Interview: Gabi Sklar On Singing To The "Liberteens", Having Lady Gaga's Vocal Coach & Her Favorite Music!
A few weeks ago we had the pleasure to introduce you to upcoming pop singer Gabi Sklar with her latest single "Liberteens", a cool pop song with coming-of-age lyrics. Now, we have the privilege to share with you, our Direct Lyrics blog readers, an exclusive interview with young Gabi so you can get to know her a little better. We asked her all about her new music, her beginnings as a recording artist, who influenced her musically growing up, what her dream collaboration would be with, what songs she's loving at the moment, and of course what her next moves are going to be.
Make sure to follow Gabi on all her socials: Instagram / Facebook / Twitter
Recommendation: Play "Liberteens" while reading the text below, it will be more fun.
INTERVIEW
1. Hi Gabi! Where are you answering this Q&A from and how’s your day been like so far?
I’m currently in my apartment in Miami… I’ve been up since 7:20 AM and took an exam this morning but my day has been great! Nothing to complain about.
2. Talk to us about your new single “Liberteens”. What’s the genre of the song and what do you mean to tell us with the lyrics?
‘Liberteens’ is a song about youth and a time in your life of transition, growth and mistakes. The playful lyrics are meant to bring people back to the time they were teens being reckless and having fun.
3. Is it true that you’ve been recording with a lot of well-known producers in the last year? Could you name a few? And with whom would you say you made the best connection in the studio?
Sure, I’ve been in the studio with Ryan Marrone, Frequency, Jonas Jeberg, Julian Bunetta, etc. I think Julian Bunetta was my most valuable session to this day. I learned a lot in two days working with him and he’s just an overall talented, down-to-earth guy.
4. How many new songs have you recorded and do you intended to put an EP out for your fans in the medium term?
I record a lot more music than released, but I’m very selective with the songs I put out. At the end of the day, I want my fans to see the best of my music and the music that I truly believe in. I would love more than anything to put out an EP and that’s one of my goals as of now, got a lot in the works.
5. How is your songwriting process like?
The song process generally starts with me and my piano. From there I’ll bring in an idea into the studio and typically co-write. We then go back and fourth experimenting, what works, what doesn’t. It’s really important for me to be able to connect with whomever I’m writing with at the moment so before the writing begins, I like to just talk and catch up with whoever’s in the room.
6. You have the same vocal coach as Lady Gaga; Don Lawrence. How has it been working with him? And what areas of your singing skills do you think you’ve improved the most with Don Lawrence in contrast to your old self?
Don has taught me of course better technique and how to have longevity as a singer but more than that, he’s taught me discipline and patience. He made me realize how much dedication and work really goes on behind closed doors.
7. You’re a great pianist! How did your passion for the piano begin?
I had this extremely old and worn down piano sitting in my living room. It was my Mom’s grandmother’s, but no one knew how to play it. I was actually inspired by All-American Rejects’ ‘It Ends Tonight’. I remember hearing the piano part to that song and sitting at the piano for hours trying to figure it out. After that, I began playing by ear and started piano training shortly after that, when I was eight.
8. What was the moment that made you really want to pursue a career in the music industry? One thing is to have the talent and another one to really go for it.
I was fourteen, just entering high school, and I realized music was something I was going to make a career of for the rest of my life. It was always a hobby as a kid but I signed to manager at fourteen, started meeting with my vocal coach, Don Lawrence, and performance coach, KJ Rose.
9. What were your musical influences growing up?
As a kid, I loved and still do love Hilary Duff, Fergie, Miley Cyrus…but as I grew older, I began loving Dua Lipa, Lana Del Rey, Arctic Monkeys, Khalid… So many great artists.
10. What are your Top 5 favorite songs of the moment?
1.Say It To My Face- Maty Noyes
2.Feel It Still- Portugal. The Man
3.Ghost- ZZ Ward
4. Dusk Til Dawn- Sia and ZAYN
5.Again- Noah Cyrus
11. Who would be your dream collaboration?
I think it would be really cool to do something with Alex Turner. His writing and style are really cool and lyrically unique.