We caught up with electronic chill-wave producer and musician, Gaby Bianco, on her new single Get Up, her creative process, and what she's excited for this summer!
1. Describe your music in 3 words.
Moby meets Odesza OR Chill emotional beats
2. What inspired your song, "Get Up”?
I wanted to write an anthem to give the haters and show that ferocity can sometimes come in the form of a whisper. The most voracious declarations are focused and calm. For me, a lot of people assumed I couldn’t produce my own music or couldn’t be a little phoenix rising up from hardships, but they are wrong.
3. We see that you got to be in a Budweiser commercial, what was that like?
It was a dream. We all had a blast and the crew was amazing to work with. I remember being afraid to ask to go to the bathroom because they had me all sewn into this jumpsuit. When I finally asked they were like girl are you serious you should have asked hours ago.
4. You've hired an all-women crew for your solo debut, what's it been like working with other female creatives?
We’ve been so hardwired to think that femininity is a liability and not appropriate for the workplace which is just NOT true. I really wanted this shoot to be about embracing our femininity and taking it a step further to see how that perspective is a valuable creative asset. We encouraged everyone who was a part of the crew to really dig into that on set and with the creative direction. It created a kind of magic. And it’s worth noting that this was no easy shoot. We were on set for 14 hours, in a house with no heat, hanging me from the ceiling and in and out of bathtubs. But, at the end of the day, everyone was making creative decisions from a really inspired place.
5. What's your creative process like?
I try not to overthink my art while simultaneously saturating myself in a specific emotion while I’m creating. I really hyperfocus when I’m writing, will demo the entire song, write the lyrics and cut vocals all in the same session. I like to keep writing sessions really undiluted. But not overthinking is key. I’ll trust that lightbulb moment try not to iterate on a song or concept too much that it squashes its magic. With BIIANCO, I am producing nearly every song I’ve written so my creative process involves a lot of time in a studio, in front of monitors. However, this gives me access to craft things in such specific detail that I’ve never had access to before when I was in Smoke Season. It’s time-consuming but really fulfilling.
6. What's your favorite part of performing?
On a practical level, I love architecting live sets. Finding the moments where I can connect with the audience or do something unexpected. On a soulful level, I just feel the most at home when I’m expressing music in front of an audience. That weird soul connection that occurs is where I’m most myself.
7. What advice do you have for artists that experience stage fright?
I would tell them to believe in themselves and the gift they are giving their audience.
8. Are you excited about your live debut this June?
SO excited. I’ve been working on this set for months. I can’t wait to get (figuratively) naked in front of the audience in a way I never have before. Most people have only heard my first single, but the reality is that I have an album’s worth of material just waiting in the wings. This will be the first time everyone hears all of that. I also have a couple of collaborations + special guests that I can’t wait to show off.
