Aquarium Drunkard and Team Clermont are presenting Liz Durrett, Circulatory System and Modern Skirts at Nuçi's Space on Friday, June 26 as part of AthFest.

FP: When you were a student at UGA, were you into the local music scene? 

JG: Yeah definitely. I think anyone with an appreciation of art and music cannot spend any time in Athens without delving in and having a huge appreciation for it.

FP: What were some of your favorite local bands when you were here?

JG: It varied. I always loved Bloodkin. They were actually the first release on my label, the Daniel Hutchens solo record. And obviously I liked Elephant 6 stuff: Neutral Milk an Olivia Tremor Control. And right before I got out was when Drive-By Truckers started, so I got to catch them in the early days so it's been interesting to see their rise over the years.

FP: Have you had a chance to come back to Athens much since you graduated?

JG: Yeah, I get back at least every two years. The last AthFest I was at was 2006.

FP: And when did you launch Aquarium Drunkard?

JG: That was started in 2005.

FP: So you must have written in your blog about AthFest before.

JG: Yeah I guess the first time I wrote about AthFest was 2006…I think I wrote about maybe The Whigs and Don Chambers+GOAT.

FP: I'd like to talk to you about your blog.  I am fascinated by the few blogs that have really set themselves apart from the rest—Aquarium Drunkard being one of them with exposure on Blog Radio (XM/Sirius) and stuff like that. What were your original ambitions when you started the blog? Did you expect it would get national attention?

JG: Honestly the blog just started as an easy, free way to just post about what I was reading, listening to, what films I was watching. It was an easy way to communicate with all my friends who were spread out all over the country after we graduated. It kind of just took the place of group e-mailing. Then it slowly morphed into a music blog because I found that's what I was writing about more and more. At the time, there were, as far as I know there were only about 20 music blogs—again this was four years ago. Now there are what, 10,000 or something? It's got to be a formidable amount of music blogs. So I think having gotten in on the ground floor so-to speak, there wasn't that much out there in the way of music blogs, and it was easier to gain a following. 

FP: How long did it take before you blog started getting national exposure and publicists were pitching stories to you?

JG: I would say maybe five to six months.

FP: That seems pretty soon!

JG: It was pretty soon. Again, being that there weren't that many independent music blogs out there doing it at the time, obviously the PR people saw it as a great resource for them to try to get their bands written about. It's been interesting—I wouldn't say I even write about new music half the time. So while I get pitched all the time, the focus of the blog is what I'm listening to at the moment whether it's from 2009 or 1979.

FP: Has Aquarium Drunkard become a money maker for you? Is it a source of income or just something you do for fun?

FP: Has Aquarium Drunkard become a money maker for you? Is it a source of income or just something you do for fun?

JG: Yes and no. There's not a huge amount of money solely to made off of music blogs. But it has sprung things like my Sirius music gig and I put on concerts in L.A. and different parts of the country. i had a book published last month, a music book. Through the blog, it's opened a lot of avenues. I started a record label in 2006, and part of the idea to start that was I wanted to spin something off the blog…the label's focus is "if you like what's on Aquarium Drunkard we think you'd like the artists on Autumn Tone, which is the name of label.

FP: So the blog has helped established your credibility as a music writer…

JG: It's kind of a brand. I think of Aquarium Drunkard as kind of an umbrella for the shows that i put on and the stuff I write about and the stuff I play on the radio and the different sessions we do with artists in studios. 

FP: Do you get completely swamped with CDs and email solicitations? 

JG: It can get crazy. I'd say I get 400 e-mails a day and there are usually 15 CDs sitting on my steps when I get home. 

FP: So how did you team up with Team Clermont for this AthFest show?

JG: Even though I moved away in '99, I've very much tried to keep an eye on the local music scene because I got so much out of it while I was there. I've known the Team Clermont guys for years now, and we were just batting around the idea of 'hey, wouldn't it be fun to do a show one time?' That's how it started…

FP: It seems like AthFest is becoming more like SXSW in that way. I'm seeing a lot more showcases presented by labels, promoters etc.

JG: I've been doing parties and shows at SXSW for four years, so the idea was to take that kind of informal party/show and translate that to AthFest. And hey, it's a great excuse for me to come visit Athens! And go to The Grit!

FP: How did the lineup for your AthFest show come together?

JG: We made a wish list of artists we'd like to have. We got lucky that the top ones we wanted said "yes, let's do it!" I was a OTC fan back in the day and then Circulatory System. And the fact that they have a new record coming out—the timing is just perfect.

FP: Do you feel like the Athens sound has changed since you lived here?

JG: Not really because one of the things that's always been fantastic about Athens is it's so disparate, the different genres. You had the Drive-By Truckers, you had Five Eight, you had Of Montreal and the whole Widespread Panic thing. It always seems like there were a lot of different genre-oriented communities coexisting in a pretty small town. 

FP: What tips do you have for a new blogger? Is it possible to get noticed now that there are so many blogs?

JG: Absolutely. I think the key is to have a definite niche. The last thing the world needs is a new "indie rock blog." It seems like that's 85 percent of the blogs out there are so indiecentric…there is a whole world of music out there. I think there is always room for new voices, and I am sure they will emerge. There is definitely more clatter out than there was four years ago when it started for me…I don't think you have to have a strict journalism background. The blogs that I really enjoy - the writing is part of it. Being able to convey what it is you like about what you're posting. I'm not very interested in just a blog that posts an MP3 and says "hey this is great check it out!" I think the more in-depth the writer can get is essential. 

Michelle Gilzenrat