Forever So

You probably haven’t heard of Husky before now. That’s because compared to most musicians in this era of uninterrupted connectivity and non-stop self-promotion, the Australian quartet might as well have crafted their debut full-length atop the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas. With its warm, acoustic timbres and carefully crafted songs, Forever So is the sound of a band that from its inception cared more about making one sublime album than acquiring a million followers on Twitter.

Husky is front man Husky Gawenda and keyboard player Gideon Preiss — cousins who grew up together — plus bassist Evan Tweedie and drummer Luke Collins. Though the four band members have disparate tastes, their shared passion for classic sounds, rich harmonies, and artful songwriting points back to the artists they grew up on: Crosby Stills & Nash, Bob Dylan, the Doors, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, the Beach Boys. After playing separately in small local bands, the foursome began playing as Husky in late 2008. In a junk-filled bungalow behind Gawenda’s rented house, using borrowed equipment and siphoned electricity, they cobbled together a studio. They used every corner of the little cottage – bathroom, kitchen, corridors – to preserve the vibe of that unique time and place and give instruments and voices room to breathe, echo and resonate. Forever So is a fullly-realized album that holds up start-to-finish, from catchy opener “Tidal Wave,” with its hum-along harmonies and surprise psychedelic midsection, to the understated, intertwined brass parts that conclude “Farewell (in 3 Parts).”

Husky took their recordings to Los Angeles to be mixed by Noah Georgeson (Devandra Banhart, Joanna Newsom, The Strokes). Shortly after completion, the band entered the track “History’s Door” into a contest conducted by Australia’s Triple J radio network to find the nation’s next great-unsigned band — and won! Before they even had a manager, Husky’s finely-wrought music was being promoted from coast to coast.

And now you’ve heard about Husky. Spread the word.