As music continues to develop genre lines have become more and more blurred. The best bands are able to borrow pieces from different styles and create sounds with more unique instrumentation. Our recent find GmG and The Beta Project is what modern music is all about.
We caught up with the band to get behind thier growth and see how thay have achieved thier success. Enjoy the interview here:
First off, where did the name GmG and The Beta Project come from?
“GmG” stands for Giuliomaria Garbellotto, founder of the band and author of all music and lyrics. Beta comes from the inspiring story of Eratosthenes of Cyrene, an ancient Greek scholar who was a librarian, comedian, musician, mathematician… but he was mocked for not being able to excel in anything, so they called him “beta” (“the second”). It’s a little self-ironic jest since we play all different kinds of genres and instruments.
How would you describe your varied sound?
The main purpose of our varied sound has been dictated by the idea that we wanted to be a “genre-free” band. We want to create a message first, and then decide how to deliver it. Genre should bend to the message, not the other way around.
Our varied sound is a direct consequence of this choice: you will find reggae played with a banjo, intertwined with a ukulele-driven funk sound.
What are some bands that have influenced your music?
Even though they are not famous in Italy, Australian band The Cat Empire has been a strong influence for us as a band.
Then every band member has his own personal background, which in our case it’s pretty diverse: from Beatles to John Butler, from Guns ‘n Roses to Fats Domino… you name it!
How has the alternative rock scene in Europe accepted your music?
We have been delighted to see that our music is widely appreciated by different European scenes, so much so that one of our singles has been on the very top of the European Indie Music Chart for more than 40 weeks! It has been a great surprise for us, considering we had basically no international distribution, but I guess it’s the upside of living in a time where distances no longer exist, thanks to the web.
With all the different genres intertwined, how does a song develop for The Beta Project?
That is a complex answer to give! Generally, we start from a “nuance” that we want to give to a certain lyrics, deciding how to “communicate” it from a melodic point of view.
Other times we get lost in some jam-session-like moments, in which we are free to develop ideas and rhythmic patterns, until the moment we usually stop and say “hey! That was pretty much a song!” And often it is!
Tell us about the video for your single “Prostitute”.
“Prostitute” is the first single off our second album, called Lost & Found. This is the song that gave us recognition on an international level.
The idea behind the song came when we were rehearsing in our old room, in a semi-abandoned former industrial area. A place that, in the late hours, would become a pinpoint for all kind of humanity.
There were, and I guess there still are, numerous prostitutes on the roads, even in the torrid summer afternoons, and on cold winter nights. They all seemed to share the same empty expression, the same latent pain given by their stories and past. Considering the young age of some of them, it was a heartbreaking thing to see day in and day out.
The song tries to imagine the story and the feelings of one of them, and in the video – which caused us some problems, being shot in the same city where we live – we wanted to capture all that emptiness that comes from not having a choice, when it comes to your life in those situations.
What advice would you give to other bands creating unique music?
Persevere. Believe in yourself and persevere.
Then practice. A lot. It’s boring, it’s not immediately rewarding most of the times, but it pays off.
But most importantly, learn how to listen. Hearing something is easy, but really listening is the first step to become a good band!
What is next in the plans for GmG and The Beta Project?
We are continuing to write new songs and we are trying to find the right label partnership for our next album. In the meantime, we are touring with our two new singles, “Sanity” and “Sunshine.”
So, see you on the road!
Dive more into the GmG and The Beta Project at www.thebetaproject.it/
