Noise pop trio Gnaw don’t do half-measures. On their debut EP Inside a Machine That’s Glistening, the three-piece bottle up a restless mix of noise pop immediacy and serrated alt-rock grit — all pummelling riffs, fine-tuned rhythmic whiplash, and melodies that glow even when the lyrics are staring straight into the void.
Led by the pulverising ‘Star’, the band’s world is one where wonder curdles into self-reckoning — where “stars” can mean admiration, celebrity, distance, desire, and burnout, sometimes all at once. We caught up with Gnaw to talk about how the band came together, the making of ‘Star’, and the emotional push-and-pull behind the EP’s other tracks: ‘Gash’, ‘Treats’, and ‘This Is My Life Now’.
How did the three of you first link up? And what was the very first spark that made you want to start this band?
Dan: Tara and I have known each other since secondary school, and I found out that she was working on her own music. So a mutual friend of ours suggested we start something together. After a conversation with Tara, we both realised that there is a shared vision and expectation on what music means to us. That alignment was quite crucial in pushing us into pursuing this project together.
Zakhran was a drummer that I’ve always wanted to work with because of his virtuosic approach, and I can’t really imagine anyone else playing these parts. We both have a shared passion for asymmetrical rhythm patterns, and that became really fundamental in our songwriting approach.
We needed an outlet for catharsis / sense of relief, which inspired us to start this project. The sense of catharsis also informed the way we write our music. We also really like music and making music, so when you put three people that really enjoy music together, I guess this is the most natural thing that would happen.
‘Star’ is positioned as a statement-piece debut. Why was this the right first introduction to Gnaw?
Dan: Honestly, we really struggled with deciding on ‘Star’ as a debut single because we are really proud of all four tracks. We felt that ‘Star’ had relatability while not compromising on our songwriting ethos.
Daniel, you’ve mentioned that your first impression of the song was “a meteor descending”. What does that mean?
Dan: This is purely from how the guitar riff is written — half of the riff is composed of descending notes down a scale. Hence, with the distortion it feels like there is a meteor descending.
Tara, ‘Star’ plays with different meanings of what it is to be a “star” — admiration, celebrity, desire, memory. Which interpretation felt closest to your own experience, and which one was the most challenging to articulate?
Tara: Yes, I took inspiration from the imagery of the descending meteorite Dan had, and from there the idea of “stars” expanded in my mind — from something cosmic and celestial to something closer to everyday reality. It isn’t really about me or a specific moment in my life. I approached it more as an exercise in speculation and character-building.
I was imagining what someone might feel like to be put on a pedestal — becoming a kind of “star.” There’s a psychological intensity that comes with that, almost like a burning ritual they have to endure. Stars shine brightly, but they’re also distant, and eventually they burn out.
There’s a Girls’ Generation interpolation woven into the riff — how did you pick that particular reference?
Dan: I believe the descending notes were written first. After that half of the riff was written, I was thinking, “What would be the most random way to follow up this riff?” I was also listening to ‘Into the New World’ a lot at that time, and I thought, okay, I think I found the second half of the riff. I really like that piano melody and wanted to borrow it.
The track comes with a cool karaoke-style video! Could you tell us about how it was conceived and executed?
Tara: We initially talked about doing a fun karaoke-style video, where the lyrics would roll across visuals that didn’t necessarily match the song. But as we developed the idea, the visuals started to take on a stronger connection to the theme of ‘Star’.
The video pays homage to director Mika Ninagawa’s live-action adaptation of the manga Helter Skelter by Kyoko Okazaki. I felt that the protagonist’s arc and psychological state mirrored a lot of what the song is exploring.
In terms of execution, it was very DIY on our end, but we had amazing collaborators who helped bring it together. Shawn Wu shot the video, Dirty Laundry handled the primary styling, and kelleyreally contributed additional post-production visual effects and editing.
The EP title feels vivid and slightly uncanny — what is the “machine” for you?
Tara: I think of the machine as a container we’re all living in. Something that keeps turning and churning. Some sort of system around us — or it could just as easily be the mind, always producing thoughts and noise. It just keeps on going.
Could you tell us a bit about the other songs on the EP — ‘Gash’, ‘Treats’ and ‘This Is My Life Now’?
Tara: ‘Treats’ moves through a relationship that feels volatile; the riffs push forward while something unsettling simmers underneath. There’s an awareness that the troubles aren’t entirely external — you can’t face yourself. And with that comes disbelief: how could someone still love you despite it? The spiral is inevitable!
‘Gash’ is like an explosion of urgency. The song grapples with the tension of desire against the weight of ageing and self-doubt. You might have poured yourself into the ride once but find yourself asking if it’s worth going again.
‘This Is My Life Now’ closes the EP. It’s kind of a soundtrack to existential drifting. The song confronts futility — viewing life as we know it to be like some sort of mechanical churn. Even so, amid the dreariness, the self does flicker and remind you to hold on to who you are.
Finally, what’s next for Gnaw in 2026?
Dan: 2026 will be used to focus on our debut album, solidifying our sound. On top of that, we do have some shows lined up. Once the details have been confirmed, we will be announcing them on our Instagram so do keep a look out for that!
