Giacomo Turra today releases the single ”The Way She Wants ” and Abigael got to sit down and have a chat with Giacomo ahead of this release. You can read below what transpired.
Abby: Can you tell us about your journey in the music industry and how it led you to your current project with Nick Hanson ?
Giacomo: Yeah. So basically, you know, my journey as a musician was a little different than what I expected because, I mean, I’ve always loved music and I have music on all the time. You know, in my house, there was always music going around because my dad used to bring a lot of vinyl records home. And we used to listen to a lot of music. When I was 13, I started learning guitar by myself, just for fun, with no particular ambitions, just out of curiosity. I always kept that as my main passion. I had many different projects during high school, but it was just really for fun, not like a single recorded project or serious concert. I started studying product design in art at university, and then lockdown happened. I started doing these little things just to show to my friends on Instagram; basically just recording myself doing these videos and loops. And I started realizing that I was gaining more and more audience with every video. One day, I just realized that I had started to grow a community that was going beyond my friend circle. And that’s where I basically started. Since then, I’ve been doing so many collaborations, both remotely and in person while traveling and playing shows with so many musicians from this community, such as singers, bass players, guitar players … One of them was Nick Hanson. I basically found out about Nick on social media and saw that he was such a talented and amazing singer. You know, we started following each other, liking each other’s content …Then I had this song in my mind, and I just thought that he was the perfect fit, and he definitely killed it, you know ?
Abby: And now that your new single’s released, can you tell us how you are feeling ?
Giacomo: It is great ! I’ve been working on this song for a while because the first idea of the song was from one of the videos that I did. It was like this chord progression, very 80s, like smooth jazz. And while I was traveling with my band in the United States, I had this idea of trying to use that chord progression for a song. And we were in California and I just, you know … Found the perfect vibe to work on that song. And we just started playing it during shows and we were just bringing on a different section at each show. I would work on some guitar ideas and you know, it came out. I’m super excited to finally release it and see how it goes.
‘THE WAY SHE WANTS‘
BRAND NEW SINGLE RELEASED
LISTEN HERE
Abby: What was the creative process like ?
Giacomo: So, I basically started on a video, on a loop. I began by playing the four chords on my vintage synth, like a very mellow brass string sound. I had this bassline in my head, and I think I played it on the Moog synth bass version. Later, I decided to blend the bass scene with the real electric bass for the final track. But it definitely has a very synth-funk 80s vibe. For the first set, I only had a guitar solo because what I usually do is loop different instruments and then solo over it. So, they don’t really have a clear melody or guitar riff idea. That came during the California part of the tour that we were doing. I immediately thought about George Benson and all these guitar players from the 80s. We were in this exchange spot where they shot the “Give Me the Night” music video. So, the main riff is, if you will, a little tribute to that because it’s basically using the octave, like George Benson would do. We just worked out this line, and that’s basically how it came out. Nick did all the vocal parts. One thing I really liked about Nick is that, you know, all of my songs – of course, being primarily a guitar player – the instrumental part is very important. Sometimes you will find it hard to connect or find a singer who can navigate through the instrumental when it’s so important and sometimes it’s rich, not overstepping, but still being able to express something. He did an amazing job just laying back and going with the groove of the song, especially in the chorus, because it was already full of instruments.
Abby: And have you worked with people where it did not match that well ? As in they couldn’t mix with your world or music ?
Giacomo: No, not really … The cool thing about this community on social media is that you can use it as a portfolio. This is the thing, you know, I love doing these videos, and I would do them even if it’s just for me because I have so much fun making them. But then they also serve as a very good portfolio because you can show yourself playing with a band, playing just with a singer, playing bass, playing guitar, doing a loop, doing an acoustic, etc … So, when you go to other musicians’ or singers’ profiles, you can hear them and see what they do. So, you already have a pretty clear idea of how they sound and how they play most of the time. So, I didn’t really have problems collaborating with other players. The good thing is that when I work … So, I basically did a little self-produced, deep rearranging funk and R&B covers, and I would just send the sketches of the songs to these musicians that were collaborating on the project. Some of them were from the U.S. or the UK or South America. A cool thing about this approach of working, is that most of the time, the final result will be much different from what you expected. Sending these projects and songs back and forth; most of them will change because it’s not like playing together in the same room at the same time, you know ?
Abby: And so how do you feel your background and experiences have influenced your style as a musician ?
Giacomo: Honestly, like I always say: I’m self-taught. I did take a little guitar course on acoustic guitar for about six months after I had been playing for a while, just to get the general basics. After that, I just found myself playing and having fun, listening to records, and playing over them. So, I don’t really have a lot of music theory behind what I’m doing. After some shows, some fellow players told me that’s probably what makes it interesting for them to listen to me, because most of the time when I’m playing shows, you would just hear me trying out stuff and using my ear to find what I’m looking for. That’s usually my approach, you know ? Of course, on social media, it’s different because you only have one minute. So, I will just work on a song and try to find myself a nice arrangement that I want to work on. But most of the time, I’ll just use my ears. And that, of course, comes from the music that I’ve been listening to since I was a kid. That’s how I really built my vocabulary. Basically, I’m transcribing a lot of music by ear.
Abby: That’s an amazing skill ! Not everyone can do that ! And the genre you play, was it something that you listened to a lot when you were a kid, or did you listen to a lot of different styles of music ?
Giacomo: I used to listen to a lot of different genres. The funny thing is, I grew up listening to a lot of jazz and fusion from my dad, like Quattroporte or Jamiroquai. And my mum used to be a dance teacher, so she would have these cassettes. I remember when she used to bring me to her dance lessons after I finished primary school. She had this old radio where she would put a playlist on a little cassette, you know. And then I realized that there would be songs like Stevie Wonder on there. During high school, I started listening to more rock and blues and trying to make my own playlists. The crazy thing is that I ended up coming back to the music that my parents were exposing me to, like jazz, funk, and fusion later during university. And I found out that as a guitar player, you can be so versatile. Jazz funk, especially the music that I’m playing, which I consider like jazz funk soul, allows you to explore so many genres within it, you know, even more than rock or blues because it’s so open and influenced by other channels like South American music and Latin music. It’s just an amazing genre for me to play
Abby: So what do you hope your listeners or your fans will take from that new single?
Giacomo: I think with every song that I’m working on, I’ll try to, you know … since these are my first songs that I’m actually releasing and working on, I really want to be able to explore different vibes and moods. For me, a song doesn’t necessarily need to have a big social or political message. It’s more about catching a vibe and being able to share that with the people who are listening to it. Just being creative and having fun. Especially with funk and jazz funk, most of the time, it’s really just about that for me. I get excited when I listen to this music because even when I’m listening to other people’s music, I can feel the joy and fun that they had recording and playing together.
Abby: So that’s what you put in your music and you want them to feel that vibe then ?
Giacomo: Yeah, definitely !
Abby: So, back to Nick Hansen, could you share any memorable moments or challenges you encountered while working on the single with him ?
Giacomo: This song started as an instrumental, so it was really hard to imagine a singer on it at first. But I felt that it had potential for a memorable voice and melody. Many times, doing instrumental music can limit your audience, and I didn’t want that. I try to blend technicality and instrumentation with something even non-listeners can enjoy. I was hoping to find someone who could fit into the groove and leave space for the instrument, but also bring an effective, memorable melody. Nick was amazing at that; he’s very versatile. He can rap, you know. I’ve been following Nick on streaming platforms for a long time; a lot of his music is original. He’s able to blend so many different styles and singing together. Sometimes in his songs, he sings in a high falsetto and then raps, and you don’t realize it’s the same person. Even when we were working on this song together, he brought many different versions. He would rap in a low, deep voice, do crazy falsetto harmonies; he’s very creative with his voice. I was really happy with how the song turned out.
Abby: And, are there any artists or bands that influenced your music? You were saying your parents introduced you to that kind of music, but are there any artists really that you looked up to ?
Giacomo: Yeah, definitely Prince, for the way he used to compose and build up grooves. You know, the instrument parts only make sense when they’re all together. I’ve found isolated sections of Prince songs on YouTube, and it’s so much fun because you’ll hear a simple guitar part, but it’s where he puts things that really make his music extraordinary. It’s not even about the notes; it’s about how the different groups and sections work together. Then I would say George Benson, especially on the “Give Me the Night” album, and even praising how he was able to put jazz vocabulary in pop music. That’s very hard to do. He’s one of the better examples at doing that.
Abby: And what role does collaboration play in your music making process ?
Giacomo: I usually start from either a guitar idea, but most of the time, funnily enough, I’ll just start from the basic groove. So, just a drumbeat or a bass groove. I want to start from that because, for me, that’s really the most important thing. And then, of course, being a guitar player first, I always work on the music before the vocals. I have so many notes with lyrics ideas on my iPhone. Sometimes I’ll read a cool thing in a book or see something on a TV series, and I’ll jot it down. Then I’ll just piece some stuff together like a puzzle and work on a lyrical text. For me, it’s just about having fun with songwriting and music.
Abby: And are there any artists you’d like to collaborate with in the future, and if so, which ones ?
Giacomo: Oh there’s so many producers or amazing musicians that I follow, on social media that I would love to work with. Especially from the US. Too Many to tell though.
[laughs]
Abby: And during interviews, are there questions you wish journalists would ask you but they never or rarely do ?
Giacomo: There’s nothing really that makes me struggle to talk, most of the time. I feel like becoming famous as a musician, first on social media and then, you know, in real life, like shows etc … It can bring a lot of expectations from people, and I used to be afraid of that. But then I realized that, at the end of the day, people just remember how you made them feel playing shows and hearing your music. So, I’m just happy with how things are working now.
Abby: Last question. What’s next for you after the release of the single ? Do you have any upcoming projects or performances we can look forward to ?
Giacomo: Yeah, definitely. We have some very cool festivals in the summer. We will be in Hungary, in Poland, and then we will be back in the US for some more festivals. And we’re also working on a couple of really good things there too. But yeah, definitely, this year is already so full of amazing projects. I really can’t wait to start. Andalong with the English version of ‘The Way She Wants’, we’re going to release a Portuguese version as well !
Abby: Oh, who is going to sing in Portuguese ?
Giacomo: Nick !
Abby: Ohh, does he speak Portuguese at all ?
Giacomo: Yeah, he speaks like 10 languages !
A full list of Giacomo’s currently announced tour dates can be found at https://giacomoturra.com/
Giacomo released his first original songs back in 2022 you can listen here ‘Get Into The Groove’ and ‘Sweet Life’ .
Words Abigael Paquet.
Photo credit – press photo