ABOUT

Like all good things in life, the coming together of musical partnerships takes time and a little helping
hand from fate. For duo The CosMedics, the journey has been a series of twists and turns that has
brought together a pair whose diverse experiences makes for a rich medley of musical accomplishment.

Based on the NSW Central Coast, the pair are made up of singer, songwriter and guitarist Mick Skahill and the venerated guitarist, multifaceted world touring musician, and producer Gus Bonic. Coming from two very different musical origins, the somewhat unlikely duo met through Gus’s guitar tuition, as

 

Mick looked to expand on his musical repertoire. Spending time in the studio as tutor and student the air began to form an allegiance with the combination of Gus’s mastery of the music and Mick's ability to pen a song. As Mick explains “I was fascinated with Gus' producer day job and wondered what was possible for my songs once we started writing together.

So here we are - we’re still wondering what's possible!”

GUS BONIC

With some serious weight behind more than 20 years in music, Gus arrived on the Central Coast in
1988, where he has made his home. At age six he started playing music, including violin, trumpet, piano and guitar. With an artistic mother to oversee Gus, as well as his six brothers and sisters, the
young musician fostered a love of Broadway performance, expressing an interest in music, art and drama. A life for the stage surely beckoned for Gus and as he explored the world of the arts, his love
for the guitar slowly became his central focus.

With a father who showed Gus that hard work and determination pays off, the young and ambitious musician secured himself a place at the world renowned Berklee Music College in Boston, USA, which
has seen musicians including John Mayer and Quincy Jones pass through its doors.

Gus has carved himself a place in the Australian music scene that he maintains as a highly respected, in demand session musician.

 

In 1996 he expanded his talents into the field of producing with a degree from The School of Audio Engineering in Surrey Hills, Sydney which has served to establish him as a revered producer within Australia for nearly 15 years. In 1999 Gus set up his own studio, aptly named Sonic by Bonic, where The CosMedics have based their recording and production to date. In that time,

Gus has secured his reputation for exceptional production and audio engineering, with a “Meticulous ear for detail” - Phil B Colson (Men@Work/ Colin Hay Band/ Jacky Orszacsky) .

Gus’s individual list of impressive accolades includes performances with INXS, who personally requested him as a support for their 2007 world tour, as well as tours with Hunters and Collectors, Silverchair, Midnight Oil, Grinspoon and The Whitlams.

 

INXS’s Garry Beers described Gus as “An incredible musician”. And the praise doesn’t stop there. Industry heavyweights including Aria and Emmy Award winning Engineer Brent Clark (Midnight Oil, Alanis Morisette) describes Gus as a "highly accomplished musician with a good sense of how to get great results in the studio”, while Ted Jensen (Metallica, Madonna, Billy Joel, Green Day, Bob Marley, Kiss, Duran Duran, Eric Clapton, Eagles , Fear Factory, Santana, Patty Smith, J Lopez, Metallica, Megadeth, Lenny Kravitz, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Muse, Eric Clapton and The Eagles) champions Gus as a “talented producer and mixer, highly recommended for all types of music styles.”

 

With the credentials Gus has, you’d be forgiven for thinking he’d be a man of lofty ambitions and expectations for ongoing stardom, but he remains connected to the music at his core.

 

“My goal is to continue doing music while having fun. It’s a bonus if it happens to make other people happy”

 

Like all exceptional artists, it seems that his driving force is a love for the craft of playing and recording and an inspiration drawn from the good things in life. As he explains of his motivation behind forming The CosMedics.

 

 “We wanted to write something that we’d get a kick out of hearing. We drew inspiration from past experiences and what makes people react and respond to different sounds and songs. My biggest influences are my family and friends. I want to contribute something to this world and music happens to be one of my strengths”.

 

                                                             MICK SKAHILL

 

Mick grew up at a time when buying CD’s and reading the covers for the lyrics were all part of what made buying music something magical. As a child he would write the words to the songs out, and while he claims that his family weren’t inherently musical, there must have been a formation of a songwriter in there from an early age. He muses of his early years “I was thankful to grow up in a household where music was so often played and appreciated despite there being no musicians in the family. It was a constant source of both entertainment and escape.”

 

With a growing taste for the rebellious nature of rock and roll, Mick found a classic outlet for his teenage kicks, admiring older, guitar playing kids. Self-taught and for the most part isolated with his music, Mick began his early 20’s establishing a group of friends who helped to demystify the world of bands and musical performance and his role as a guitarist and songwriter began to take shape.

 

With a love for a hooky, melodic pop rock song, Mick’s own personal style has developed from the teenage rebellion of his youth, into something more relatable to a broad spectrum of people. He relates to his process of writing as one that begins with taking snapshots from moments in life and turning them into song form. There’s a comradely element to Mick’s musical philosophy. He relates much of his inspiration to his love of family and friends and the journeys that we all go through, both good and bad. He explains of his inspiration to make songs “I’ve always seemed to have had a mate, co-worker, neighbour at every turn who presented as an influence and I want to write music that’s a soundtrack to our lives that listeners can enjoy and relate to.”

 

For Mick, The CosMedics is the perfect combination of serious talent, mixed with a real passion for a great song. The duo have a sound that packs high energy tunes, reaching far into the limits of both pop and rock and create a unique blend of music that is sexy, exciting and emotive. They’re a good match, as Mick explains

 

“I’ve always been drawn to music and musicians who are fun and don’t take themselves too seriously but have a serious side. That’s where we are at. We want this to be feelgood. But there’s also a darkness and some twists to it -  because that’s life!”