Gina Furtado 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: Describing our music is a challenge! I try to write to serve the
song, and we play mostly original material. We use bluegrass
instruments and have a bluegrass foundation, with heavy jazz, swing
and pop influences.
Lamitschka: How did you choose the title for the CD? Is there a story behind the
name?
Answer: The title is a line in one of the songs (Airplane Ride). In the song,
the lyrics go to say that wishing others well may be the answer to
the problems we all share, like stress and loneliness. I liked the
idea of extending that wish to everyone who ever comes to our shows
or listens to our music because it’s true; I Hope You Have a Good
Life! (:
Lamitschka:Do you write the songs yourself? If not, how do you go about finding
the songs for
your CD?
Answer:Yes, I write the songs myself. I find songwriting to be cathartic and
a necessary part of how I process my life.
Lamitschka:What is the difference between your last CD and your current one?
Answer:My last album (True Colors) was my first, and was sort of like
dipping my toes in the water. Since then I feel I’ve gained a
confidence in my own style that I am not sure I knew I had when I
recorded it. I Hope You Have a Good Life has similarities to True
Colors, but I think it has more of what made True Colors unique.
Lamitschka:Do you have any interesting stories about how fans have been affected
by your music?
Answer:One of my favorites was from a woman who told me she works in mental
health and energetic healing. She said she uses my song “Puppet
Show” to help her patients as they learn to let go of unhealthy
attachments and abusive relationships. That sort of feedback makes me
really feel like my work makes a difference, and that is a huge
honor.
Lamitschka:Who inspires you musically and how deep do your musical roots run?
Answer:Musicians who are completely themselves inspire me. Examples: Nina
Simone; Daniel Johnston; Stephen Wade; Corrina Logston Stephens; Leo
Kottke. They seem to have no wish to impress listeners with their
skill; it’s all about the art. My roots are in bluegrass mainly, and
my inspiration comes from any artist who is unhindered by genre
boxes.
Lamitschka:Are you doing anything to take music beyond its current borders or
are you happy
where it is?
Answer: I don’t think music has borders or ever had them. Music, or any art
form, is our individual humanity packaged so that others can
experience it and we can connect. That’s how I see it, anyway. I
don’t think that our humanity has borders because we’re all unique.
That said, I strive to be true to myself in my own music and not
accidentally fall into cookie cutter templates or imitation of
others. I don’t think that is really music.
Lamitschka:
What inspired you to become a
songwriter?
Answer:I’ve written songs and poems for as long as I can remember, but with
the success of my True Colors album I started to get such nice
feedback from people who connected with what I had written. The sense
of connection is what inspires me most.
Lamitschka:What drives you?
Answer:The answer is two fold! First, I’m driven by practical need to
provide for my three little kids. They kind of light the fire under
my butt. On the other hand, creating music is what I feel is the best
way I can give back to the world. I am a strong believer in using
individuality to make the world more vibrant. So I am equally driven
by the desire to live my life in a way that hopefully makes the world
a little nicer.
Lamitschka:When you’re on tour, do you have time to play tourist?
Answer:Rarely. I have made a point, though, to try to go for a walk in
whatever town I go to. I love catching at least a small glimpse of
what life is like in all these places we travel to play.
Christian
Lamitschka (Ch.Lamitschka@t-online.de)
for Country Music News International
Magazine &
Radio Show
Photo (c)Â sandlin_gaither_photo