Interview: Music Maker
Tony Gamble/ On Coming Train
By Rick Jaimeson
Tony Gamble is no stranger to the music biz, infact by the time of his 18th birthday he had already completed a tour of the U.K. as well as Europe with his old band " Little Dolls". Tony has been a hired gun guitarist for the past 10 years but just got tired of the whole scene.
I spoke to Tony via telephone at his Encino California home, which is a suburb of Los Angeles.
RJ: First of all, I love your new CD, what made you branch out and become a solo artis?
TG: I just got sick and tired playing with all of these other bands as a side musician, I mean it's a good living and you get to travel, but its always the same thing with them, if there is a certain sound that's happening, then we had to follow. I guess I just wanted to be a leader and not a follower. Stick with your guns, even if your music isn't the flavor of the month right now, if your songs are good, hopefully your time will come.
RJ: When I first saw your picture I thought you would be more like a Tommy Lee/Fred Durst type, but when I heard your songs I was completely surprised at how melodic and soulful it is.
TG: Thanks Dude, I think the songs are the most crucial part of being an artist, for me anyway. But I guess image is real important now a days too. I just happen to have the so called " bad boy" look, and not that I'm trying to come a cross that way, it just so happens I wear bandannas and have tattoos, but like I said it's the music that's the most important element.
RJ: Your lyrics seem to come from a very emotional place, like you have been screwed over in your life.
TG: Yeah, I write from the heart and what ever I'm felling at the time, like the song "Don't Waste Your Tears" I wrote the lyrics the day my girlfriend and I split up. I don't always enjoy writing about how fucked up things can be, but sometimes that's all I know.
RJ: I can picture hearing your songs on the rock stations as well as top 40, and on classic rock radio, I think your on to something, did you intentionally write the songs that way?
TG: Not at all, I just wrote what I felt; I honestly didn't do it for anybody but myself. But when I heard how strong the material was I just kept writing until I had the cd. It was kind of strange how the whole thing started, I was talking to a friend of mine and she came over to my house and I was telling her how frustrated I was with the whole music scene and I didn't know what I was going to do with my life and then in my drunken state, I picked up my acoustic and started playing a song I had been working on and she freaked. I said," what"?? and she started to go into this whole rant about how I should pursue a solo career. I thought she was joking at first but then realized she was right.
RJ: So what do you think the future holds for you at this point?
TG: Right now I'm getting ready to film a video for the song " Angel In Darkness" with Kelly Schroeder, who was the first A.D. on Guns n' Roses " November Rain" Stained, O-Town, Dr. Dre and Missy Elliot, as well as Brittany Spears, and just a bunch of big name bands, so I'm really excited that he believes in me that much, and after that we will shop to the majors and hope the right deal comes a long. I know the songs are strong enough, but the Business can be very political, and it's hard when you have to start from the ground up, but only time will tell.
BIO.
If you ask native Californian acoustic rocker Tony Gamble what style of music he plays, he would probably tell you, " Dave Mathews with an attitude" although Las Vegas Disc Jockey, Bruce Allen from 97.1 The Point has said more than a few kind words, " The Eagles Meets Axl Rose, music with attitude and feeling" as well as, "Haunting heartfelt lyrics with mournful insight and refreshing rhythms that flow together in unity".
Tony has received a lot of love from Las Vegas and has been getting radio airplay from Laurie Steele's "Home Grown" Show on KOMP 92.3 The Rock station" They have been playing me consistently, which is really cool of them, and I've been getting a lot of request's". In fact, Bruce likes Tony's new CD so much that he got Tony A slot opening for Eric Martin from the band Mr. Big at Pinke's, " That was fun, Eric heard me sound check and then asked me if I would join him onstage to sing Their number one hit "Too Be With You".
All of the songs on Tony's new CD are all potential hit's, they are radio friendly and extremely hooky. He wrote, recorded, produced, played all of the instruments and did all vocals.
This is one artist too look out for.
Rick Mulford
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