Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A: Well I’m a child of the late 70’s and I was brought up in a house with a huge pile of records to play and so music was a big part of my childhood. Everything from the Beatles to Bob Dylan, Elvis to Eric Clapton, Fleetwood Mac and the Beach Boys, I guess it was just a natural progression that I would pick up an instrument as soon my hands got big enough, but it was the guitar that really grabbed my attention. Clapton and Brian May probably were my biggest influences as kid
Q: How are you planning on growing your fan base and sharing your music with the world? What message do you have for anyone who is about to discover “Jamie Bosanko”?
A: I really just want to keep releasing my music and grow my fanbase as organically as I can. The message to anyone discovering me is that if you like catchy guitar riffs and melodies you cant forget then its definitely me you’re looking for.
Q: Who is the most inspiring artist for you right now? And where do you find inspiration for making music?
A: Tom Petty is probably the single most influential artist for me of all time, but right now I think I’m somewhere between Del Amitri and REM in terms of what is inspiring me in this moment. It’s a combination of REM’s energy with Del Amitri’s melodies. I do also love Aimee Mann and I find her songwriting really inspiring, she’s so prolific and it’s always the highest standard without being overcomplicated.
Q: Can you tell us about the story or message behind the song, “A Little Grace.”?
A: I’m not sure there A Little Grace really has a message but there is definitely a feeling. We’re hearing about regret and failure and hoping for some kind of redemption even if it may be undeserved.
Q: How would you describe your sound in one word for potential listeners?
A: Melodic
Q: Did you face any challenges while writing or recording “A Little Grace”?
A: Well the writing was actually fairly straightforward, it’s one of those songs that once you tap into it, it just sort of falls into place. Recording it was more of a challenge in terms of finding the right guitar sound which sounds odd as its a fairly classic sound, but I tried all sorts of guitars, some pretty high end Tele’s and Strats and a really nice Epiphone 335. In the end I used this pretty cheap SG copy of no remarkable make but it had everything the song needed, the right voice, the right edge and a really nice sustain. It worked much better than a whole bunch of much more expensive guitars and there’s probably something poetic about that in relation to the song.
Q: What is the message of your music? And what are your goals as an artist?
A: I think if my music is to have a message it would be not to take life too seriously. Take the serious things just about as seriously as you need, to make them work for you, but remember to enjoy life and have fun with it. It moves so quick you have to smell the flowers while you can
Q: Who is your dream artist to collaborate with? (dead or alive)
A: Tom Petty, for me he’s the most completely authentic songwriter and rock n roll artist ever (in my humble opinion)
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
A: Just back yourself and go for it, don’t hold back and don’t waste time learning cover songs. Of course you’ll need to know a bunch of songs to get gigs early on but start writing early, that’s how you really learn and how you find your own voice.
Q: If you could go back in time and give a younger you some words of wisdom, what would they be?
A: Learn as many instruments as you can as early as you can and be disciplined. I took a lot of shortcuts early on because I was impatient, I wanted to get to the end in hurry and probably skipped a bit of music theory. I get around it because I’ve got a good instinct and a good ear, but if I could go back and do somethings differently that would be it.
LISTEN TO THE ARTIST:
Follow Jamie Bosanko:
Spotify – YouTube – SoundCloud – Facebook – Twitter – Instagram – Website