In this interview spotlight, we speak with Bay Area’s The Gentlemen Amateurs about music, influences, the new project, and more.
Full Q&A, links, and streams 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)?
The band started as a Motown cover group in college at UCSC. We just wanted an excuse to get everyone together to drink and dance. We would play “Shout” and stuff like that. We were basically just living out that Animal House fantasy.
What led you into this journey with music? And further, what drives you to push it out to the public?
We all played jazz growing up in high school, some of us throughout college as well. I think we all connected over that, as well as the idea of being at least somewhat proficient on our instruments and playing well together as a band. The idea of a well rehearsed live band is slowly but surely becoming an antiquated one, given the ease of producing music solo nowadays. We want people to appreciate the energy and rough edges that happen when the only thing onstage is a group of friends making noise together.
Who or what influences your creativity? Have your tastes in music changed over time?
Influence and musical taste is a really personal thing. If it makes me feel a strong emotion, it influences me. Tastes change over time because people are constantly changing and going through new life challenges. Over time they start to relate to a new artist’s feelings that they might not have been able to appreciate even a couple years earlier.
My tastes have gone from alternative rock and nu metal to delta blues and classic rock, to jazz and fusion, to neo soul and old school funk. All comes back to the Backstreet Boys though really.
Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?
Aside from ending world hunger, I think we were just trying to see if we could actually make an album together that we would be proud of.
What was the last song you listened to?
“Love Come Down” by Evelyn “Champagne” King
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
CDs all the way, because my car is too new for a tape deck player but too old for an aux input.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
Bandcamp, soundcloud, youtube for convenience and discovering new bands… and you can’t beat the price! I will usually buy a CD if I see a killer band live though.
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?
Finding fans that enjoy a song that hasn’t been drenched in auto-tune or Melodyne.
Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more music?
https://www.facebook.com/gentlemenamateurmusic/
We’re on Bandcamp, Spotify and Soundcloud as well.
Anything else you’d like to add before signing off?
If you find yourself in the Bay Area September 9th or 10th, we play The Legionnaire in Oakland and Neck of the Woods in San Francisco, respectively. Come party!
