A whirlwind few months for Mandurah band The Gusset was capped off when they took out a West Australian Music song of the year award on Thursday night, with their single Never Let Me Know getting the gong.
The local five piece topped the field in the outstanding regional category, with the award coming on the back of a widely successful response to their latest hit.
The Gusset dropped Never Let Me Know back in April, with the smooth surf rock feel immediately getting the nod from the likes of Triple J Unearthed reviewer Declan Byrne.
"There's a big feel good factor on this one and ocean alley fans should be lining up for a taste of The Gusset," Byrne wrote of the track as part of a four-star review.
It's success has now been recognised with the award, with bassist Tom Dowding saying the lads were taken aback when their name was read out during the virtual presentation night.
"We were surprised, for sure," he said.
"You just listen to the other acts that were nominated and they're just amazing artists. To be among those guys and to take out this award is something we're really proud of."
Never Let Me Know was crafted on the back of a jam session, with Dowding saying the band was aiming for a "nostalgic vibe."
"We were just jamming away and came out with this full-time, half-time sort of beat," he said.
"We ended up sticking with that and it became the chorus, then we added the hook you hear at the start and we were really confident in it."
The win is a huge step forward for the boys, who have just recently returned to playing live shows following a layoff amid pandemic restrictions.
Dowding said it was great to be back on stage.
"It's awesome. As a band your main aim is to play gigs because that's the best part of it, so we're stoked," he said.
"There were times during the layoff that we could only catch up online so as a band when you're trying to work on music that's challenging.
"But we played our first gig in months at Badlands and it was amazing, so we're looking forward to a few more."
The Gusset's next show will be their single launch for Never Let Me Know, which will now act as a celebration in the wake of their song of the year victory.
The gig will be played at Mojo's in Fremantle on Saturday, August 22.
Visit mojosbar.oztix.com.au for tickets.