WW: Where did you grow up?
GG: In Bridgeport, CT. I lived on the same street as almost
all of my family aunts, uncles, grandparents - until just last year.
WW: Did music always influence you?
GG: Most definitely. My house was always a musical household. My
father had the Beatles playing all the time he played in a band
when he was younger. My brother Jon started playing music at an
early age, so I kind of followed the trend; since I was never into
sports, I always spent a lot of time singing and dancing putting on
shows for my family at our gatherings.
WW: Where do you get the inspiration to write your own lyrics?
GG: Most of my ideas come to me when I'm feeling down. I am always more inspired to write about the darker side of life; even when I'm writing upbeat tunes, the idea usually seizes me when I'm feeling my worst, almost like a comic relief for myself.
WW: You are a part of a popular band called Simple Jim, how did this band get started?
GG: We started in 1995 right before I graduated from high school. My brother had this jam group going on when he was in college during his senior year, and he asked me to sit in and play some keyboardsactually I think I had to beg him to let ME play! And then we kind of took it to another level, and asked Mike Formato and Chris Coppola, who we grew up with, to come on board. Chris actually learned bass to be in the band, because Mike was a solid drummer, and Jon wanted both of them to be involved. Once Jon graduated, he enlisted the talents of one of his new co-workers, Bill Komninos, to play rhythm guitar. We had another singer for the first year of our existence, but things didn't work out; now I've been glued to that microphone for 7 years!
WW: You are currently going solo with your music. What do you prefer, being in a band or singing solo?
GG: Both have their advantages. Nothing can give you the feeling of playing with a live band, but there is nothing like having creative license the way a solo artist does. Being solo definitely gives you more control, but I still like to write with other people on some of my tracks.
WW: Not only do you perform, but you also DJ and remix some popular songs - what started your interest in remixing?
GG: I always used to be into Madonna's music, and it always amazed me how every single she released from 1990 on had about 6 different remixes on it. That's what got me interested, but it wasn't until I started going out to the clubs in New York that I became really aware of remixing and how I could make a career out of it.
WW: Explain to us Blue Room Music Group, and tell us your involvement in it.
GG: I started Blue Room Music Group as a way to incorporate all of the things that interested me musically over the past few yearselectronica, remixing, female rock stars and all that stuff! Mainly, Blue Room is me and my remixing partner John Rizzo, who has been involved in the NY dance community for over ten years now. Under Blue Room, I have also produced rock/pop tracks for Lisa Heile, a singer and songwriter from L.A. I've also done some remix tracks for Lisa, all of which have yet to be released, but I am wrapping up production on one more rock track for her, and then she has some recording to do out in L.A.; she will probably put a full CD out within the year.
WW: What singers' music are you currently remixing?
GG: John and I recently wrapped up remix production on a track by Barbara Tucker called "Give Me Something." Barbara is a legendary house music diva she's been around for years so the song has been getting a great response amongst the NYC crowd, although it is not available for commercial releaseyet. We also just finished three mixes of the Tina Turner classic "Proud Mary," with vocals by Randy Friess, an up and coming house artist. I actually learned today that a label is very interested in that track nothing is definite but the outlook looks really good.
WW: Do you have any CD's out, where can we get them?
GG: I have two CD's out with Simple Jim, which are only available at our shows. There's also some bootleg CD's of Blue Room Remixes floating around out there. I'm really good about sending people tracks if they contact me for them, but I really can't sell the remixes because they are not really my property. I've found quite a few of the Blue Room tracks on the file-sharing services though.
WW: What projects are you currently working on?
GG: I'm enlisting a few more remixers to service my first single, "Free," and I am also recording tracks for my first full length CD, which I hope to complete before the year is out. I'm really excited about that.
WW: If you had the chance to work with any other artist, who would you like to work with?
GG: There's too many. Top 3? Sheryl Crow, Linda Perry, and Madonna.
WW: Your a DJ, singer, band member, songwriter, producer, and remixer - what's the next thing you want to tackle?
GG: I want to become a Catholic nun. Yes that's it a DJing, singing, songwriting, producing and remixing nun. Because Catholic girls have all the fun.
