Jay Watson (born 27 May 1990 ) is an Australian multi-instrumentalist, producer, singer and songwriter. He is best known as a member of the psychedelic rock bands

Tame Impala Tame Impala is the psychedelic music project of Australian multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker. In the recording studio, Parker writes, records, performs, and produces all of the project's music. As a touring act, Tame Impala consists of Parke ...

and

Pond A pond is an area filled with water, either natural or artificial, that is smaller than a lake. Defining them to be less than in area, less than deep, and with less than 30% emergent vegetation helps in distinguishing their ecology from ...

. Watson records solo material under the name GUM and, as of 2021, has released five studio albums under this name and two singles/ extended plays.

Career

Watson was born in Carnarvon, and grew up in Northam, Western Australia. He was given the nickname Gumby, which referred to the clay animation TV show of the same name. When he began recording his own material, Watson shortened the name to GUM. Under the GUM moniker, Watson released ''Delorean Highway'' digitally in Australia on 30 May 2014. Most of the material had been recorded in 2011, leaving Watson to note that "when it finally came out it felt so good! But it felt so old to me". An LP release of ''Delorean Highway'' was restricted to a thousand copies. The album was described as a collection of "paranoid pop songs" that are "mostly about falling in love and all of the things that he atsonthinks are going to kill him." In October 2019, ''Delorean Highway'' came at no.19 on ''Happy Mag'''s list of "The 25 best psychedelic rock albums of the 2010s". In September 2014, Watson recorded his second album in London with the assistance of

Jerome Watson Jerome Watson (born September 28, 1974) is an American former U.S. soccer forward who spent time in the Western Soccer Alliance, American Professional Soccer League and A-League. Watson grew up in San Diego, California and attended La Jolla High ...

. The thirteen track ''Glamorous Damage'', was announced in September 2015 and was released on 13 November 2015. It was preceded by the single "Anaesthetized Lesson", which was remixed by Kevin Parker and released in March 2016. Watson described the title of the album as "about people glamorizing getting fucked up or being weirdos, when there is always a danger you could end up damaged yourself just through putting it on a pedestal". Watson occasionally performs live, using backing tracks. ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...

'''s Stuart Berman described the album as "the 8-bit, Nintendo video game adaptation of a blockbuster film". On 3 November 2016, a third album titled ''Flash in the Pan'', was teased on YouTube, and released on 11 November 2016. It was preceded by the single "Gemini". Described by the ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' as "a swirl of looped vocals, Pond-y synth work and dreamy, subtle bass". Watson explained that it was "the first song I recorded for the album, and probably the most immediate". It featured a contribution by Sergio Flores on saxophone. Watson currently resides in Beaconsfield, a suburb nearby to Fremantle in Perth, Western Australia. In December 2019, he and his girlfriend Lucy welcomed a son, Jack.

Discography

As GUM

Albums

*''Delorean Highway'' (2014) *''Glamorous Damage'' (2015) *''Flash in the Pan'' (2016) *''The Underdog'' (2018) *''

Out In the World Out may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Out'' (1957 film), a documentary short about the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 * ''Out'' (1982 film), an American film directed by Eli Hollander * ''Out'' (2002 film), a Japanese film ba ...

'' (2020)

Singles and EPs

* ''Out In The World'' (2020) * ''Airwalkin (2020)

With Pond

*'' Psychedelic Mango'' (2008) *''

Corridors of Blissterday ''Corridors of Blissterday'' is the second studio album by Australian psychedelic rock band Pond A pond is an area filled with water, either natural or artificial, that is smaller than a lake. Defining them to be less than in area, le ...

'' (2009) *''

Frond A frond is a large, divided leaf. In both common usage and botanical nomenclature, the leaves of ferns are referred to as fronds and some botanists restrict the term to this group. Other botanists allow the term frond to also apply to the lar ...

'' (2010) *''

Beard, Wives, Denim ''Beard, Wives, Denim'' is the fourth album by Australian psychedelic rock band Pond, released by Modular Recordings on 2 March 2012 in Australia. Most of the recording was done over two weeks at Zampatti Farm, Eagle Bay, Western Australia in 2 ...

'' (2012) *''

Hobo Rocket ''Hobo Rocket'' is the fifth studio album by Australian rock band Pond. It was released in August 2013 under Modular Recordings Modular Recordings (known simply as Modular) is an Australian record label founded in 1998 by Steve Pavlovic tha ...

'' (2013) *''

Man It Feels Like Space Again ''Man It Feels Like Space Again'' is the sixth album by Australian psychedelic rock band Pond, released on 23 January 2015 in Australia. Critical reception ''Man It Feels Like Space Again'' received largely positive reviews from contemporary mus ...

'' (2015) *'' The Weather'' (2017) * ''

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'' (2019) *''Sessions'' (2019) *'' 9'' (2021)

With Tame Impala

*''

'' (2008), drums on "Wander", keyboards on "Forty-One Mosquitoes Flying in Formation" *''

Innerspeaker ''Innerspeaker'' is the debut studio album by Australian musical project Tame Impala. Recorded at a remote beach shack in Western Australia during the winter of 2009, the album was released on 21 May 2010 by Modular Recordings. ''Innerspeaker'' ...

'' (2010), drums on "Solitude Is Bliss", "The Bold Arrow of Time", "Island Walking". *''Live at the Corner EP'' (2010), drums on all tracks *''

Lonerism ''Lonerism'' is the second studio album by Australian musical project Tame Impala, released on 5 October 2012 by Modular Recordings. Like the band's debut studio album, ''Innerspeaker'' (2010), ''Lonerism'' was written, recorded, performed, and p ...

'' (2012), piano on "Apocalypse Dreams", keyboards on "Elephant" *''

Live Versions ''Live Versions'' is the first live album by the Australian psychedelic rock band Tame Impala, released on 19 April 2014 (Record Store Day) by Modular Recordings Modular Recordings (known simply as Modular) is an Australian record label ...

'' (2014), keyboards on all tracks

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Jay 1990 births 21st-century Australian singers Alternative rock singers Australian indie rock musicians Australian multi-instrumentalists Australian rock drummers Male drummers Australian rock guitarists Australian rock singers Australian singer-songwriters Lead guitarists Living people Musicians from Perth, Western Australia Psychedelic rock musicians Tame Impala members Pond (Australian band) members 21st-century drummers Australian male guitarists Australian male singer-songwriters