Gus G on ‘Fearless,’ Social Media, Metal + More – Interview

2018-04-20

Story by Anne Erickson

Gus G and Anne Erickson talk metal, social media and more in this in-depth interview

Gus G is “Fearless” on his fourth solo album, and that’s not just because “Fearless” is the title of the record. From ferocious shredding and metal riffing to pure, melodic passages, “Fearless” truly lives us to its name, showcasing a collection of metal songs that highlight Gus G’s diversity and talent.

Gus G, who is well-known for his time playing guitar with metal icon Ozzy Osbourne, recorded “Fearless” with with vocalist and bass player Dennis Ward (Pink Cream 69, Unisonic) and drummer Will Hunt (Evanescence, Black Label Society). He spoke with Anne Erickson from Audio Ink about the meaning behind the powerful title, how he uses social media to connect with fans and if he plans to catch Ozzy’s farewell run.

Read on for the interview with Gus G, and listen to the interview via iTunes.

Congratulations on the new album, “Fearless.” I really like that title. What made you want to name the set “Fearless?”

It was just one of those titles that I had that I liked, probably because that instrumental piece was so demanding that I was writing, so I thought, I shouldn’t hold back. I should just do it. Overall, it’s a good thing to live by, because this is what keeps people behind from having success in whatever we choose to do in life. Some people are scared of failing, I guess. They’re scared of failure. So, a lot of people don’t even get to try to do what they want to do in their lives.

There’s a lot of variety on this album, from hard-hitting metal to more melodic passages. Did you set out to craft a really diverse record, or did that just happen?

To me, when I write, I always think about those things. I want to have different tempos and to write in different keys. I hate putting out records, and you go from track one to 10, and you realize the band is writing in the same key, so it all sounds like variations of the same riff. Once you get into that mode, you start challenging yourself to come up with different things. On this record, I even tried different tunings to spice it up. Aside from that, we wanted a cohesive record.

I’ve noticed that you’re really active on social media. How do you use social media to connect with your fans and audience?

Social media is everything. That’s all there is. Of course, you have to have press and reach through other avenues, as well, but as a daily basis, that’s where you reach your audience. if you want to say something and reach your fan base, that’s how to do it in 2018. It’s really cool. You can hopefully have enough of an audience to where you can do that to let them know where you’re playing. Especially for younger artists, I would say it’s the most import thing, because that’s how you build an audience. There’s a big metal community on all social media platforms.

I have to ask! Ozzy Osboune’s farewell tour is coming up. Will you make it out to any of the shows?

Yeah, if we happen to be at the same festival, I’m definitely going to stick around and watch his show! I don’t think he’s going to come through Greece on this one, but if I have a chance, I’ll definitely go catch one of the shows.

Anne Erickson
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Posted by Anne Erickson | Features, Interviews, Metal, Music