Tidal Peak is the artistic moniker of Brisbane-based dream pop, shoegaze artist Kyle Lacko.
A one-man recording project that performs as a three-piece band from time to time, Kyle has been releasing as Tidal Peak since 2015 (two EPs and 2018 album 'The Shallow Surface') after his former band broke up and he wanted to "pursue a sound with synths and drum machines after playing just guitar for so long".With influences including Cocteau Twins, Lush, Slowdive and The War On Drugs, Tidal Peak's newest single is 'Shimmer' – a song that describes the feelings of intimacy in a long-distance relationship.
The first taste of new music coming in 2021 from Tidal Peak, 'Shimmer' was recorded, mixed and produced by Kyle on a bedroom floor surrounded by guitars, synths, a fretless bass and a drum machine.
Who is Tidal Peak... Tidal Peak is the name I've recorded and performed under since 2015, after a band I was in split up and I wanted to pursue a sound with synths and drum machines after playing just guitar for so long.
It made sense to do the recordings all on my own and then put together a live version of Tidal Peak as a band.
We sound like... Very ethereal dream pop and shoegaze with a hint of synth-pop. There has always been a shimmery guitar and drum machine influence from the Cocteau Twins, but other groups like Talk Talk, The Field Mice and The Chills also found their way into being a strong influence.
Our first gig was... Bon Amici Cafe in Toowoomba, launching the first Tidal Peak EP in 2017 with two friends I'd known for ages as part of the live band. It was just the three of us and a drum machine, and it has been like that ever since with further live performances.
When did you settle on the group's name, and was it a unanimous decision... I've always been kind of fascinated and/ or obsessed with nautical imagery and it made sense to have a kind of name that associated with the sea.
The image of a tidal wave shaped like a mountain peak seemed cool at the time, so the name stuck.
In the studio I usually... Spend ages working on getting the rhythms down first, just to get that feel or groove in the song, and then I fiddle and obsess endlessly with sounds and gear later on, until I like what I hear.
I record everything sitting on a bedroom floor and I can be a bit of a perfectionist at times, just sitting there for ages with headphones and experimenting with guitar sounds and synths.
If we could tour with anyone... Pretty much any band here in Brisbane that would be willing to take Tidal Peak with them for a tour. But if we're talking heroes and such, Khruangbin or The War On Drugs for sure.
Social media is... Good when it comes to having conversations when you're far away (ie. COVID social distancing etc.).
The downside? More and more, I find so many people on Facebook comments getting into the silliest arguments just because they have different opinions, and any opinion different to theirs is automatically wrong. Social media has become a bit of a battleground these days.
My favourite app at the moment is... YouTube, because all it takes is for one video to lead you down a rabbit hole into undiscovered realms of pure entertainment. And there are also so many great '80s Japanese pop albums on there that you can't usually find on any other streaming service.
To date, my most embarrassing moment was the time... I guess when the batteries in my effects pedal ran out and I had to run and grab the adapter for it in the middle of our set.
Life on the road can be... To date, Tidal Peak hasn't toured or been on the road, unless you count driving all the way out to Goombungee to play a small festival.
If you'll have me on your bill, all I ask is that the rider contains... I guess I wouldn't say no to coffee and a nice little cheese platter.
The most scary scenario I've found myself in, was... Nearly getting hit by a ute that was driving way too fast down Fish Lane in Southbank. I was leaving a trivia night with friends and if I took another step back he would've hit me.
What celebrity/ famous person would you love to be spokesperson of the band... It would be funny if James Hetfield from Metallica endorsed the music because even though shoegazey, dream pop is a world away from thrash metal, if someone asked him if he thought Tidal Peak's music was worth hearing he'd just shout "YEEAAH!".
If you had to live in a city abroad, where would you choose and why? Scotland or Berlin, or even Dunedin in NZ, purely because of the Flying Nun Records connection.
Three people you'd like to invite around for a dinner party... Kevin Parker from Tame Impala – just to talk for hours with him about gear, recording methods and musical influences from our childhoods and now.
Anthony Fantano – talking with the Internet's busiest music nerd about basses and music reviews just sounds like a good time. Hoping he'd be feeling a strong 8 to a light 9 on the dinner party.
Limmy – I love his Scottish humour and would be sure to have a laugh with him. Also afterward all of us could have a jam and bust out a rendition of 'Wrong Way Down A One-Way Street'.
If we were coming over to your place, what would you cook us? Polish pierogis, the food of the gods and heaven on a plate.
No matter the expense, send me a case of... Brookvale Union ginger beer.
The last time I saw the inside of a gym was... Ten years ago probably, during high school.
What's the one chore you dislike the most? Vacuuming when there's dust everywhere and it's almost impossible to vacuum up successfully.
Do you have any phobias? I get a visceral reaction to spiders and bugs, particularly the larger ones. I had a large huntsman in my room recently and I opted to sleep on the couch upstairs for the night instead.
Would you ever partake in a reality show? I'm not a fan of reality shows, so if the opportunity did come up I'd probably sit this one out.
If you could prank any of your friends, who's your target, and how are you bringing them down? I'm not really a huge prankster type – the best I could do is sneak up on someone and startle them.
