The Goon Sax
| Company type | Indie pop band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Defunct | 2022 |
| Headquarters | Brisbane , Australia |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
The Goon Sax was a Brisbane-based Australian indie pop trio established in 2013. The lineup featured Riley Jones handling vocals, drums, and lead guitar; Louis Forster on vocals, rhythm guitar, and bass; and James Harrison playing bass, rhythm guitar, and providing backing vocals. Live performances were supported by touring musician Alistair Taylor. Louis Forster is the son of Robert Forster, who co-founded the indie rock group the Go-Betweens. Their debut album, Up to Anything, was released in 2016 through the Chapter Music label, followed by We're Not Talking in 2018 and Mirror II in 2021. The Goon Sax shared stages with acts including Twerps, Blank Realm, U.S. Girls, and Crayon Fields.
The band's name is a fusion of the Australian colloquial term for boxed wine, 'goon sack', and the word saxophone.
History
The Goon Sax originated when Forster and Harrison began collaborating on music during their high school years, writing songs together in Harrison’s bedroom. Riley Jones joined the group in March 2014 after taking drum lessons for approximately one month. Their debut single "Sometimes Accidentally" was released by Chapter Music in September 2015, followed by "Boyfriend" two months later. Early 2016 saw them perform at Brisbane’s Laneway Festival. The album Up to Anything was officially released on 8 April 2016. Their concluding tour involved opening for Snail Mail across the United States and United Kingdom in 2022.
On 13 July 2022, the band announced their dissolution via social media, indicating plans for "one or two more shows in Australia" before disbanding; however, these final performances did not take place.
Critical reception
Up to Anything received an aggregate score of 82 out of 100 on Metacritic based on eight reviews, denoting "universal acclaim." In 2016, Billboard placed the album at number 49 in their Top 50 albums list, describing it as a "gorgeous collection of slacker-default rock." Maria Sherman from Pitchfork Media awarded it a 7.0/10 rating, highlighting its well-crafted songs and themes reflecting youthfulness. NME's Matilda Edwards commended it as "near-flawless guitar pop." Esteemed critic Robert Christgau gave the album an A− grade, emphasizing the band’s appeal despite some imperfections.
Their follow-up album We're Not Talking was featured on best-of-2018 lists by both Loud and Quiet at number 34 and Under the Radar at number 92.
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Highest chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | SCO | ||
| Up to Anything |
|
— | — |
| We're Not Talking |
|
— | — |
| Mirror II |
|
60 | 17 |
External links
- The Goon Sax featured on the Chapter Music official site