Q&A: Welcome to the Land of Shunk
Emerging from Montreal's music scene, Shunk has been making waves with their eclectic sound and playful energy. The four-piece band—comprised of Gabrielle Domingue on vocals, Peter Baylis on guitar, Julia Hill on bass, and Adrian Vaktor on drums—recently released their debut album "Shunkland" on March 7th.
What began as a pandemic project between Gabrielle and Peter in fall 2022 quickly evolved when they brought in Adrian (an old bandmate of Peter's from the Montreal scene) and Julia (whom Gabrielle had met at a show). As they put it: "The first time we jammed it just really clicked and here we are!" With their debut "Shunkland," the band has carved out a distinctive niche where whimsical medieval fantasy meets raw post-punk energy – creating a sound that's as unpredictable and playful as the name-giving "shuuunk" of gear being tossed into Adrian's Kia Soul.
REVERIE: Congrats on the new release “Shunkland”! How would you describe the Land of Shunk?
SHUNK: It’s a bit zany a bit whimsical. Because we’re all so close, we really have to chance to trust each other with ideas and bounce jokes off each other until it evolves (or devolves) into a song. We’re pretty eclectic with our music taste and what we like to play so I think that comes through in Shunkland’s topography- some slower balades, then some harder post-punk riffs.
REVERIE: We love your use of medieval/fantasy themes like “Goblin” and “Rat King” - your chainmaille outfits too - how do these themes weave into Shunk and why?
SHUNK: Thank you! For those outfits we got the help of Jade Simard (@textilehustler) and Michaela Snoyer (@michaelasnoyer). I mean, I think these themes are in the cultural zeitgeist at the moment. But we do love to dress up and have fun, and we joke around a lot so it’s a bit of that playful energy. For “Goblin”, the text is from an existing poem ‘Goblin Market’ by Christina Rosetti- I was drunk reading it out loud to a friend one night and they were like ‘I want that as a song’ and it happened.
REVERIE: If Shunk were to run a Dungeons and Dragons campaign - what would your character be?
SHUNK: tbh, we’d all be bards- unfortunately- but for the campaign to work here we are:
Peter: Goblin hoarding treasure, good at stealing.
Adrian: Warlock.
Julia: Elf healer situation.
Gabrielle: Barbarian-smash smash.
I’m not so familiar with DnD lingo but i think these terms hold up.
REVERIE: Where did the name Shunk come from?
SHUNK: Adrian is always chucking things into his Kia Soul and when he does that he goes ‘shuuunk’- that’s where it’s from.
REVERIE: It seems like the band blends a few different elements together from punk to shoegaze to form Shunk’s sound. Who are some of your biggest musical influences, alive or dead, that you would want to play on a bill with?
SHUNK: It’s true we do like all those genres!
Peter wants to play a set with James Brown.
Julia wants wipers.
Adrian wants to play with Björk.
Gabrielle wants suburban lawns or B-52s.
REVERIE: Your live shows are known for being high-energy and fun. What’s your approach to translating your music from the studio to the stage? Any gear or tech that you can’t live without to make it happen?
SHUNK: We’re high energy people! And we all take turns shocking each other with my ungrounded mic-it zaps us and realigns our energy. Peter can’t live without his two amps (a vox he calls power and a JC-120 cyber ghost). Julia only wants flat wound strings. Adrian needs his cracked kick pedal. I need a mic.
REVERIE: Beyond medieval aesthetics, what messages or themes do you hope listeners take away from your music?
SHUNK: To vibe & do no wrong but take no shit :)
REVERIE: What’s next for Shunk? Any touring plans or unexpected directions you’re excited to explore?
SHUNK: No tours of yet, trying to play some festivals and one off out of town shows in Toronto, Ottawa that sort of thing. We’re dropping a demo for the summer which we’re excited about! And of course we’re gonna be writing new music.