Interview: Gypsy Soul

FEATURES	Stylinzine.com: How are the two of you most different/complimentary? Gypsy Soul: I'd have to say that with regards to our music we are most complimentary in that our goals and energies are put toward the same things. With our writing we always try to achieve what is best for the song and in our career what is the best direction or path for us. We are very similar in most ways, but where we are different I guess I'd have to say that Roman is 'the gas' and I am 'the brakes' sometimes. He has an extraordinary amount of energy which much of the time is a great thing, however sometimes as his muse, I help to ground that energy. Stylinzine.com: In terms of your career what inspires you most? Gypsy Soul: What inspires me these days in being an independent artist for almost a decade, is that now the playing field is evening out a bit, where artists without deep pockets can find ways to be heard and get their music in front of international audiences via the web. It inspires and touches me to know that people connect with what we do and let our music into their lives. As far as things that inspire us as artists: being surrounded by mountains/trees/water as in Seattle; everyday conversations; old photographs where the story behind the scene was untold or the dreams unrealized and people who triumph over obstacles. Stylinzine.com: Of the many talented individuals in the entertainment industry who would you most like to collaborate with? Gypsy Soul: (Cilette): - Too many to name! Daniel Lanois, Peter Gabriel, Bonnie Raitt, Sting, Elton John/Bernie Taupin, Heart, Brain Kennedy, Afro-Celt Sound, Blue Nile, U2, Larry Klein, Paul Simon, Chris Isaak, David Grey, Lyle Lovett, Robbie Robertson, Joni Mitchell, Cold Play, k.d. Lang, Emmy Lou Harris, Annie Lennox, REM, Kenny Rankin. Not living: Eva Cassidy, John Lennon, Louie Armstrong, Freddie Mercury among many others Gypsy Soul (Roman): - Daniel Lanois, Peter Gabriel, Lyle Lovett, Prince, Bowie, Brian May, Bonnie Raitt, Brian Eno, Gladys Night, Stanley Clark . Not living: Marvin Gay among others. Stylinzine.com: If you could perform anywhere at all where would it be/why? Gypsy Soul: My dream is to perform in the most beautiful and sacred places in the world. Ideally, Roman and I world like to tour all over the world and have the best local/indigenes players from the country we are in perform with us. A candlelit concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater - a magical setting; An evening torch-lit concert in Waverly Park or at the Edinburgh Castle - it is where we met and is a majestic setting; A concert on Charles Bridge in Prague - because I've always wanted to go there; A concert in South Africa - it is where my family is from and while we are putting it out there..... concerts in Japan, New Zealand and Australia. I have to say though, one of our best (duo) performances was at a house concert in Half Moon Bay - intimate and very personal.

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Stylinzine.com: What would you say it takes to carry out a great performance? Gypsy Soul: Being completely present and focused on the moment and each other...then it is easy to connect with the audience. Our best performances have been when we have a good monitor and sound person who actually give a s#@t and then I know that we don't have to worry about anything technical and everyone on stage has what they need to hear. At that point, we both (or all) can fly unencumbered and just do our thing. Stylinzine.com: What were your initial career goals and what do you have yet to achieve? Gypsy Soul: Our initial goals were to make our entire living from making our music with out compromise. We have done that for the last decade and are learning to broaden our scope a bit. The current goals are to have our music reach an international audience and to be able to choose the projects (movie/TV/collaborations) and the people with whom we'd like to work. We'd also like to incorporate more career workshops for music students into our touring. It is so enriching to speak with talented kids (high school and college) who have all the passion but don't yet know what steps to take to make their dreams a reality. We try to help guide them a bit and offer them choices they may not have thought about. Stylinzine.com: When did you first hear your music as a public release and how exhilarating was the experience? Gypsy Soul: "Silent Tears" our first single off our debut CD, Test of Time when we got signed in LA was played on a great Southern California station called 101.9 FM. The station did a feature on local artists and we had a bunch of people at our house to hear it. For about a minute, that song ended up charting on the Adult Contemporary charts at #36 in 1997. Stylinzine.com: In your view how would sum up the meaning/essence of music? Gypsy Soul: It is really a journey of self-discovery both musically and lyrically. Our sound is a collection of our experiences, influences and heritage. Stylinzine.com: What has been your biggest struggle as artists and how did you overcome such obstacles? Gypsy Soul: The answer is to this question is found in the answer below. To maintain one's integrity and values in this business is really challenging. We have a great love and respect for what we do, for each other and our supporters, so it keeps us on track. We have 100% faith in what we do but not a lot of faith in our industry or in the old way of doing business. So there lies the disconnect and the challenge. We are entering into a new paradigm and we hope to be on the forefront of artist advocacy and a new business model for the arts. Stylinzine.com: Your career spans over a decade, what do you think it took to sustain such a lasting career? Gypsy Soul: We have been blessed beyond words to be able to live our dream and make our living from it. We were fortunate to find each other and share in the same values, vision and drive. The core of our goals has always been to write and perform the kind of music we love that is in our souls, without regard to commerciality, genre or format. But these self-imposed "guidelines" certainly have added hardship and years in our quest for an international audience. But these are the choices you make when you combine business and art. It was never going to be success at any cost. There are easier ways to make one's living for sure, but when it is something you simply HAVE to do to be happy and complete as a person, you make it work. Not only do we share the musical/career dream, but as a married couple for over a decade we have a built in support system.	Stylinzine.com: Which of your albums are you most proud of and why? Gypsy Soul: It is hard to narrow this down as each CD is a little akin to giving birth to a child.....so which one is your favorite kid? Each CD is a souvenir of sorts of one's life - a musical journal of time and place, love and loss. I will pick three of our CDs for different reasons: 1) "The Journey": Originals - which is a collection of fan chosen favorites of our songs. 2) "One Beautiful Night" - A Live CD which was recorded in one night at the Rogue Theater in Grants Pass. OR. Major pressure to get it all right in one take, but there is an energy on that CD and enormous love from the crowd who attended. 3) "Beneath The Covers - A Re Disc Covery": Cover Songs - This CD is an homage of sorts to of our favorite artists and our goal was to find the essence of each song and arrange/perform the songs in our style, while still keeping the integrity of the original song. I hope we accomplished that. Time will tell. Stylinzine.com: What would you say is the single most important thing for every musician to remember? Gypsy Soul: Know that your audience is your life line. Everything starts with the song and if it's authentic and honest then you will find an appreciative audience somewhere. I guess I'd say to not forget that your fans are your longevity in the arts and never to take your fans for granted, as they have chosen to spend their money on your concert or your CDs and share you with family and friends. Let every fan know that you are grateful for their support. When you are performing for people who have come out to see, give them everything you have to give at that moment (despite your frustration with the club owner or whatever). When your performance connects emotionally with your audience, they will continue to support you for years to come. Stylinzine.com: What would the most flattering concert review about you say? Gypsy Soul: Orange County Weekly - "The exquisite duo is one of the most brilliantly instrumented and vocally adept bands alive and kicking." Stylinzine.com: Well thanks for dropping by Stylinzine.com, before we wrap up; what would you like to share with our readers? Gypsy Soul: That If you like what you've read to visit our site at: http://www.GypsySoul.com for music clips, live video, photos, forum and much more. Many thanks!!

Published: December 3^rd 2006
*Pictures courtesy sources related to the artist. modified by SZ Graphics & Design

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