{"id":19668,"date":"2020-07-27T15:21:07","date_gmt":"2020-07-27T22:21:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/?p=19668"},"modified":"2020-07-27T15:22:59","modified_gmt":"2020-07-27T22:22:59","slug":"gregg-sgar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/2020\/07\/gregg-sgar\/","title":{"rendered":"Song Premiere & Web-Exclusive Interview GREGG SGAR"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Gregg<\/h3>\n

Song Premiere & Web-Exclusive Interview<\/h3>\n

Artist: GREGG SGAR<\/h1>\n

Song: \u201cSigns\u201d<\/h2>\n

https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/greggsgar\/signs-1\/s-gKpUmniSjzu<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/h2>\n

MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST GREGG SGAR PREMIERES \u201cSIGNS\u201d<\/h2>\n

Never one to play by the rules, Gregg Sgar has found new and inventive ways to manifest the kind of music he wanted to create\u2014on his own terms. On his new single \u201cSigns,\u201d he breathes inspiring words of hope onto the track: \u201cPlease believe the signs. I\u2019m begging you, read the signs.\u201d The singer\/songwriter\/multi-instrumentalist sings, \u201cEven when you\u2019re crying, look for just one sign.\u201d It\u2019s a song filled with poignant lyrics. He holds on to the hope of making music and changing lives.<\/p>\n

We talked with Gregg Sgar about his songwriting, his creative process and his passion for making music to help people feel something.<\/p>\n

GREGG SGAR Interview
\nwith M Music & Musicians magazine publisher, Merlin David<\/h3>\n

How did the idea for \u201cSigns\u201d come to you?<\/strong>
\n\u201cSigns\u201d is a special one. When the co-writer Matt Pelosi and I were writing it, we were at my beach house along the Jersey Shore on Toms River and it was a monsoon outside. The house was shaking from the thunder, and it was raining so hard that it looked like we were in the middle of the ocean. The song started with just the synth chords and drums. Interestingly, the first arrangement was more of a metal song. The composition spoke to me so deeply that I immediately started recording vocals.<\/p>\n

\"Gregg<\/p>\n

Seems like the song has deeper meaning.<\/strong>
\nAt the time it was written, I was watching a family member being heavily affected by depression. A big part of this song was a way of explaining to this person that it\u2019s okay and they\u2019re not alone. It bounces back and forth between the victim\u2019s perspective, and the perspective of hope. This song relates to anyone looking for a sign of hope or who is in need of a second chance. It\u2019s one of those things that happened in 20 minutes\u2014everything was perfect. I just want my fans to feel something\u2014happy or sad, as long as they\u2019re feeling.<\/p>\n

How has your experience as a mixing\/mastering engineer influenced your own music?<\/strong>
\nStudying my favorite mixing engineers helps. I look for the little things that inspire me\u2014that people maybe don\u2019t hear, but they feel\u2014textural, hidden elements.<\/p>\n

What is one thing you learned about yourself after recording this song?<\/strong>
\nI have a lot more to do. I haven\u2019t come close to reaching my full potential\u2014and I hope I never do. These songs are where I am right now and I can\u2019t wait to see how I evolve for the next chapter.<\/p>\n

Who originally inspired you to write songs?<\/strong>
\nOriginally, Metallica\u2014I wanted to learn every riff and create my own. Once I expanded my palette to other genres of music besides metal, I found Max Martin from listening to the Backstreet Boys record Millennium. The vocal sound was so tight. I wanted to produce vocals like that. Every part of every song is a hook. I want to write songs like that. Also, the dynamics by Trent Reznor, the rebelliousness by David Bowie and the experimentation by The 1975 were my inspiration.<\/p>\n

What songwriting tip would you like to offer?<\/strong>
\nDon\u2019t be afraid of the creative process and get everything out as soon as possible. It\u2019s so easy for the creative juices to go away after the initial waterfall of ideas. So lock your door, send all the texts you need to send, and let it all flow. The mentality of \u201cOh let me come back to it later\u201d is toxic if you\u2019re in the middle of creating the work. You have to know when the song is done\u2014and move on.<\/p>\n

What instruments\/equipment can you not live without?<\/strong>
\nI use Logic Pro X to record and produce. I love working with Native Instruments Maschine\u2014it makes sampling so easy, sequencing so quick and sound designing so boundless. I can\u2019t live without my Gibson Les Paul guitars\u2014especially the 7-string Les Paul.<\/p>\n

\"Gregg<\/p>\n

Which Top 5 Musicians inspired you to become a musician?<\/strong>
\nMy Dad\u2014not a musician, but he learned the guitar to get me into it; Carlos Alomar\u2014songwriter, session-musician, producer, music director for Bowie and others; James Hetfield (Metallica); Supernatural (the TV show because of how similar the life of a musician\/artist is to the main character\u2019s story); and Jimmy and Peter Pallis (Anaka band).<\/p>\n

What are your Top 5 favorite albums of all time?<\/strong>
\nYoung Americans (1975) \u2013 David Bowie
\nMetallica (1991) \u2013 Metallica (aka the Black album)
\nTrench (2018) \u2013 Twenty One Pilots
\nVitals (201) \u2013 Mutemath
\nI like it when you sleep \u2026 (2016) \u2013 The 1975
\nSongs from the Big Chair (1985) \u2013 Tears For Fears
\n7 (2015) \u2013 Seal
\nThe Fragile (1999) \u2013 Nine Inch Nails<\/p>\n

Tell us a \u201cpinch me\u201d moment when you thought \u201cWow, this is really happening to me!\u201d<\/strong>
\nWhen my last band packed out Webster Hall in New York City!<\/p>\n

What is the best advice someone has given you?<\/strong>
\nOne of the reasons I went to school at a college called Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ was because I knew Carlos Alomar was an instructor there. I\u2019ve been a Bowie fan forever and a Carlos fan\u2014who\u2019s a hidden gem. He has this research place\u2014it\u2019s like walking into a spaceship. One thing he said to me was to continue to be curious about everything\u2014keep questioning everything. How I interpret that for my music is to always push boundaries. He said, \u201cGregg, always say \u2018Yes\u2019 to everything.\u201d I said, \u201cWhat? Why?\u201d He said \u201cBecause it makes everything more fun.\u201d He\u2019s right.<\/p>\n

\"Gregg<\/p>\n

Where can new fans get more info and stay updated?<\/strong>
\nwww.GreggSgar.com<\/a>
\nInstagram: @GreggSgar<\/a>
\nFacebook: @Greggsgar<\/a>
\nTwitter: @GreggSgarlata<\/a>
\nYouTube: @GreggSgar<\/a>
\nSoundcloud: @GreggSgar<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Song Premiere & Web-Exclusive Interview Artist: GREGG SGAR Song: \u201cSigns\u201d https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/greggsgar\/signs-1\/s-gKpUmniSjzu MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST GREGG SGAR PREMIERES \u201cSIGNS\u201d Never one to play by the rules, Gregg Sgar has found new and inventive ways to manifest the kind of music he wanted to create\u2014on his own terms. On his new single \u201cSigns,\u201d he breathes inspiring words of hope […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7725],"tags":[11707,11708,9056,11709,206,11710,11711,9755,1693,11712,11713,11714,11715,11716,9584,7566,5133,11717,7836,3010,772,7978,2810,5132,1726,11718,11719,11720,11721,8188,11601,11722,5561,7968,11723],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19668"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19668"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19668\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19676,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19668\/revisions\/19676"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19668"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19668"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19668"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}