A Sunday Conversation with Gala

Fusing 70's and 80's pop rock sensibilities with a modern vibe, Gala dropped a fiesty and fierce piece of pop perfection on my desk with Tough Love. We were able to coerce the lovely and talented Gala Rizzatto to break away from tearing up the stage and breaking young boys hearts just long enough to take a breather on the Ripple Red Leather Interview Couch. Find out what made Gala decide to become a musician, how she tackles songwriting, and what keeps her focused on success in an industry that is notorious for chewing up the weak.

When I was a kid, growing up in a house with Cat Stevens, Neil Diamond, Johnny Mathis, Perry Como, and Simon & Garfunkle, the first time I ever hear Kiss's "Detroit Rock City," it was a moment of musical epiphany. It was just so vicious, aggressive and mean. It changed the way I listened to music. I've had a few minor epiphanies since then, when you come across a band that just brings something new and revolutionary to your ears.What have been your musical epiphany moments?

I never went to see live concerts as a kid. I always felt it would be too strong, too emotional. I was almost afraid. But when Prince came to my town, I was convinced by my friends to go. I didn't want to be in a huge space with thousands of people screaming and watching my favorite artist. I wanted to be on stage with him! But I gave in and went. It was amazing, I was able to go from the last row to first row and take the seat of a journalist who didn't show up. The music and his presence made me so excited that I travelled on people's hands to the first row. Prince, no doubt, my favorite, a true musical epiphany.
Before that, when I was about 5 years old I would come home and ask my mom to see the 'apple' spinning. The apple was the symbol on every vinyl Beatles record. Every day after school, I asked my mom to put on the Beatles and see that apple spinning in the center of the vinyl.

Genre's are so misleading and such a way to pigeonhole bands. Without resorting to labels, how would you describe your music?
Pop in the original sense of popular, because you can remember a melody and humm it, it's memorable. Pop means memorable to me. It is not Kelly Clarkson for example, as the USA sometimes defines. Pop is the music of the people. My sound has been influenced by many people, genres: 70's rock, 80's pop, world cultures and poetry, dance and hip hop music.

Talk to us about the song-writing process for you. What comes first, the idea? A riff? The lyrics? How does it all fall into place?

Sometimes a beat, sometimes a sequence of chord, sometimes a poem. These days I write with my guitar. The combination of chords can evoke an entire idea and feeling and then I start writing separately a poem or a concept...and then put it together. But I do also miss having great beats and writing to them.

For you, what makes a great song?

The perfect balance between lyrics, melody, and groove. The melody has to 'mean' what the lyric say and vice versa. A song that has a message, a melody that is memorable and a beat that makes me move, is perfect. But what is more important is that it is HONEST, that it is SIMPLE without being simplistic. To me, the Beatles embrace this perfectly. I don't like contrived songs that try to impress or shock with lyrics and music. I like an honest HUMAN emotion; love, jealousy, or sadness, expressed as if by a child discovering it for the first time.


What piece of your music are you particularly proud of?

The TOUGH LOVE album, which you can listen to on iTunes, from beginning to end. Almost like a good Beatles record, it's a journey. I know this is the time for singles. I thought out of this album as a collection of singles and none of them represent the album as a whole. Each is a precious stone a special chocolate treat in a box: the hazelnut, the coffee, the cherry, you have to try them all.

Despite the success of lots of female artists, it's still a tough business for a woman slugging it out in a male-dominated world. What have you come up against and how have you handled it?

VERY HARD! I like you, you're a smart man. Nobody thinks of this anymore because we see so many girls playing now. For me it was VERY difficult. Even as a kid, I was not allowed to join the (all boys) bands in school. When my music, drummer or guitar teacher (males) would make subtle but annoying advances at me at 14 yrs old it was not particularly inviting to make me go on.

Now there is a great organization that is called 'Girls Rock Camp' I have taught there in NY, and its WOMEN teaching young girls how to put together a band and play an instrument. I wish I had that type of mentorship when I was younger, I felt very lonely. That is why I always feel like I am not a musician because I didn’t study music. I am an instinctive musician, a natural musician but not a 'trained' one. So I took several years after my first success to go back and learn from many different teachers and other great musicians.

Also, in this business women are almost required to YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL AND/ or USE SEX, or perhaps if you have money from previous sales, like so many artists in the 80's and 90's. It’s hard to be a woman and make it in the biz starting from scratch if you don’t have one of these options. The music only, unfortunately, won't do. It's still easier for men, even today. I don’t think the audience cares as much as the label people and the people in between. See the movie: "Searching for Debra Winger."

The business of music is a brutal place. Changes in technology have made it easier than ever for bands to get their music out, but harder than ever to make a living? What are your plans to move the band forward? How do you stay motivated in this brutal business?

It is hard to survive making music, it's true!!! I stay motivated only for one reason, I can't do otherwise, I need to make music, write poetry, to DANCE it's in me, it IS me.
And on a practical level....not sure we will see. Any suggestions? :-)

Describe to us the ideal (realistic) record label and how you'd work with them, and they with you.

A team of people who understands your vision and helps you create it, by doing those things that maybe the artist can’t take care of alone, like promotion and marketing, the business aspect.
A team that has a long term plan not just a desire to make money now and then go to the next artist. A LONG TERM TEAM.

Vinyl, CD, or digital? What's your format of choice?

Vinyl

We, at The Ripple Effect, are constantly looking for new music. When we come to your town, what's the best record store to visit?

It's a difficult thing to find these days, as so many have been closed down. The East Village and Brooklyn still have a few good ones. You can also find some hard to find tracks on vinyl from people selling them on the street, or garage sales etc...

Any last words that you’d like to pass on to our readers?

See through things, there is a parallel world, a parallel reality, what appears beautiful sometimes is ugly, what appears your choice is sometimes somebody else's.
Be free to be anything, don't ever try to fit in any genre or style, even if it's defined as 'alternative ' or 'independent' or 'original'.