Gab De La Vega - "Beyond Space and Time"

Gab De La Vega is an Italian born singer-songwriter with a punk rock and hardcore background. He grew up playing loud and heavy music but since 2011 he's been touring solo at first (and now also full band) with this solo project.

Gab De La Vega toured Europe extensively and also played shows in Canada, US East Coast and South America. He had the chance to open for acts such as Frank Turner, Against Me!, Chuck Ragan and others. Beyond Space And Time is De La Vega's third and newest album.

De La Vega puts all of himself into the music he writes, which s what makes Gab De La Vega's music ... honest and passionate.

What 1st drew you to music?

I've always loved music, there was always music in my home and I grew up listening to many different genres. I studied piano when I was a kid but it was years later than I heard punk for the first time. I fell in love with its energy, it could express the way I was feeling. That's when it all actually started for me.

Do you have a preferred or chosen genre?

I love many different sounds, but I grew up listening to punk rock, hardcore, post-hardcore and similar heavy sounds. But I also like singer-songwriter, classic rock and some electronic music.

Do you write your own music, or do you collaborate?

I write all of my songs, but I like working with other musicians to put all the arrangements together. I like when our minds work in unison and deliver something that sounds just the way it should!

What is your creative process like?

I find the chords, the melody and the rhythm, then I think of the vocal lines and test them by humming on the chords (or better, by “na-na-na-ing” on them!). I always record a draft on my phone or computer when something seems to be good. I take that out from time to time to see how it feels after a while and work on it to turn it into an actual song.

What is the best song you ever released and why?

It's hard to tell. It seems like Perfect Texture could be a good answer. People seem to like it and I also like it. We agree on that so I guess that must be it!

What is your favorite song(s) to perform?

I enjoy playing Phoenix From The Flames and I Want Nothing when I play with the band, they are quite energetic songs. My favorite song to play solo is currently I Still Believe. I love playing Story of a Human Being both solo and full band, it works both ways.

What song do fans seem to favor?

Perfect Texture seems to have quite some fans at the moment. But many people told me that the chorus in Rosary of Days is a real ear-worm!

Is there a hidden meaning in your music?

Not really. It's 100% me, unfiltered, it's more of a intimate meaning more than a hidden one.

It's something personal shared openly with other people.

Have you ever dealt with performance anxiety?

Of course! It happens when you're playing a very important show. You feel it build up in your chest and in your stomach! I do my best to stay focused, warm up properly, be there mentally and physically. It usually fades away after the first song and you can go back to enjoying what you're doing.

What do you enjoy most about being a musician? What do you hate most?

Touring, meeting people, performing the music you worked so much on in front of an audience. These are things I love doing.

I hate the uncertainty, the instability that comes with it. Especially nowadays when live music is heavily affected by the pandemic. It showed everyone how fragile the whole industry is.

Other than fame & fortune, is there something you hope to achieve through music?

I hope my music brings something good into people's life. It's great to know that something you wrote means something to someone else.

Tell about a magical moment or positive experience that has happened during your music career.

I happened to open for one of my favorite artists and when I got offstage I found out that he spent the whole time in the back on stage watching us play and everyone who saw him said that “he was really into it”.

What music do you listen to for fun?

Oasis. There's always a reason to listen to them.

Who inspires you musically?

It's hard to answer properly. My punk and hardcore background brings out a lot of bands from that scene (in the attitude more than in the sounds sometimes), but I'm also into other things and since I don't properly play punk anymore with my solo project I should mention other artists. In my scene, artists such as Frank Turner, Tim Barry, Chuck Ragan, Brian Fallon and Dave Hause are good names. But I also like The Beatles, Oasis, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, City And Colour.

If one artist were to perform at your party, who would get the call?

Frank Turner. Amazing live show.

What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?

It takes a lot of patience. It's gonna be extremely hard and frustrating and many times you'll feel you want to quit. If you have what you got to endure, you'll live some of the most rewarding experiences in your life.

How do you feel the Internet has impacted sharing your music?

The Internet allows you to distribute your music and reach out to people potentially everywhere. It's a great tool, I see my statistics and there's people from the other side of the world listening to my music. That's amazing!

What is your favorite/best outlet to connect with your followers Instagram, Spotify, FB, Twitter, iTunes? How would you want them to follow?

Facebook (www.facebook.com/gabdelavegamusic) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/gabdelavegaxvx) are the best ways to keep up with me. Spotify is where all my music is.

What is one message you would give to your followers?

Thanks for following and supporting me. It means a lot!

What does the future hold for you?

I'm waiting for things to get better to start touring like I used to again. For now I have a few solo shows coming up, which is more than I could hope for during a pandemic!

Did I forget to ask something? Something you would like to say, that I did not address.