Published: April 20, 2010 10:17 PM EST
By: Isaac Davis Jr., MBA (Juniorscave.com)
New Music Spotlight April 2010 Edition
GioSafari
Music Now Artist/Band Spotlight Weekly Series
GioSafari
Our Webzine recently spoke to Gio Andollo (Guitar, Percussion) of the Indie punk one man band, GioSafari, about his music and what he hopes to achieve in the music industry. Gio had many wonderful things to say to us, and we were able to get him to reveal it all here in this ultra cool spotlight. Here is what transpired.
Isaac: I just listened to several songs off your new EP/CD. What was the inspiration for making your new album?
Gio: The "Life Is A Bike Wreck" EP was inspired by two major events that occurred in 2008, just as my first summer as a university graduate was commencing. The first was a very hard breakup; the second a bicycle accident that landed me in the hospital for 4 or 5 days. So the title is a double entendre, referring to both events - and, as I often introduce the songs at shows, most of them are actually "about a girl."
The album follows me through my emotional and existential recovery as I grapple with loneliness, doubt, anger, and fear until finally I've emerged from this quagmire with my head up, a glimmer of hope, and an expectant look to an uncertain future in NYC.
Isaac: Who were your influences?
Gio: Musically, I was riding the coattails of several bands and artists as I wrote/recorded the album and planned the subsequent road tour. They included Bob Dylan, the Beatles, NOFX, Against Me!, Jeff Buckley, Conor Oberst, Glen Hansard, and Igor Stravinsky.
I was also strongly influenced by many different writers during this time, most notably Viktor ("Vik") Frankl and Leo Tolstoy.
GioSafari
Isaac: What do you consider to have been the highlight(s) and lowpoint(s) of your career to date?
Gio: The greatest highlight and the lowest point occurred at just about the same time.
I held a CD release show in Orlando on July 25, 2009 for the "Life Is A Bike Wreck (Better Wear Your Helmet)" EP. The album itself was a product of the hardest year of my life - a symbol of my triumph over tragedy, to put it in Frankl's terms. I put so much of myself into this album and when it was finally complete, I was more proud of this accomplishment than I had been of anything else in my life - ever. To my friends I promoted my CD-release show - the moment that I would unveil this "labor of love" - as the most important day of my life to date. I likened it to a second birthday or a wedding day. It was that significant.
In the end, the crowd at the show was - I'm sorry to say - meager. The low point was hit as the show came to an end and the reality began to settle in, of how many close friends and family did not even care enough about my life and my work to share this moment with me.
Isaac: Brief history about your background plus the style of music you play.
Gio: I began taking guitar lessons when I was eight years old. I first showcased my abilities at the fifth grade DARE graduation party performing Hootie and the Blowfish, "Hold My Hand". I stopped taking lessons shortly after and didn't take guitar seriously again until high school when I started SnootiBounse, a Miami-based punk band, with some friends. We played together for close to five years and then parted ways for post-secondary education. I ended up in Orlando, where I earned a BA in Music from UCF. A few weeks after graduating, I was struck by a vehicle while riding my bicycle around town. As part of my existential recovery process, I began busking in downtown Orlando and writing new music. As a solo artist - guitar, vocals, and harmonica - I felt that the music necessarily had to take on a Dylan-esque style, so I pointed my songwriting and performing efforts in that direction.
GioSafari
Isaac: How easy is it to get gigs for you as an artist? What is the live music scene like in your area?
Gio: Well, I live in NYC. So the live music scene is... adequate to say the least!
On any given night, there are dozens of events going on throughout the city. I understand how important it is for venues and promoters that they book bands that will draw crowds; thus I try to book only one show per month for GioSafari. So far, it's been working out just fine and has not been a great challenge.
Isaac: What do you think of the state of Indie music at the moment? Do you listen to radio much at all? Has the Internet helped music grow or hindered it in your opinion?
Gio: I haven't listened to the radio much since middle school. As a consumer-driven mass-medium, the radio must pander to the masses. Thus the music played on the radio has to appeal to the lowest common denominator in the greatest number of people. Otherwise it would not be a profitable enterprise.
Independent music, on the other hand, tends to be more specialized - appealing to a smaller audience, perhaps, but also retaining a much higher level of integrity, authenticity, and artistry. The Internet has helped to proliferate this kind of music. There's little money to be made on MySpace or Facebook, yet these have become the preferred networking and promotional tool for millions of bands and performers. It helps take the focus off of money and puts it back on the artists and their work.
GioSafari
Isaac: If you could create a fantasy band - what would be the line-up and why?
Gio:
Jesus - rhythm guitar and lead vox
Gandhi - lead guitar, sitar
MLK - stand-up bass
Leo Tolstoy - drums, percussion
Eugene Debs - banjo, mandolin, harmonica, jug
St Francis - hype guy (keytar, hand-claps)
Why not?
Isaac: What CD's do you currently have available and where can they be purchased from?
Gio: The only album that can be purchased in CD format is "Life Is A Bike Wreck (Better Wear Your Helmet)". Those can be purchased through the MySpace or Weebly pages.
Currently, there is a second album, called "A Light Has Dawned", available in digital stores iTunes and amazon.com.
Isaac: Where can fans access your music, videos, blogs, and anything else about you online?
