Interview: Groovy Judy
Interview
By Geneva of GirlMedia
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Official Groovy Judy Website
In this musical time period of artists trying to invent something new and
different, Groovy Judy puts a new face on the 60s sound that made the Bay
Area what it is. Groovy Judy focuses on making people smile and raising vibrations
by delivering her own blend of funk, rock and inspirational pop.
Where did you come up with the name Groovy Judy?
Groovy Judy: I'm a big fan of the
sixties which was a very colorful period in history. Fashion, music, and culture
were really exploding and the word "groovy" was a common term back then. I'm
a huge fan of Jimi Hendrix who use to dress with wild colorful outfits - he
was very groovy. I put the two thoughts together and came up with "Groovy
Judy." I think the name flows nicely, it fits my free-spirited attitude, it's
positive and people seem to remember it easily.
How would you describe your music?
Groovy Judy: My music is a blend of funk,
rock, pop, inspirational, and comedy with a touch of groove. I've been described
as "Hendrix meets Grace Jones."
Do you find it difficult to write new songs in a style that is often termed
an "oldie"?
Groovy Judy: No, because I'm writing
about things that were going on back then and are still happening now - relationships,
love, peace, homelessness, greed, religion, beliefs, forgiveness. I see myself
more as retro than oldie because I may have the vibe of the late 60's and
70's, but my sound is more contemporary.
You've been playing guitar for 20 odd some years. Why weren't you in a
band prior to 1989?
Groovy Judy: I'd been trying since
my early 20's to find people to play with where I grew up, in the town of
Livermore. Everyone I found was either much younger than me or wacked out
on drugs. I was going to Chabot College in Hayward, and I transferred to San
Francisco State in 1988. When I moved to Daly City in the fall of 1988, I
was determined to get into a band and I felt I would have a better chance
of finding people in SF. My first band was an all female band called "The
Tourists in Distress" because we formed the day after the quake of 89'. We
only lasted a year, but it was fun.
How does someone who writes songs that inspire acceptance, love and healing
survive in a music climate of pessimistic/angry rock?
Groovy
Judy: Just fine. I'm a breath of fresh air in many cases with
both young and older people. I have nothing against angry rock, it's just
not what I do. My gift is to spread joy through my music and entertaining,
I love doing that, and I feel that's really what I'm supposed to do. I do
listen to all kinds of music and I think that everything has it's place. One
of the best things about art and music is that you have so much variety to
choose from. There's the angry rock music for those who want it, and there's
the peace and love hippy-vibe music for those who want that.
You parcipate in many charities and organizations, such as Food
Not Bombs, The American
Red Cross and The
Leukemia Society. Do think more musicians should get involved with helping
there own community?
Groovy Judy: Only if they want to.
I do charity events for organizations that I believe in and I feel are making
a difference in the community. By performing at these types of events I'm
giving back to the community through my gift of music.
Where do you find your trademark hats and glasses? Any chance there will
be a Groovy Judy line of clothing?
Groovy Judy: I find them at all
different shops and stores. I seem to gravitate to one particular manufacturer,
and that's a company called Elope
out of Colorado. They have the most colorful and most outrageous hats and
eyewear. Yes, I would love to have my own line of "Groove Wear." It's a long
term goal of mine. I just need to write some great songs to finance it, so
I'm working on that right now. Do you know anyone with $250K who would want
to invest in my company??? ;)
Please tell us more about your bandmates.
Groovy Judy: My drummer is not only
a seasoned player (20+ years), but he's also my husband Pete Gascoyne. Originally
from New Jersey, he loves progressive rock (YES,
Emerson Lake & Palmer)
so he's got a bit of pizazz to his rock playing. He also plays hand percussion
(congas, bongos, and various shakers) and sings some lead and backup harmonies.
He's been in several different bands over the years and we were both in husband
and wife bands before. We were a little leary of doing one ourselves, but
so far it's been going o.k.. Our bassist is Mike Mandy from Antioch. Originally
a guitarist, Mike grew up in Woodside and graduated from GIT (Guitar Institute)
in LA. His claim to fame is being the voice of Charlie Brown for 2-3 years
when he was a kid. He's a huge hard rock and KISS
fan and he also sings some nice backup vocals and ocassionally a lead vocal.
A fairly new addition is our second guitarist, Scott Weiss from San Francisco
via New York. Scott and I met 4 years ago at the Haight Street Fair and played
together in a previous improvisational band I had called "Psychotic Melodic."
Scott is very groove oriented (P-funk, James Brown) and an excellent lead
and rhythm player. On saxophone we have a gal named Jennifer Mir from San
Jose. Jennifer is classically trained on the clarinet and recently started
playing sax. She also sings great backup harmonies and plays a little shaker
or tamborine to spice things up.
What are some of the groovy places to go in San Francisco (someplace where
we might find you)?
Groovy Judy: The Paradise Lounge,
The Hotel Utah,
Simple Pleasures Cafe, The
Bay to Breakers Race - you never know where I might pop up. :)
You said you put "reminders" in your songs. Can you give us an example
of one?
Groovy Judy: The song "Forgive"
is a reminder to forgive each other and ourselves when we hurt someone or
make a mistake. "I forgive you, let go of the blame and you forgive me and
love yourself again" is a reminder to let go of the blame, hurt or guilt we
sometimes feel towards each other. "Forgive each other, love one and another"
is a reminder to love our brother and sisters and let go of hurt we're feeling.
There seems to be a lot of anger and revenge in our society - road rage, war,
school and office shootings. I think if we could all practice more forgiveness,
our lives would be happier and more peaceful. My wish is for the world to
learn to come together and for us to be one - pretty big wish, but I figure
if I keep spreading peace, love, joy, and forgiveness it will sink in and
make a difference.
What is Hey Judy Productions?
Groovy Judy: It's the company I
created back in 1997 when I started doing my own music projects. I use it
to produce shows and benefit concerts.
What does the future hold for you?
Groovy Judy: The future holds success
and growth as a person and as an artist. I know this because I'm working hard
right now to build and create something magical and I'm striving to make that
creation and myself the best it can be. I'm also trying to enjoy what happens
to me a long the way, good or bad, positive or negative. Art is a process,
and it's easy to forget that when you get rejected or you don't play well.
To me success can be a variety of situations or events - playing a great gig,
writing an awesome song, seeing an old friend at a gig or even doing this
interview.
Where can fans find more info about you on the web?
Groovy Judy: www.groovyjudy.com
www.mp3.com,
www.chameleonmusic.com,
www.cdbaby.com
- I'm on other sites too, but I think those are the best.
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