Romain Gutsy
... is a French-born singer-songwriter and a musician who started his career in the 90s, singing and playing accordion with French bands as Les Affamés, or guitar in the Celtic band Daffy Plays Mandola, as well as playing with more famous chaps as the Grammy award winner alt-Rock band Soul Asylum or American singer Calvin Russel.
Influenced by country music as well as Irish and American folk singers, Romain treats his music with no fixed rules which would enclose it in very definite style.
After more than 20 years of musical simili-pause and traveling all over the world, he came back in 2020 with a solo album under the name of THE RED, Whatever Says the Clock, featuring songs composed on lyrics made of classical American and Irish poetry.
If you see her
Seine musikalische Reise begann er bereits in den 90ern, seine Heimat ist Frankreich, sein Name Romain Gutsy und sein aktueller Release "If you see her". Heute begeben wir uns ins Genre der Liedermacher und servieren einen Leckerbissen für alle Singer & Songwriter Fans, aber auch für alle Musikbegeisterten.
Was würde ich einer Person sagen, die ich liebte und die vor langer Zeit aus meinem Leben verschwand? Erinnere ich mich an die Tage des "Regens" oder des "Sonnenscheins"? Auch wenn das Leben eine dunkle Seite hat, so sollte am "Ende des Tages" die Liebe bleiben bzw. so stark sein das sie die Kraft aufbringt Negatives zu überwinden. So, die Gedanken zur Frage respektive die Thematik zum Song.
Die musikalische Umsetzung grandios. Ein Stück in dem Alternative Country auf Folk trifft und jazzige Nuancen den letzten Schliff geben, dem Song sozusagen das Prädikat "something special" verleihen. Auch der Vocalpart, welcher dem Track die nötige Melancholie mit auf den Weg gibt, darf sich hören lassen und erzeugt diese "was wäre wenn ..." Nostalgie, die durchaus zum Nachdenken anregt. "If you see her" by Romain Gutsy, ohne Zweifel, ein bemerkenswerter Song aus dem bevorstehenden Album, welches demnächst erscheint.
Q&A
Romain Gutsy is...?
Well, a French born singer/songwriter who traveled a lot and has been in music since he was a kid. Someone who loves people and wants to share with them, and someone who thinks that music can cross any boundary, and songs can change the life of anyone for the better.
I have earned my life as a musician since I was something like 14, and played in many bands, many styles, many instruments. Then at the end of the 90s my life took another path, and I did not spend a lot of time in music, on stage or in studio for two decades. Now, I’m back and I have a lot of projects my friend.
Who inspired you to make music in general?
If you come back to the origin, not of the world of course, but of this lifetime, when I was a little kid, my uncle was a classical guitarist, and I could spend hours listening to him.
Then when I was 6, I had managed to buy two vinyl LP records. One was “Help” from the Beatles and the other was Mozart Symphonies 40 and 41. They were my only records, and I had them worn-out. Those were the inspiring “who” of the origins.
What's the story behind your latest release "If you see her", what or who was your inspiration?
It came from a question: what would I say to a person that I loved and that had vanished from my life a long time ago, if I could meet someone able to forward my words to her? That is something that happens to all of us, and the question is also: what stays after years pass?
Should we stay stuck on bad memories, or should we concentrate on what matters? So, whilst it may have some melancholic or nostalgic aspects, that is not the point. The point is that love is a good thing that should stick, and woes are shadows that can be overcome.
What's in your opinion the most time intensive part of "writing a song"?
Well, honestly, for me there is no time intensive part in writing a song. There is something of a craftmanship, of course, and it takes time to build a song completely.
It starts with an idea, and then some work to make it real, but it does not mean that it must be a super long process. And when you have fun doing it, time disappears!
Your Album will be released on April 11, what can we expect?
When Leonard Met Dolly? I think it’s a good one, something that resonate with all the classics I have been fed with during my life, but also something new in an old-school style.
It’s quite diverse as I blend several styles, from country to rock, via Californian folk with bluesy guitars and somehow progressive takes, and even jazz features. Some will say it’s not radio friendly, as several songs are quite long, up to 7 minutes and more. Nevertheless, I felt that I had no choice in having these long songs, and when I tried to make them shorter, it was losing its soul.
Regarding the lyrics, they speak about freedom, love, friendship, time that passes, eternity that is always here, and have several references to songwriters as Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens and Dolly Parton. But the lyrics are not always serious, you’ll see.
Who would you most like to collaborate with?
Let’s talk about crazy dreams, which are always the best: I’d love to sing in duet with Dolly Parton. She’s a queen in my universe. Then, some of my heroes: Stanley Clarke, Mark Knopfler, Yusuf. And then hundreds of others of whom I love the work in so many styles. I’ll make the list for you another time.
At this moment what would be your "All time Top 3 Songs"?
“I Will Always Love You” from Dolly Parton,
“Suzanne” from Leonard Cohen and
“Déclaration des Droits de l’Ame” by the Corsican band I Muvrini.
Ask me next week and it might be different.
What do you prefer, the stage or the studio?
I love both, but definitely stage is my favorite, by far. That is the place where you have direct connection to people, and it’s so much powerful fun and love. For me, there is nothing I like more than playing on stage, except maybe my wife… half of the time, when she is nice to me.
What's your most useful talent besides music?
Well, I’m French, so… (Laughs) But seriously, I guess it’s writing. Or maybe speaking. Or maybe understanding people. Well, I don’t know. Living?
What’s next for you?
After the release of the album When Leonard Met Dolly, I have two musical projects that I’d like to release in 2022/2023. First one is a duet EP with Russian opera soprano Svetlana Kasyan. She is an incredible artist, which was called by Mikis Theodorakis “The new Callas”, and also an incredible being.
We are currently working on this album, despite the fact that the war has made us unable to do it together at the same place. I can’t say much more about it for the moment.
Then I’m working on the recording of a French album, meaning that all songs will be in French. I’m quite excited about it, and I hope that people will be too. And by the way, thanks a lot for the interview, I appreciate it very much.
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