We spoke with up-and-coming artist Gemini George about his music and what’s to come. Gemini George is an Armenian-born guitarist, singer-songwriter most known for his dreamy acoustic ballads, multi-genre guitar solos and energetic Rock performances. George is a classically trained guitarist who uses variety of techniques, including finger-style, slides and various picking techniques. Read the full interview below.
When did you start making music? What prompted you to take music seriously?
I wrote my first complete song with lyrics and everything around the age of 17. “Well he was just seventeen, you know what I mean…”. Before that I was still coming up with a lot of guitar parts but never quite finishing the song. That first ever song was a result of a cathartic kind of experience. Of course, as it always goes, I was madly in love. The song was an outburst of emotions that lasted for a few minutes (seemed a lifetime though) were I pretty much streamed that song fully with all its parts, structure and lyrics. The experience was so powerful that it left me shivering on the floor when I was done. That’s when I knew that love is the real deal haha!
Could you describe your songwriting and song creation process?
It varies a lot. Especially in the last years I’ve been experimenting more with it too. But some things I guess remain more constant. My guitar is my main songwriting partner. While I could come up with unique guitar riffs and chord progressions on daily basis, they don’t always turn into a song. One thing I learned from that first experience is that in an inspired moment real magic can happen. Something within has to happen to stir the emotions or thoughts. So there I go.. Looking for trouble in the wrong places to go through experiences to distill them into songs. You get almost addicted to that approach of songwriting that you can’t force yourself to go back to song sketches and guitars bits to try to finish them. Magic’s not there. I’ve made a deal with myself that I’m saving those for a rainy day.
What inspires you to create?
In the first years it was strictly love. Crazy! I was like some balladeer trying to win this one girl’s heart through the most powerful song. And song after song it was like damn it didn’t work, she didn’t fall into my charm yet. Gotta write another one. For the record, I eventually did win! And you sure bet it was because of a song haha!
But obviously as you journey through life, your perception goes through changes, new themes start to get you curious, other feelings and emotions also mature. Nowadays I draw an eclectic mix of inspiration from a much greater notion of love, nostalgia of Rock’n’Roll, spiritual themes, archetypal characters, the outer world at large…
What’s been your favorite song to make thus far?
My most recent one probably… I always say that though. But to be honest with every song it always feels like hitting a new milestone. So I wrote this recent one during the lockdown. I saw it coming and I knew we were going to be locked for a few months. So I made a democratic decision with my Gemini to use this time for a full creative journey. One lazy afternoon this strangely addicting riff came to me, I opened my notebook to write some lyrics and saw I had jotted down some rhymes the night before. It read: “Juggling always starts from three, it’s the mind that makes them free”. It sounded like a riddle, made me even curious as to: “what were you smoking son?!”. I tried it on the new riff and it sounded perfectly in sync with the meter. I had written another couplet the night before and that fit into the chorus like Cinderella’s shoe. I took it as a good omen and finished the rest of the song leaning on that riddle-like poetic style with abstract themes spanning from virtual reality to my childhood paralleled with the kids these days to – you guessed it – coronavirus. Was a lot of fun I can tell you that! Felt like being a kid again when you’d speak first then think of consequences.
The next day I went to my good friend and producer Mac Hill’s (aka Disco Mechanic) studio. He felt the energy of the song and we were able to streamline it into a fine recording over the night. That same attitude I have about songwriting as a cathartic outburst of energy I try to carry it to my recording process as well. Luckily, Mac is always on the same page with me and he’s super prolific!
Where would be your dream venue to perform at and why?
Hmm I have to think. And I tell you why… Growing up I’ve been a huge fan of the Doors and Jim Morrison, specifically, as an ecstatic frontman-poet-artist. So I was always dreaming of playing at the Whisky A Go Go. When you think of it, it’s one of the most iconic bars around the world. So fast forward – I moved to Los Angeles last year and by many blessings of the universe got to headline the venue. As if that wasn’t enough, I also got to meet John Densmore – one of the last of the Mohicans – a few days before my show (courtesy of Mary Kay Keshishian). I was completely showered by the wheel of fortune. And then you start hearing people being like “oh yeah well whisky is not the same whisky anymore”. You know? Haha. But as someone who’s lived in a few different places around the world I learned that the locals usually take theirs for granted. Either way I had a blast – my whisky tasted good! But as with every goal or dream, once you accomplish it you almost forget that you were yearning for it once… To bring it all home finally, nowadays I’m thinking more of the experience than the venue. It’s the people, the audience that turns the show into a unified sonic vibration. A transformative experience can happen at an intimate show or at a festival as long you and I are on the same wavelength.
What do you have planned musically?
Well, well… That song I was telling you about earlier is being released in June. I eventually called it “Juggling in 3” – to finish that question actually. It’s being mixed and mastered as we speak by a legend of a mixing engineer – James T. Hill (King Kong, Mad Men). Grammy award-winning drummer Derrek C. Phillips (Gloria Gaynor, Michael McDonald) played the drums on the track. With this star lineup, including my producer Disco Mechanic, I felt more empowered to release this one next.
“Juggling in 3” is being released as a single. It’s part of a bigger concept of an album I’m working on. More on it next time..
Thank you for having me. It’s been real pleasure. Got to spin the reel of memories. Also thank you for your team’s great contribution in the worldwide music web!
What can our followers do to support you?
Embark on their own Journey and never cease their Dream. We’ll meet along!
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