kill Gosling record, it’d be fun to go the opposite direction and be like, we’ve got pianos, we’ve got strings. Just make it a complete studio album,” he said.
Kill Gosling’s resurgence illustrates the power of community support, personal responsibility, and a renewed commitment to craft – values that resonate deeply with Columbus residents who cherish family, faith, and freedom.
Original reporting: Matter News (Columbus) — read the source article.
