Episode 281 : Gus Baldwin (Gus Baldwin & The Sketch)

Contextual differences, the banana band, and a weekly reset. Gus Baldwin (Gus Baldwin & The Sketch, Gus Baldwin) "Gus Baldwin is a 20-something singer/songwriter/ex-hippie/part-time punk hailing from Austin, TX. He splits his time constantly performing as a one man garage band, or with his band The Sketch, and as a frequent collaborator with other local acts. His music spans an array of time periods (80s power-pop, 60s psych, 70s proto-punk, 90s indie rock), and his forthcoming self-titled debut solo full length showcases the immensity of his talents in making all of those influences sound fresh and new. “Each song on the record is a different piece of me trying to figure out who I was, and how the world was changing around me,” Baldwin says. “It’s a document of my early 20s.” And, it’s a document of an artist finding his voice from within several entanglements. More on that in a moment… The debut full length by Gus Baldwin & The Sketch, titled simply The Sketch was released earlier in 2025 to much critical acclaim: Austin NPR affiliate KUTX’s Artist of The Month in March, a front cover story in Austin Chronicle and Best Punk Band nomination, as well as personal invitations to support Jack White and tour with Bass Drum of Death in Fall 2025. While The Sketch continues to tour the US (and soon the EU) and write, Gus’ solo album serves to fill in the shades and background that made him. To wit: After a stint holding down drums for Dallas surf punk legends Sealion in high school, Baldwin went on to form the psych-pop combo Acid Carousel, which he led for 6 years and 20-ish releases before departing the band on Halloween night 2021. Quickly releasing a string of solo titles on his own GetWithIt! Records imprint, including the EPs THRILLER II, and Live Bugs, as well as a slew of singles, Gus established himself firmly as the godson of Texas rock ‘n’ roll. Teaming up with former Acid Carousel bandmates, and other friends, Gus formed The Sketch in 2022 with bassist Lucas Martins, guitarist David Rawlinson, and drummer Trey Gutierrez. “At the time of writing most of these tunes, I was still in Acid Carousel and fed up with how things were going, and mostly tired of the psych bag I had been put in,” Baldwin says. The pandemic was a prolific time for him, with a personal mission to write and record a new track every other day on his 4-track recorder. “It’s interesting seeing the songs written for Carousel put on the same album with the ones written right after both my breakup with that band, and my long term relationship. It made sense to put these all together to document my personal journey from age 21 to now.” The 12-track album was recorded on a Tascam 388 8-track tape machine at the home studio of Baldwin’s friend Ramiro Verdooren over many sessions throughout 2022-2023. Roky Moon (American Sharks) recorded the final touches and mixed the album, with Joey Oaxaca mastering in Los Angeles. Gus Baldwin will be available on LP and download on October 24th, 2025 via Permanent Teeth." Excerpt from https://hi-dive.com Gus Baldwin / Gus Baldwin & The Sketch: Bandcamp: https://gusbaldwin.bandcamp.com Instagram: @buddy_gus Website: https://linktr.ee/gusbaldwin Merch: https://gusbaldwin.bandcamp.com Records: https://permanentteeth.myshopify.com The Vineyard: Instagram: @thevineyardpodcast Website: https://www.thevineyardpodcast.com Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thevineyardpodcast