A Q&A With Gelli Haha
- Nils The Music Director
- 7 hours ago
- 2 min read
"Somewhere between Studio 54 and Area 51" is how Gelli Haha describe themselves, and that's exactly the vibe we're trying to encapsulate this summer. A kaleidoscope of vintage and modern sounds, attention grabbing aesthetics and music videos, and one of the most fun live shows I've been to all year (Treefort Music Fest in March) is everything they're bringing to the table and more. We had a quick chat with Gelli Haha to celebrate their debut album release, which is out today!
Make sure to catch them at their album release show 8/8/25 with Dance Art Center at Resident DTLA
In proper Gelli fashion, I'm keeping the interview in the iconic "Gelli Red" that encapsulates everything they do: 1. Gelli Haha is such a unique project, sound, and name. I was instantly
intrigued once I saw the name/promo photo and knew I needed to see whatever
this was at Treefort Music Fest in March. What did this project evolve out of?
Was it always planned as this multimedia/sensory live experience?
Gelli evolved out of a desire to play, to enjoy creating, to not be afraid to
be loud. And I wanted to share that with everyone. It all started with the
music, but the concept and performance aspect of it all came running up behind
it.
2. Gelli Haha is Angel Abaya and Sean Guerin from De Lux, but live it's also
so much more. Can you tell me more about the rest of the incredibly talented
band? How did you all connect?
I pretty much met most of the band through searching for people to perform
with, through the music scene, through mutual friends. Los Angeles is full of
inspired, kind, creative artists and I am lucky to have found so many of them.
There are others in the Gelli Kompany who help us with photo/video, as well as
my best friend Selby who helped me create the philosophy and conceptual
foundation for the project.
3. There's such a vast sonic soundscape on this record. What were some of the
influences on making this record? Also, what's a song that you've had on
repeat lately?
Sean started working at a record store a few years ago and got addicted to
collecting vinyl. He introduced me to obscure late 70s/early 80s music that
really shaped our approach to creating the record. We also have longtime
influences like Kate Bush, Animal Collective, Bjork. Tbh, I’m pretty bad at
listening to music, but the last places my brain went was Wolf by Tyler, The
Creator, “I Would Die 4 U” by Prince, and “Thinking about you” by EXUM.
4. What is the rest of the year going to bring for Gelli Haha? Any planned
tour beyond the album release show on 8/8 in LA? The world needs to see what I
experienced last March!
We have a few things lined up for later this year. We might take over the
world. We’re planning to perform on Mars. Stay tuned.
Switcheroo by Gelli Haha is out now on Innovative Leisure
