Justin Gambino is one of the most transpiring and forthcoming acts in the Local Houston Music scene. He’s recently toured across America with his solo Hands and Feet Tour, and as the front-man for Shattered Silence. His work is honest and uplifting. This refreshing singer-songwriter tells the journey of a walk of faith with acoustic guitar riffs accompanied by the touch and feel of the late 90’s.
I previously met Justin at a concert for Savercool in early 2016. We had the chance to talk again for Local Houston Music, and he shared about his upcoming video for “Your Hands & Feet” which is first single for forthcoming EP Where I belong.
Justin Gambino: I am so excited to finally release the music video for this song. Since the song released, I couldn't make it work with my tour schedule to shoot one professionally, so I really wanted to focus on releasing one before the release of my next project, my 4 song EP titled "Where I Belong", followed by my full-length album titled "Journey Within My Soul".
Local Houston Music: One of my favorite lines in "Your Hands & Feet" is, "The rain washes away my footprints..."--I absolutely love the rain metaphor, and hoped you could talk about that line in particular, and how it relates to your walk with Christ.
JG: That's one of my favorite lines too. I really can't take credit for it, though, since I feel like God wrote that one through me. At the time of writing this song, I'm pretty sure it was raining a lot and the weather wasn't all that great. I was also feeling convicted of not pursuing my dream wholeheartedly, but I was reminded that none of that matters, but only what is happening now and what's to come. We can easily get so caught up in thinking about where we went wrong and get stuck in that mindset. I was feeling that the rain was sent to wash away all the time that I lost. So that I could let go of where I've been, and remember where I am.
LHM: What is writing like for you? Do songs come all at once, or do they happen over time?
JG: Writing naturally comes and goes. There are times when I will sit down and force myself to write a song; I think that helps me grow as a songwriter. I look at it this way: If I aim to make this my career, I need to schedule time for songwriting; and not just "when I feel like it" or "feel it". Those are awesome moments when that happens, but I believe that good songs are waiting to be found when we make ourselves look for them. Sometimes you can "stumble" across something valuable buried underground, but it usually happens when you are "looking" for something.
There are other times, when I start a song, and won't come back to it until a day, week or months later. As much as I write, sometimes 2-3 songs could very well become just one song.
There is a song coming out on the new album called "Silhouettes" and I wrote the entire song--minus the bridge--when I was on tour in New Mexico and Texas. The bridge actually came from a thought that I had from 3 years ago. I wrote it down and stored it in my writing pages while I was at work one day. It completed a song that I was writing three years later. Talk about crazy!
LHM: With technological advancements allowing a dramatic cut in overhead costs and the rise of digital downloads and streaming, What are your thoughts on the current climate of the music industry?
JG: Well, things are always changing: vinyl, 8-Track, Cassette, CDs and now digital. I can only imagine what comes next! With all of this change, it's important for the aspiring artist, to change with it. Even if we don't like it or prefer it.
For a while, I was on the same page with Taylor Swift and other artists, who were angered by Apple Music and Spotify. Now, I have grown to love them because if my music is getting streamed, that means that people are listening; If people are listening, then people are following; If people are following, people are showing up to shows. Real fans and supporters know or have an idea of what it takes to do this, and will put their money where their mouth is and help out a musician by purchasing their merchandise and music.
LHM: What advice do you have for other aspiring artists in the local Houston music scene?
JG: Our job, as musicians, is to stay active on social media, stay active with new music coming out, and music that attracts listeners! On top of all that, stay active with playing live and the rest will follow over time--but that's the hard part--over time. Without a label or team behind you, it's not an easy thing to accomplish, and it takes time. My hat goes off to any and all musicians who are out there, working hard to make their dreams come true.
Justin’s well anticipated EP Where I Belong is slated for early 2017. The full-length album, Journey Within My Soul, will follow. He is also inviting fans and artists to join in on the recording process with the BEHIND THE SCENES: VIP STUDIO EXPERIENCE PACKAGE in Lake Jackson, Texas.
To reserve your spot click here. For more of Justin Gambino’s work visit his website www.justingambino.com. His recordings are also available on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Play, as well as many other online digital music outlets.
Article Edited by Melinda Stringer
Article Edited by Melinda Stringer
