George Navarro Interview by Christian Lamitschka for Country Music News International Magazine & Radio Show
Lamitschka:
Music has many new fans throughout Europe who may be hearing about you for the
first time. How would you describe yourself and the music you play to someone
who has never seen or heard you?
 Answer: My music
comes straight from the heart, good vibe, soulful and unique. Lamitschka: How
was the last year for you? What were your highlights?
Answer: Last
year was very productive for me, I finally got to go in the studio and recorded
six tracks for my debut EP, me and the band also got to go on tour around Texas
on festivals, clubs and also fronting a few shows for Kevin Fowler and Billy
Currington.
 Lamitschka:
What is your latest CD and how’s it doing?
 Answer: Well,
it’s about to come out and I am very excited about it, we’ve played the songs
live and they seem to do pretty well among attendants
Lamitschka:
How did you choose the title for the CD? Is there a story behind the name?
 Answer: Bar
Talkin’ is a title of one of the songs in the EP and thought it would only be
appropriate to use it as the EP title, because it kind of reminds me of the
George Strait’s “Cold Beer Conversation” song where we open up ourselves to
complete strangers to talk about all kinds of things with a beer or other drink
in hand. That’s what I’m doing with this
album, showing who I am and sharing what I can do best with you all.
Lamitschka: Do
you write the songs yourself? If not, how do you go about finding the songs for
your CD?
Answer: I’ve
gone through the writing process with amazing Nashville and Texas writers, Mark
Nesler, Marty Dodson, Bret Jones, Phill O’Donell, Wade Kirby to name a few, and
when I started working with my producer, I was able to gain access to a catalog
of amazing songs that just blew my mind and I thought they really needed to be
shared with an audience.
Lamitschka:
Please tell us about the songs on your album (influences, etc).
 Answer: Well I
have a wide variety of influences in my music, which I’m thankful my producer
figured how to translate into my own sound, one of the tracks “Like You Do” is
a honky-tonk two steppin’ for sure, on “Bar Talkin’” you can hear the soulful
influences of some of the 70’s pop that I’m really influenced by. I think every
song shows some different side of my music.
Lamitschka:
Your current single is being played by radio. What do you feel is special about
this song that makes people want to hear it?
Answer: I
think it is a song that in one way or another we can all relate to, I can
actually see it happen in shows when I get to the final part of the chorus and
people turn and start pointing at each another.
Lamitschka:
What will your next single be?
Answer: My
team and I are discussing what the next single will be, I mean it’s a hard one
because every song is really good.
Lamitschka:
What kind of songs do you like to record the most?
Answer: Songs
where I can show my true self and I can put my whole heart into it. Whether
it’s up tempo, ballad or a fun song, I think people notice it and end up liking
the authenticity.
Lamitschka:
What is your favorite song among all the songs you have recorded and what’s the
story behind it?
Answer: “When
She’s Drinkin’” cause when I first heard it I thought it was a pretty serious
tune, I didn’t get the funny side that
it was supposed to be, so I sang it in a serious way and I introduced it live
very seriously for a while and it just made it even funnier.
Lamitschka:
How much creative control do you have over your music?
 Answer: A lot,
I am blessed to have the opportunity to work with an amazing team that listens to
what I have to say creatively, also it was a dream of mine to get to work with
Carson Chamberlain. He has a special
gift of translating who I am into the final product that you hear in the end.
Lamitschka:
There’s a lot of work that goes into a number one hit. What did it take to make
it in your case?
Answer:
Teamwork, and amazing fans. obviously you need a great song first which Carson
helped me with, but it won’t promote itself so I feel blessed to have a great
team backing me that works hard and believes in what I’m doing.
Lamitschka:
Who inspires you musically and how deep do your musical roots run?
Answer: Well I
have many musical influences from George Strait to the Eagles. I can tell you that I am the 6th generation
of musicians in my family from my dad’s side. I heard once that a song can be
the soundtrack to someone’s life, it’s what inspires me the most, you never
know how a song is going to impact someone’s life, and I take the
responsibility very serious.
Lamitschka:
What do you think about today’s music scene versus its post and where do you
see it going in the future?
Answer: I
think that evolution in sound lyrics and rhythm is a natural part of music, I
can’t particularly tell where it’s all going to go, but I think that people
having the power of choice through streaming platforms makes us all strive to
get better for whatever comes next
Lamitschka:
What do you think about today’s music industry?
Answer: I
really don’t have anything to compare it with because I’m developing my career
on tools and media available through internet, like every other business, it
evolves and we ought to adapt.
Lamitschka: As
an artist, you so many tasks such as recording, touring, interviews. What do
you like best, what’s your favorite activity?
Answer: I
enjoy all of them, but touring would be my top, performing live is what I do
best so I am happy every chance i get to do it.
Lamitschka:
Are you doing anything to take music beyond its current borders or are you
happy where it is?
Answer: I am
between a border and speak two of the most spoken languages in the world, so I
would love to present what I do around the globe cause I believe it is great
music and great music has no borders.
Lamitschka:
What inspired you to become an artist?
Answer: My
family for sure, growing up around instruments, concerts and all that goes with
working as a musician inspired me to chase my career in country music.
Lamitschka:
What inspired you to become a songwriter?
Answer: I
thought i’d give it a try and knowing that it can make someone feel something
just made me keep on going.
Lamitschka:Â What drives you?
Answer: Love
for life and music, and if in the way i can inspire and meet some great people
and great places that’d be awesome
Lamitschka:
What’s unique about you that will differentiate you from other artists?
Answer:
Well my heritage to begin with and the instruments i play onstage.
Lamitschka:
What hopes and desires do you have?
Answer: My
hope goes to having the opportunity to get my music to a really large audience,
i’d like to play big venues around the globe and share the joy of music with as
many people as i can.
Lamitschka:
Is there any place you haven’t played that you would like to?
Answer: A personal
dream of mine would be playing at a stadium, I’ve played really big shows with
my dad’s band on open spaces but never on a venue like a stadium.
Lamitschka:
What can your fans expect to see when they see you in concert?
Answer: I give
everything I have on stage and put all my emotion into every song I perform. I
try to be as entertaining as I can and engage the audience so that they all
have a great experience at every show.
Lamitschka:
When you’re on tour, do you have time to play tourist?
Answer:
It’s very rare as we are usually in and out and off to the next city. but on
occasion yes, when we have a day off in between shows.
Lamitschka:
Many music fans today get their information about artists online. Do you have
your own website and what will fans find there?
Answer: on my
website they can find my tour dates, know a bit more about me on my bio,
connect through the contact form or subscribe to get emails about promos and
further song/album releases, also all my official social media links are there.
Lamitschka:
What’s the best compliment a fan has ever given you?
Answer: There
has been so many! fans are so good to me and I try to give some of that love
back at every show and through social media
Lamitschka:
What’s your favorite song that you wish you could have recorded? Answer: Dance
Real Slow by Easton Corbin
Lamitschka:
What message would you like to send your European fans?
Answer: I
think as a foreigner to the United States myself I can say country music is
more than most people conceive of it, it is actually a wide variety of sounds
and rhythms inside a genre, once you find an artist in the country music genre,
listening to its music turns out to be really good for the soul.
Lamitschka:
Fans are always hungry for good road stories. Do you have one you can share
with us (come on don’t be shy)?
Answer: Me and my manager will agree
on this one during the gas shortage in Texas in 2018, I remember it well, we
had left the gig to return to Ft. Worth which was about 400 miles away with a
half tank of gas thinking that would be plenty to get us to a gas station. As we approached each city, all the gas
stations were out of gas. This continued
at each city we arrived at till we were down to our last city and gauge reading
5 miles to empty. We all said a prayer
that the next city would have gas. We
rolled into the only gas station in that small town and it had gas and we made
it home. It was 4:00 in the morning at
this point so we were all jumping and high fiving each other!
Christian
Lamitschka ( Ch.Lamitschka@t-online.de ) for Country
Music News International Magazine & Radio Show