Artist Spotlight: Emma Gullo - Casual Fun
Artist Spotlight: Emma Gullo - Casual Fun
Casual Fun by Emma Gullo live in Nashville, TN #SunsetSessions
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Recorded, Edited, Produced by Chaz Mazzota + Nashville Pop Check out her interview below!
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An Interview With Emma Gullo
Tells us about the song you are performing for the Nashville Pop Artist Spotlight. What is it about?
“Casual Fun" is my most recent completed write - It's a song about diving back into the dating world after something comfortable ends. Some people are masters at the "casual dating/fling" phase; this song speaks from the perspective of someone who holds onto people, hindering them from moving forward to the next possible love.
What first got you into music? How did the journey begin?
“I've been performing since I was young; the stage has been my friend since elementary dance classes, high school and college theatre, and summers spent at Cue52, a camp for singers, performers, and visual artists. At fourteen I started playing three-hour acoustic shifts at restaurants, that became my occupation for over nine years. My senior year of college I joined a band for the first time and it changed my life, HighSpeed Dreams started traveling around North Georgia for shows, bookings, and events. Music has followed me my whole life, and it was finally in college that I started seriously thinking of releasing original music. I had written songs growing up, but mostly for creative outlets. The persona "EGSINGS" was born from this era and I did release a few songs under that name. Now living in Nashville, I'm starting to reinvent my music and writing. Being around brilliant minds of music has ignited a new-found inspiration when it comes to writing and storytelling. I plan to release future music under my full name, Emma Gullo, and start anew with this next chapter.”
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
“I've always been a fan of raw, organic sounds. Lyrical storytelling is my strong suit, writing has always been a strong love of mine. I'm a pretty transparent person and believe the best work comes from genuine thought and feeling. I try my best to replicate that with the sounds and story. My influences include Tom Petty, Stevie Nicks and Sara Bareilles mostly, I'd say the songs fall into a folk soft-rock, indie folk kind of realm. However, I have a deep love for classic rock and roll, and would love to shift between genres with my future works.”
What does your music represent?
“I've thought about this question a lot, mainly because it stumps me. In a world where music is so blended in genres, messages, and media, I think that can be difficult to answer. And because I'm starting from scratch, it makes this question more ominous, but I'm certain on the thought that my music right now represents new beginnings. Reinvention, collaboration, the ability to write freely and produce what just feels right and sounds most authentic. I'm not trying to sell you something, I'm just making art and seeing how I grow from it.”
What is your creative process like?
“Pretty private actually. I used to be insecure about not being as active writing with others in the community. I've had a few co-writes with people, but for me it didn't spark inspiration for a song, it felt like more of a writing exercise. For me, I enjoy the control of a story, the play on words that I see or the hidden references that I build, so most of my writing I do is solo. The collaboration comes from the instrumentals and musical details in production. BlueHouse Band/Studio has been the front runner in helping me develop this side of the projects. We sit in a room with the scratch demo and talk about the potentials, the details, what is needed and what is not. I provide the vision, they produce the magic.”
If you were to open for any 3 artists, who would they be?
“Sara Bareilles hands down. She has had one of the biggest impacts on my song writing. Brandi Carlile would be up there, or Maggie Rogers.”
What is the best advice you’ve been given so far in the music industry?
“This is hard...I've learned a lot of lessons. The most recent advice that comes to mind; a good friend who's been in the industry a while told me "For every 50 people you get to know in the industry, there is usually only one that remains constant. They do not grow to be jaded, they do not allow themselves to be a victim of the field, even if they once truly were. Keep those "ones" around, they are the most important comrades you will want around".”
What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?
“Most likely pursing the film industry. I love acting and creating different alter egos and characters through scripts and plays. I'd have found myself in Atlanta working on sets, PA work, seeing where that path went.”
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
“Self growth. I have never felt more like the person who I was formulated to be; moving to Nashville, the opportunities that It has led me to, the people I have worked with...it has all reinforced the idea that music is end game.”
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives such as yourself?
“Go see live shows anywhere, even if you don't necessarily know that artist. Going to dinner? Go to a place hosting a writers round. Showing up is HUGE, especially in an age where we all look at screens for our fill of entertainment. SHOW UP.”
Social Media
Nashville Pop: @nashvillepop.us
Emma Gullo: @egsings
Chaz Mazzota: @itschazmazzota
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