Meet a Westword Music Showcase Band: Gasoline Lollipops

Seventy of Denver's best hometown bands will play the Westword Music Showcase along with national acts Shakey Graves, the Revivalists, Cut Copy, Bob Moses, COIN and A R I Z O N A, on Saturday, June 24. We reached out to the local outfits to learn more about their music and their relationship to Denver.

Here's what Gasoline Lollipops had to say:

Westword: How would you describe your sound?

Gasoline Lollipops: We came up with an acronym last year that seems pretty fitting: PAFCR. Punk Americana Folk Country Rock. The term "alt-country" is thrown around a lot, but the Gasoline Lollipops sound is as much influenced by Leonard Cohen and Rancid as it is Townes Van Zandt and John Prine.

How has Denver influenced your sound?

There is a certain amount of pride and edge in Denver that's definitely influenced us, especially when playing a festival like the Westword Music Showcase, where we can hear so many different local sounds but probably feel impacted most by the bands that bring a lot of energy to their sets. That's probably the biggest thing: Denver shows, no matter the genre, seem to demand a lot of energy from the audience, and we try to rise to the task.

What could Denver do to better support musicians?

It's fantastic what Fort Collins is doing with the Music District, offering classes, rehearsal spaces, a recording studio and all-around career advice and support. With so many bands in Denver, it would be great if the city made sure to offer any support possible to local musicians who are moving forward courageously without the help of rich parents or an IKEA-style guidebook to the music business.

Will you stay in Denver or will you leave? Why?

It feels good to be in Colorado indefinitely and embrace the inspiring landscape and the growing number of great bands and venues popping up instead of going somewhere else that's already a well-known scene. There are a lot of DJs, venue owners, fans, journalists, etc., all over Denver and Fort Collins who've supported us, and it'd be an insult to them if we made anywhere else the Gasoline Lollipops' home base.

Westword Music Showcase, Saturday, June 24, Golden Triangle neighborhood. For tickets and more information, go to westwordshowcase.com.