We had a chat with Italian supergroup Gee Whiz after falling in love with their psychedelic indie pop debut ‘Mr. Dinosaur’
A band with an instantly captivating psychedelic indie pop appeal that is packed full of nuance and laid-back, dreamy allure, Gee Whiz are a Bologna based supergroup with a distinctive feel that instantly sets them apart and makes for immersive listening.
Their debut single ‘Mr. Dinosaur’ is a track that instantly demonstrates their innate appeal, born out of creative jam sessions that see them perfecting and fine-tuning their sound and approach. The track’s whimsical and carefree appeal has a flowing and majestic feel to it that feels impossible to not get swept up in, and is the first taste of an upcoming 2026 LP that looks to further cement their status as one of Italy’s most exciting rising bands. We love the feel and tone of their unique style, and had a chat with Gee Whiz to find out a bit more about their past, their influences, and what this fledgling project has in store for us going forward.
Who TF are Gee Whiz?
Gee Whiz! is a new band from Bologna – Italy, consisting of four musicians in the classic two-guitar, bass, drums and four-voice lineup. We come from very distant, seemingly irreconcilable musical paths. One of the questions could have been, “WTF are you doing together guys?” I (Michele – voice and guitar) was part of Lunapop, an Italian superpop band that was almost unknown in UK, but pretty big in Italy in the early 00’s.
Paul, the bass player, has graced stages throughout Italy and abroad with Settlefish, a legendary post-hardcore Italian band, and then with A Classic Education. The same goes for Giacomo, guitar and vocals for Le Altre di B, and Mariagiulia, multi-instrumentalist, drummer, and backing vocalist with Iosonouncane and Daniela Pes, two big names in the Italian avant-garde singer-songwriter scene.
We love to do it in the old style, all live, a little off-key, imperfect but totally true.
How long have you been making music?
Gee Whiz! were born in 2023, but as explained above, we have all had other experiences. We all started out very young, as teenagers in the late 90s, except for Giacomo, the youngest, who formed his first band, Le Altre di B (a Bolognese legend who is still active today), in 2006. To be fair, we can say that we had 20 years of career, including lip-synching, discos, squats and afro rallies. The one who lip-syncs and squats is me; Paul and Gek (Giacomo) have done their great apprenticeship on tour almost everywhere in Italy, including the worst squats. The one at Afro rallies is Mariagiulia, a percussion fanatic.
Why do you make music?
For everyone, playing is a necessity. Each of us loves to isolate ourselves to play and write songs. Mariagiulia spends hours every day on the piano and drums, practicing.
The best part is obviously playing together, especially live. It’s all about feeling good and being happy together, in its simplest and deepest sense.
What are your biggest influences?
We are all huge fans of the Beatles and all the bands born from the psychedelic rock of the late 60s, like the Zombies, Os Mutantes and the Kinks, up to the Flaming Lips and Dirty Projectors. Each of us has their own specific musical references: Paul is a huge fan of Mike Watt, and he definitely took something from him in his creative approach to the instrument. I love fuzzy and filtered guitars, strange tunings and saturated sounds. My reference point is Beck Hansen, just love his voice on that crappy guitar in Mellowgold. Giacomo grew up listening to the Forty Winks, a Bolognese punk rock band, Mariagiulia is a huge fan of Blur.
We were teenagers in the 90’s 😉
What would you say has been your best moment so far?
Being in the studio is addictive. Spending entire days recording, searching for the right sound, playing with effects and overdubs is definitely our favourite game.
How would you describe your sound to somebody unfamiliar with it?
Someone called it “like ice cream when you want it.” Does it fit? Speaking in musical terms, we can call ourselves a psychedelic rock band, with a pop DNA and a great passion for fuzzy guitars
What’s your dream “I’ve made it” moment?
Gee Whiz! the Greatest Hits, after the 10th LP.
We love your debut single “Mr. Dinosaur”! What more can you tell us about it?
The song was born with guitar and vocals; the structure and singing of my demo were completely different from the song we listen to today. I wrote it in 2021, during lockdown, after watching Peter Jackson’s documentary about the Beatles. The magical moment the song took shape was when Mariagiulia began juggling glockenspiel and drums, as you can hear in the intro, singing the verse over it over and over again. The Icing on the Cake was the recording of the final chorus, where we recruited some random guys to give that “Big Chorus” effect and perform the “pa pa pa pa, we love you!” final.
What else do you have planned for the near future?
Our first LP, consisting of 10 songs including Mr Dinosaur, will be released in spring 2026, and we are planning a tour to present the album. We have many more tracks ready to be recorded and can’t wait to get back into the studio.
And finally, who is your biggest fan right now?
We are definitely our biggest fans; we love each other madly.
