Gabe is one of those rarities in the music industry – self-made, entrepreneurial, stays out of the red tape and lets his music and his actions speak for himself. His new album Flow Fail Prevail is the culmination of songwriting on the road for the last 3 years as a solo artist. Since leaving his former band of 7 years, and setting out on his own, creating the Epic Proportions Tour, and taking other bands with him on the road, he’s performed over 300 concerts, played for our nations military, is an industry panelist at major music conferences, has performed on Vans Warped Tour, Summerfest, SXSW, CMJ Festival and many more. The sophomore followup to his first EP “Let’s See What Happens…”, Flow Fail Prevail features 15 songs, including interludes, remixes, and a one-of-a-kind track featuring vocals from his fans, friends and bands. Look for Gabe and his Epic Proportions Tour in your city!
Why did you select this song as your current single?
I think “Don’t Be Lying” is a great way to ease my fans into the new directions on the album. I wanted my fans to getinstantly hooked on that chorus.
How does this single relate to the rest of the Album, EP or Mix-tape?
It’s a fun upbeat song, but the lyrical content has a few thought provoking corners in it, and I really wanted to convey that dichotomy right off the bat. As you meander further into the album, you’ll start to notice style choices ranging from R&B and Swing Band, to rock and dance music, as well as some personal stories from my past, and songs from other people’s points of view, like the interlude “Getting Money, Getting Paper”. That was written from the perspective of a girl who is sitting at home, while her musician boyfriend is still trying to “make it”, and she’s getting tired of waiting around for years and years for him to finally come home, have a solid career, and start their family.
What was the writing process for the song?
“Don’t Be Lying” was written over the course of 2 tours, and so I’d have bits and pieces of lyric and structure at different times. There are probably 30 or 40 voice memos on my phone, of me humming ideas about this song as I’m driving the tour bus. I actually had a bunch of verses, but I paired it all down to 2 verses. I like things simple, short, and to the point.
What does this song’s lyric mean to you?
It’s a reminder to never oversell or hype up myself to where I can’t deliver, as well as a reminder to others to be honest with themselves, especially if they are believing the lies that other people are telling them, or if they are being deceived by their own self-doubt as well. Sometimes I think it’s easier for us to trick our own minds.
Could your fans summarize who you are as an artist by this song?
Yes Definitely. This song is a great representation of the surface of who I am, and hopefully it will instigate a bit, and cause them to WANT to get to know me, and delve deeper into my persona throughout the rest of the album.
What would it be like to see you perform this song live?
Any fan who’s seen me live, knows that I’m a complete goofball. Nothing is scripted, I act like a fool onstage, I have other musicians jump up and jam with me, and we just love to rock out, get sweaty, and have fun. You never know what’s going to happen at one of my shows. 🙂 And I always stick around afterwards to meet fans and get to know them a bit.
What was the idea behind the music video?
I thought it’d be fun to explore what the near-future might look like in terms of music consumption by fans. Everyone wants to meet their favorite band or artist. Maybe fans would start craving a more personal connection with their idols. What if you could have Lady Gaga or Usher, or Patrick Stump or whoever pop up on your ipad and sing directly to you via a hologram? What would you pay for that experience?
One last question, what is your motivation behind your music?
I’m a pretty quiet for the most part, I keep things close to the cuff, as it were, but songwriting is how I tell those crazy stories like in “Hot Mess” (all the lyrics are 100% true!), or vent and release frustration, or those deeper thoughts that I’m having.
Social Media:
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Gabe Kubanda’s Official Website