Mountain Gators – Interview – Thanks for Asking!

Mountain Gators – Interview – Thanks for Asking! – by Liam Sweeny.

We caught up with Colette Pastore from Mountain Gators Band. This was our chat.

RRX: Every artist’s first song is a milestone. But so is the latest song. Describe the first song/album you recorded, and also the latest song/album you recorded; what are the differences?

MGB: Our first song “Hanging Tree” was a song born out of seeing a tree in an open field and my imagination took over to create a story throughout the song. “Lemmings” the last tune written for our first LP was created from my frustration of trying to be an original artist. I think I took more of a risk in personal expression. I feel people have a reluctance to hear something new.  They request and want to hear you cover a well know established recording artist instead.

RRX: Music genres are difficult for some artists. Some strictly adhere; others not so much. What is your perspective on the genre you play, or the genres you hover around?

MGB: The genre we originally identified as was Blues but as our music developed we realized that we are more of a Roots Rock. That is a genre that the general public is not familiar with and makes marketing to a potential fan base a challenge. I will say, when we stopped referring to ourselves as Blues within our tagline of marketing, it was a good choice. I believe people hear the term Blues and think they will hear 3 sets of the old sleepy and repetitive 12 bar Blues songs they grew up around.  We are not trying to be one specific genre and each song on our first LP has a unique feel. It can be gritty Rock or Soulful with a jazz flare. We do what feels right for the lyrics I have written and the feel I am going for. The band is great at bringing my imagination to life. The next LP has some great new tunes that reflect how we continue to grow as artists.

RRX: Like songs, every artist has a unique feeling about their first show. What was your first show like? Was it your best show? If not, what was your best show like?

MGB: Maybe it wasn’t the first show but it was very early on when we had our first all original show. It was in a theatre and the crowd was attentive and engaged. They responded with genuine applause and stayed! I realized at that moment that doing our own music was definitely the right direction for me at this stage of my musical journey.  Immediately following that evening was a show where we were asked to play our song “Cali”. First, having someone ask for a specific song and then seeing people up dancing and singing to it was exhilarating. I had a huge grin on my face through the entire performance.

RRX: What was the very first reaction to your music, from the first person to ever hear so much as a practice jam or the demo of your first song?

MGB: I am pretty bold so I went right to the big dogs and sent our first LP to a couple of music labels. We didn’t get signed because our music wasn’t truly Blues and didn’t fit their niche. I was thrilled that they both took the time to respond personally and critique the tunes. Even though we didn’t get the deal, it was all truly positive and we were encouraged to keep going.

RRX: What do you think is the most poorly understood thing about music, or the music you play?

MGB: I think that because it is original, people think it probably is not very good. So, they choose to go out to hear bands they already know. There was a time when an artist had a new song released on the radio and it didn’t grab listeners immediately. Or, an album was purchased because of the one hit played repeatedly on the radio but the first time hearing all of the other tracks, they weren’t blown away. After playing that same album a few times, those tunes became better known to them and more attention was made to the lyrics or the guitar solo and it became a favorite album. I wish the general public would be more open to supporting original music. Who knows, they may find something new they really like!

RRX: With services like Spotify, streaming revenue can be pretty dismal. Without spilling secrets, do you have a promotional mindset or philosophy?

MGB: No real philosophy and I wish there was a magic formula. I just try to push our music out as far as I can. Sadly, we are not given a lot of listening time locally but our music is being played on stations in other countries and in the Midwest. I try to ignore the lack of interest in my own backyard and focus on the fact that we are well received in other areas. That is satisfying and encouraging to keep creating.

 

 

 

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