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Artist Interviews
Q&A: Gabby Young And Other Animals
By CMU Editorial | Published on Wednesday 27 October 2010
Once upon a time, Gabby Young was the youngest ever person to join the National Youth Choir Of Great Britain. These days she’s fronting Gabby Young And Other Animals (the name was a bit of a give away, huh?), playing jazzy, baroque pop with influences from burlesque and cabaret. She and the band released a repackaged version of their 2009 debut album, ‘We’re All In This Together’, this week with bonus tracks and remixes. Ahead of that release, we caught up with Gabby to find out more.
Q1 How did you start out making music?
It was never a conscious decision I don’t think. I just remember growing up around horses, as my mum was a racehorse trainer and wanting to be inside playing the piano. I begged my parents for a violin when I was six and haven’t shut up ever since!
Q2 What inspired your latest album?
Well, it’s mainly autobiographical so things that happen to me, experiencing something I feel would make a good song. I have a song in there that directly talks about my cancer and another that is about finding someone that you want to share things with – but none of it is obvious… I like to dress up my thoughts and feelings in an outrageous costume and send it out onto stage with it’s own persona and character for anyone to read into it how they want. Lots of things inspire me – people and their actions seem top of my list right now.
Q3 What process do you go through in creating a track?
It’s actually different every time. Sometimes I have a little melody idea and then chords and lyrics will come later, or I have a few words that I turn into a song. I don’t like to change my lyrics – if I sit down and press record I usually keep what randomly came out and the meaning starts to come clear later on. When it comes to recording in the studio I like to go in with a good idea of what I want but leave the edges frayed so there is room for finishing it there. I am lucky to have a great band and co-arranger, Stephen Ellis, to help me add new bits – like a trumpet line that perfectly finishes my little ditties!
Q4 Which artists influence your work?
People that are independent and creative influence me in all sorts of ways. I wanted to be a opera singer like Maria Callas until I heard Jeff Buckley and decided to write my own music. Then I discovered Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and how to use the guitar, closely followed by an obsession with the jazz era. Nowadays I pick up inspiration from anyone that I think is doing something original or with great style.
Q5 What would you say to someone experiencing your music for the first time?
“I hope you like it!” Haha… maybe I’d ask them to give my songs time and take from it whatever you want. I don’t expect everyone to like it but I hope it makes people feel something.
Q6 What are your ambitions for your latest album, and for the future?
I have many ambitions but most of all to create new experiences for people – where music, art, fashion and other forms of culture collaborate to excite and inspire. We are hoping that our upcoming UK tour will do this as we are planning much more than ‘just a gig’ to take across the country. Also next year we will be taking this show much further afield – US, Europe and Australia – and I can’t wait to see how they will perceive us! Who knows what the future holds? I can only hope that we will continue to surprise people and come up with more ways to keep you all interested!
MORE>> www.gabbyyoungandotheranimals.com
