An Interview With GAZ

It has been a while since GAZ last caught up with Running Wolf’s Rant, and in that time the UK-born, South Africa-based songwriter has continued to deepen his solo catalogue with a steady stream of releases and a clear artistic identity.

Having followed his journey in the music scene, this conversation offers a chance to revisit where GAZ has been, what has changed, and where he stands now.

Following the response to “My New Skin” and its standout singles, he returns with “Moving On”, a new single accompanied by a music video and lyric video, created with Mark Beling. The song is deeply personal, but it also speaks to anyone who has had to face loss, rebuild, and keep moving forward with honesty.

It has been some time since we last spoke to you. When you look back at the road since then, what feels like the biggest shift in your life as an artist?

“I would say the biggest shift in my artistic life is a quiet confidence in what I have done and am yet to do. There is also a semblance of acceptance of what I have done to date, both from my inner self and from listeners alike. This comes from developing an identity that both the listener and I can understand and relate to.”

“I have grown from being petrified to take on a public image and put myself out there to a more comfortable space with my music and my image. I now understand that you must be seen as well as heard at the same time. Also, I think the GAZ sound has not only matured but is being accepted as a part of my identity. I love that association and am proud of what we have put out there to date.”

You have had a long and varied path from CRUSH to your solo work. What parts of that earlier experience still live inside the way you write and perform today?

“I have never been afraid to take on difficult themes and topics. The writing process from the CRUSH days is still the same for me: complete quiet, hearing the melody, writing the accompanying words, and telling a story that hopefully resonates and makes people listen.”

Since your return to music in 2020, you have built your catalogue with purpose rather than noise. Was that a conscious decision, and what did you want the GAZ name to stand for?

“Absolutely. If a song has no purpose, why do it? Why expend the energy and expense just to say I did a song? Every track to date has been written with purpose and a message. Every track holds a remarkably close place in my heart. I do not know how else to write.”

“Without feeling, or just to make a song sound good without substance, does not make sense to me. I hope that my audience listens carefully, as each message is thoughtfully crafted and considered in every song. If I do not feel it, then they have no chance of accepting or understanding the message.”

How does GAZ personally measure progress at this stage of your career? Is it through reactions, creative satisfaction, song quality, or something else entirely?

“I measure progress by acceptance. As already mentioned, I do not find it particularly easy to be front and centre in the public eye. Acceptance of what I am putting out is a big factor, as you never know how it will be received. The growing support and appreciation from listeners and media is also a good measure of progress, although it can be humbling at times.”

” I am enjoying writing, and I am glad that I am not under massive pressure to produce constantly, but can create when I am ready. Motivation and honesty at the right time seem to bring the right results and keep me creatively satisfied. I am also very confident in my producer Mark Beling’s ability to connect with me and ensure that, sonically, I achieve a high-end product that matches the written mood most of the time.”

The run of singles leading into “My New Skin” gave listeners a strong sense of your range. What do you feel those songs revealed about you that may not have been obvious before?

“Yes, each song was conceived and produced as a single, and the idea that it would become an album only came later. I listened to the “My New Skin” album the other day from beginning to end and felt both shaken and mesmerised by what we had achieved.”

“When you listen to the album in one sitting, there are distinct chapters and moods that it takes you through, which I had not even considered during the process. It must have been subliminal, even to me, but reflecting on the full body of work left me feeling fulfilled and proud as I considered the journey each song contributed to the overall result.”

When an album or single run starts receiving serious attention, what matters more to GAZ: the external response or the fact that the work felt true when you made it?

“Being true to oneself, taking a risk and staying honest can never be wrong, even if it fails. You are giving a part of yourself to the audience. External response simply confirms whether something has connected, as listeners can quickly tell when something is contrived purely to get a reaction.”

“Moving On” is a very personal release. At what point did you know this experience had to be written into a song rather than kept private?

“It was never pre-written, pre-conceived or planned as a release. It simply arrived. It came out of me in a three-minute moment at Mark’s studio one night in November 25. Mark was playing his acoustic guitar while sitting on his drum chair, directly facing me. He nodded and said, ‘Go for it, Gazza’.”

” I was surprised, but I knew he wanted something from me, so I started singing. The words came naturally, as if they were already there. Each new line carried pressure to perform, to create and to keep going. Then Mark called out ‘the chorus’, and the rest followed. It was not perfect or fully polished, but it was recorded on Mark’s phone, and that moment captured something very real.”

How did the song first come together in the studio, and what was it about that moment that made it feel worth keeping as the foundation of the final track?

“As mentioned, it came together in a moment of clarity, melody and emotional release. I will never forget that Mark’s arm hair was standing on end, and I was in disbelief at what had just happened.”

“That single take was everything we could give in that moment, raw, honest and instinctive. There was no question that we had a strong and genuine foundation to build from.”

Some songs arrive fully formed, while others need time to become what they are meant to be. Which category did “Moving On” fall into for you?

“A bit of both, to be honest. We had a very strong starting point, but the lyrics needed some refinement and personal adjustment in places. The core theme remained intact, and Mark developed it into a beautifully emotional track that carries both depth and a sense of movement, creating a surprisingly warm feeling despite its sadness.”

There is deep emotional weight in the song, but also restraint. How important was it for you not to overstate the feeling, and instead let the song speak with quiet honesty?

“It became clear to me that there was no value in pointing fingers, and that the song deserved more than some of the original lines.”

“A few lyrics were revised to bring the song into better alignment with the title “Moving On”. Keeping the original wording would have been unfair to the song, my former partner and myself. I am effectively singing directly to her, so honesty, respect and acceptance were essential.”

The story behind the track carries separation, home and the impact on family life. How did GAZ approach writing about something so personal without losing the universality of the song?

“I refer to certain memories without going into specific detail. This approach keeps the song open to interpretation and allows a wider audience to connect with it through their own experiences.”

The lyric progression in the chorus gives the song a sense of movement and emotional development. What was the thinking behind that structure?

“I chose one chorus to address my former partner and another to speak directly to my son. The three of us formed the family, and all were affected. The song is not only about a relationship between two people, but also about the wider impact and what remains afterwards.”

Mark Beling remains a key creative force in your work. What does he bring out in you musically that makes the collaboration so effective?

“He brings a seamless understanding of style, mood and the final outcome. I have complete trust in his process and the utmost respect for him as both a producer and a close friend.”

With “Moving On”, the production feels intimate, detailed and carefully balanced. What did you want the listener to hear first, and what did you want them to feel most?

“I wanted listeners to hear a man who feels lost and broken at the beginning, but someone who begins to heal as the track progresses, reflecting on meaningful moments shared with his partner and son.”

The release comes with both a music video and a lyric video. What did you hope those visuals would add to the story?

“It is rarely possible to find visuals that perfectly match a song and its lyrics, but the aim was to deepen the emotional impact and create a stronger visual connection. The imagery is not always literal, which allows viewers to interpret both the song and visuals in their own way.”

Looking back at the total arc of your career so far, where does “Moving On” sit for GAZ emotionally and creatively?

“Emotionally, I have never experienced this level of depth, hurt and clarity before. Creatively, I have never experienced a moment quite like that first recording session.”

It is always valuable to revisit an artist whose journey has continued to evolve in public view, and “Moving On” feels like one of those songs that says as much about the person behind it as it does about the music itself.

GAZ brings honesty, experience and emotional clarity to this release, and his ongoing partnership with Mark Beling continues to shape that identity in compelling ways.

Thank you to GAZ for the catch-up. Readers can stream “Moving On”, watch the music video and lyric video, and follow what comes next from an artist who keeps finding meaningful ways to turn lived experience into song.

Watch this space for updates in the Interviews category on Running Wolf’s Rant.