In this interview, we chat with Gatsby’s Fiddle about the new project, music, influences, and more.
Q&A, links, and a stream of Spin Around The Earth can be found below.
Let’s dive a little deeper into You, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre(s) or style(s)?
I was always fascinated with singer/song writers. My parents were really into the folk revival movement of the 60’s and as a result I grew up hearing a lot of lyric driven folk music. My Brother was into all kinds of music (The Smiths, REM, Bob Marley), so I picked up alot of my influence from him too.
What led you into this journey with music? And further, what drives you to push it out to the public?
I started playing in bands when I was 16 years old, I was always doing bass or backing instrumentation mostly. I always loved rehearsing in sweaty garages and there weren’t a lot of entertainment options in my hometown of Hemet, CA. For me, playing shows in Hemet was more fun then anything else and I STILL feel that way. There is an amazing community of musicians in Hemet right now and that’s where we recorded our new album because that’s where our roots are.
Who or what influences your creativity? Have your tastes in music changed over time?
My Brother Cory is a huge influence on me as a song writer and artist. He has been doing a lo-fi project for the past 15 years called Hippie Cream that proved to me how fun making music and playing in a band can be. I graduated from Cal State San Bernardino with a History Degree and that has had a big influence on me. I was always interested in the personal stories of history rather than the important dates. Another big influence was working at a Retirement Center for 6 years. Many of my songs are about the elderly and what I’ve learned from them.
Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?
With the new album, we were going for the most live sound possible. We tracked drums to tape with a Tascam 38 reel to reel Recorder. We focused on getting each instruments in one take to keep that live feel. Before we recorded, each song was fleshed out in a cabin with the Lead Guitarist (Sean Longstreet) and Bass Player (Daniel Maggio). As far as content, it’s a break up record for sure. Writing songs has always offered me closure during huge transition periods in my life.
What was the last song you listened to?
“Roger the Miller” from a Karen Casey Irish ballads CD
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
CD’s, I can listen to them in my car easily.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
They all seem to equally pay artists very little for hosting their music. Bandcamp is a more direct way to get music from artists. I am so grateful for all of them for existing though, tt’s a great way to discover new music. For example, did you know you can listen to the only recorded Castrated Opera Singer on Spotify? His name is Alessandro Moreschi, check it out.
Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what is the biggest challenge you face when trying to connect with or find new fans?
The biggest challenge is access to venues with decent sized audiences, but that comes with time. You have to be creative (not only with your music), but with how you get the music in people’s ear holes.The real challenge is remembering how to play the songs.
Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more music?
Gatsbysfiddle.com is the best place to see what the band is up to and hear our music.
Anything else you’d like to add before signing off?
Just thinking about that castrated opera singer… can you believe that was a common practice? Castrating young boys to maintain their soprano or alto voice? Many composers wrote parts specifically for “Castranos” and it was finally banned in 1903. That’s all.
