Alongside Harris, who appeared opposite Gower inCarnival Row, Flowers features the talented footwork ofHamishLongleyandJadeLongley.
I’m a huge believer in inviting people into projects who elevate your work.
COLLIDER: I love that The Jacaranda is playing in the background at the start of the music video.
Image via Jefferson Chacon
GOWER: The jacaranda is a flower.
They both worked onTop Boytogether.
The whole track is, I’d say, the extraordinary and the ordinary.
Image via Starz
[He is] somebody who turns up to a pub every day of his life with two pints.
He’s a regular.
He sits down, and he does the crossword.
Image via CBC
To see the extraordinary happen there, I love stuff like that with film and TV.
I love that both of these music videos really make something profound out of ordinary moments throughout life.
GOWER: Thanks, Maggie.
I’m curious, where did this idea come from for this music video?
It’s very poignant.
GOWER: It came from an idea I’ve had for a while.
I followed his career as a dancer.
In life, the emotion that sticks with you and can grow forever is regret.
It’s the emotion that can actually stay with you and become even larger than the initial feeling.
But the fundamental theme of it was the extraordinary in the ordinary, and finding that in the video.
What was it like getting to collaborate with him?
GOWER: We met in 2015 onOutlander, Season 2.
When we released our first EP, he was such an advocate for the music.
He’s a genius.
He said, Well, what songs would you like me to work on?
I said, I’ll send you them all.
I said, Well, no one.
I was in Manchester, he was in LA, and he said, I want Flowers.
We all celebrated in the studio across the pond.
He sent his first stems over.
It’s why I wanna work with Craig from Elbow and invite these people in because of collaboration.
It’s why I’m an actor and a musician.
I think it’s the most exciting thing.
He’s honestly just one of the best in the business now.
It’s remarkable what he is able to make.
GOWER: Where did you find that one?
I watched it in my college dorm, and I was like, This is great.
It was so unique.
Were you drawn to it because there was the musical component to it?
GOWER: Yeah, I think the musical component actually took me by surprise.
But I do agree with you, I think the risk-taking…
I mean,the best TV shows, the best projects, there’s always an element of risk.
I’ve made this album without a label and without management.
Jamie Harris, for instance.
I think he’s one of the finest actors around, and to have him in Flowers?
But to your question aboutFrankenstein’s Wedding, it felt magic.
The beauty of imperfection.
And it was a crazy one.
We made something that was up against the royal wedding.
It was like, Frankensteins Weddingor Kate and William getting married?
Did it ever make you want to do musicals?
Because I think you’ve mostly just done plays on stage.
GOWER: Yeah, I do.
Pete Bowker did it withBlackpoolback in the day with Sarah Parish and David Tennant.
Stuff like that, I think there’s a real market for that.
Making my music and joining the two worlds together is something I wanna do.
Bringing Bear McCreary and making little films, that’s something I want to do.
It’s so great that you brought up my second job out of drama school.
That is the only job that has had music.
I remember seeing it and being like, Oh, he’s going to be big someday.
This is such a bold thing.
He’s gonna be huge.
I often cite Nick Cutler as being one of the best characters that came out of that series.
But it’s the respect for the writing.
Toby Whithouse is just an amazing writer.
Youve gotta take risks.
There’s a reason why a writer’s written a scene, right?
People think throwing away is acting, and it’s not.
Throwing things away, like a lyric in a song, throwing anything away is an active choice.
I don’t watch TV to watch pure naturalism.
It’s not interesting.
I watch TV to watch drama, to watch extraordinary people in ordinary circumstances.
So, yeah, it taught me that, I guess.
To take that into every job and make moments count.
Then it was starting over with Damien Molony as Hal, and that whole storyline.
GOWER: Yeah, five seasons of TV.
Which is a rarity today.
It had such a die-hard fan base.
And they’re still die-hard today.
I still occasionally see aBeing Humanpodcast that’s still thriving, and that’s impressive.
It’s been a decade.
GOWER: Its amazing.
It’s one of my favorites.
It’s a Canadian show,Murdoch Mysteries.
I was really curious, how did that happen?
I’m used to seeing only Canadian actors ever on that show.
How did you get cast in that?
He thinks he’s Sherlock Holmes, so they wanted somebody British.
And they have welcomed people over, British stars.
So, they basically said, Yeah, he’s our guy.
It was my first time in Toronto, Canada, and it was such a joy.
And again, I went back, which I think means they liked me.
[Laughs] It’s such an interesting character to play.
I’ve always wanted to play Sherlock Holmes.
This guy obviouslywasn’tSherlock Holmes.
He thought he was!
[Laughs] It’s such a great show.
I watched that during the pandemic.
That was my pandemic binge because there are 20 seasons now or something.
GOWER: It’s mad.
It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
With your career, you’ve done a lot of historical shows.
I love it because it’s where you get to pick up a different rule book.
I always make pals with the costume designers on jobs.
I never like turning up on set and being like, Oh, the costume is wearing me.
I wanna wear the costume, right?
And they’re like, Oh, yeah!
It’s an amazing thing to do.
I think costumers love it when their talent actually cares about what they’re making.
What if we do something like this?
That makes them very happy.
‘Inspector Ellis’ Gave Gower a Chance to Do Something New
Exactly.
And you have a new show coming out soon, [Inspector]Ellis.
Im very excited about that.
The screeners for it popped up in my inbox overnight.
I haven’t got to watch it yet, but I’m curious.
Again, not just an amazing actor, but a musical icon.
She’s blown me away so many times on stage I’ve lost count.
So, with that, the fact that Sharon was attached was just so exciting.
I’ve dipped my toe into procedural dramas, but I’ve never set one up.
I’ve never been given the opportunity to say, Look, there’s your character.
You’re a detective duo.
My character just goes on this amazing journey in that one film.
Do you see it continuing on longer?
I think it’s just three episodes for the first season.
Is there a much larger story to tell if there’s an audience that shows up for it?
They’re their own films.
In Season 1, which the three episodes are, you get so much.
And then, as with every show, it’s always whether the audience wants it.
It’s really interesting how on both sides of the pond, cop procedurals are so popular.
It’s so interesting.
GOWER: Yeah, it is.
The nice thing aboutEllis, I thinkit’s heavy-hitting, but it really has a nice brevity to it.
It has some lovely lightness of touch in there and humor.
So, yeah, there’s that side to it, which I love.
I can’t wait to actually watch my screeners for it.
For my last question for you, I want to know what is in your playlist rotation right now.
What music are you listening to?
GOWER: That’s a great question.
The two singles they released have been on repeat.
That’s not just because I work with them.
And then I’m a sucker for, just this morning, I was listening to The Doors.
GOWER: A bit of Fleetwood Mac.
We don’t want to be boxed, we just want to tell stories.
What do you think it is?
Tell me, because that’s what I’m making music, and I’m making art for.
I’m not making it for myself.
It’s for an audience at the end of the day.
“Flowers” is streaming now wherever you listen to music.Pre-orderGustaffson’s new albumBlack & White Movietoday.
