Gus G – The Greek Guitar Hero
1. How did you develop your unique style of playing and what was your inspiration behind it?
Developing a personal style is something that takes years. It originates from listening to other players, studying their style and eventually keeping the ideas that suit you and giving them your own twist. it’s an ongoing process. I’ve been inspired by many guitarists in my life. From people like Peter Frampton, Hendrix, Blackmore and David Gilmour, to 80s shredders like Yngwie, Paul Gilbert, Marty Friedman, to Gary Moore, Michael Schenker, etc. The list goes on.
2. Your European Solo Tour with Electric Guitarlands is a highly anticipated event, what can fans expect from your performances?
I see it as a celebration of the guitar. It’s amazing to be on stage with other talented players. Personally, I’m performing a full instrumental set focusing a lot on my latest release “Quantum Leap” which I havent had a chance to tour for until now. The other guys are doing some of their own material + covers and at the end we all jam together. It’s a lot of fun!
3. You’ve played with some legendary musicians in the industry, who has been your favorite collaborator so far and why?
It’s very hard to pick only one, cause I’ve made music and toured with so many amazing artists over the years. I like writing songs w/ my co-producer Dennis Ward but I enjoy writing w lots of people.
4. How do you approach songwriting for your solo work versus your work with Firewind or other bands?
Firewind has a pretty distinct sound by now, so it’s easy for me to separate both projects, even though I write pretty much all of the music in both. However, whenever I have ideas that are slightly different, more rock, or experimental, I’ll usually know they’re destined for the solo project. And since the release of my latest solo album which is 100% instrumental, it helps even more to separate the 2. Firewind has vocals, whereas I can see my solo career going down the path of instrumental music primarily.
5. Can you tell us about any exciting new projects or collaborations that you have in the works?
I wish I could, but I can’t spill the beans just yet. All I can say is that I just recorded something on an upcoming album of a living legend. And no, it’s not Ozzy.
6. Your latest release, “Not Forgotten,” features some incredible guitar work. Can you walk us through the process of creating that song?
Not Forgotten was one of the final songs I composed for my album “Quantum Leap”. It’s a melancholic song, as I was going through a very tough family moment. My mother in law got sick with covid in the early stages and sadly she passed away. It was heart breaking watching my wife go through this every day and her agony, etc. Anyways, I think the melancholy of the song just came out naturally as we were going through all this. I’m glad that I had music helping me keep it together through that whole period. I remember it was composed pretty quickly and then I added the layers of guitars, and synths and just did everything in my home studio.
7. You’ve been in the industry for quite some time now, what advice would you give to aspiring guitarists just starting out?
Always be yourself, play music from the heart, not to impress anyone or to get famous. Set your goals and work hard. Always remember why you’re doing all this.
And most of all, have fun and enjoy the whole ride, even the struggling days. Music will carry you through all that too.
8. How do you keep your skills sharp and continue to evolve as a musician?
Well I still practice. Not as much as I’d like to of course, but I still try to get better at my skills, I still try to leanr new techniques and I love writing riffs and songs. I guess the secret is to keep moving and keep creating.
9. Your Electric Guitarlands tour features some other incredible guitarists, what has been your experience working with Michael Angelo Batio, Rowan Robertson, and Andy Martongelli?
So far it’s been a blast. We all get along great, having a lot of laughs on the road, backstage and on stage. It’s a privilege to play with these guys every night!
10. You’ve been a prolific performer and musician for many years, what has been your proudest moment or accomplishment in your career so far?
I guess my biggest accomplishment would be that I made it this far. I’ve been doing music professionally for 20 years now, I’ve had ups and downs like everyone else. But I’m proud that I’m here today in 2023 and I’m still busy, I’m still as energetic as ever and I’m grateful for the fans I have that are making it possible for me to do music for a living.
11. How has your Greek heritage influenced your music and playing style?
Probably not much haha….some people tell me they hear something exotic in my playing, maybe cause I play a lot of Eastern scales and harmonic minor, diminished modes, etc. Could be a subconscious thing I don’t know. But my main influences have been in hard and heavy music since I was a kid.
12. What can fans expect from your upcoming album, and how does it differ from your previous work?
Currently I’m working on a new FIREWIND album that we hope to finish by this summer. It’s too early to talk about it now, but I think it sounds fresh but it definitely has all the elements that make us sound like us.
Interview photo by Akis Douzlatzis
