Gui Guimaraes is and independent artist from Brazil. He started playing the guitar and singing when he was 9 years old and decided to follow the professional path of music. Guimaraes’ influences go through a wide range of styles, such as Rock, Pop, Blues, Electronic, Metal, Bossa Nova, Funk and Folk.
Gui is recording his first solo album “Gui Guimaraes – All About The Groove” independently in Brazil. The 7 songs on the album are very different in style and the main goal of it is to blend classic influences with a new, modern sound. It is due to be released in November.
Aside from the artistic part, Guimaraes is also interested in the business side of music, taking care of his own career as a young and promising entrepreneur.
Facebook: facebook.com/guiguimaraesmusic
Instagram: @guiguimaraesmusic
Twitter: guiguimaraesid
Soundcloud: guiguimaraesofficial
Exposed Vocals: How did you hear about Exposed Vocals? What made you decide to sign up?
Gui Guimaraes: I first heard about it on Twitter, when Randy Morano, the Sales Executive of Exposed Vocals sent me a direct message. I got interested on the concept of the company and decided to submit my music. I really think that, especially with the music industry being as it is today, a company that spreads the independent music scene around is very healthy for the market and really helpful for the artist.
Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?
Gui Guimaraes: I was born and raised in Curitiba, a big city in Brazil. I still live here, but I’m planning to move to the U.S in a few years. What made me decide to become an artist? When I first heard AC/DC’s TNT on a Tony Hawk Playstation game. I was around 7 or 8 years old and asked my father about the song. He introduced me to AC/DC because he was a fan of the band since he was a teenager. When I turned 9 I started having guitar lessons and around 14 years old I decided to become a professional musician. No one in my family believed it at the time. They thought I was going through that common “phase” kids go through, dreaming of becoming a rockstar. Well…here I am 4 years later answering this interview while I’m in the studio finishing my first solo album…so yeah, the dream (or should I say the goal?) still remains, stronger than ever before.
Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?
Gui Guimaraes: This is my real name.
Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?
Gui Guimaraes: I think the music, the audio, is becoming a merchandising product, just like t-shirts, mugs, stickers and that sort of stuff. The industry is still trying to understand what’s going on with themselves, ‘cause they kinda shot their own foot. When companies try to take full advantage out of their artists and their clients, the fans, it will eventually make them give up or go bankrupt. And that’s what they did back in the day. So people started sharing music illegally with Napster and other sites, and that discouraged the artists to make new music. Gene Simmons says there won’t be another Kiss or another Black Sabbath, but I have to disagree. I personally believe the music industry is beginning to understand how to make profit in the 21st century and redefine the common way of purchasing music. So when they finally do, they will invest money in promoting the artists again and the cycle repeats itself. There is iTunes, but it is already becoming obsolete. The trend now is streaming and Spotify and this kind of sharing services. What’s next? I think we will soon know. And about giving my music for free: I’m just finishing the touches on my first solo album, I have only three singles out (not even from the album, they were recorded last year in another studio and with another mindset) so I share them for free to promote myself as an artist. My main goal with this album is to use it as an introduction of myself to the market and eventually sign with a label; I don’t want to be an independent artist forever, so I will need to share this music for free and make network and contacts out of it. I’m trying to reach new audience first. Of course I’ll have the physical copies and online purchasing options for the people who want to give me support, but you’ll be able to get all the songs for free if you want. It will always be this way. You can have any artist music for free nowadays and it’s not even considered piracy anymore. The main thing is: popular artists still sell, no matter what. So why not focus on making good art and promoting the hell out of it? People will buy if they feel your work deserves their money. The fans are your boss.
Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?
Gui Guimaraes: I’m not in the position of giving anyone advice just yet, I’m still working on settling myself on the market, understanding the game and building a name…but if I was, I would tell them to be professional no matter what, learn the business side of things, think as both a consolidated artist and an entrepreneur. Write well, speak well, be polite and be humble. Show respect to people, all of them no matter their social position and that’s it. It’s a long way to the top anyway, so why make it more complicated than that? Oh…also try to make good music with good sound quality…that might help.
Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?
Gui Guimaraes: Sure, everyone does. Every artist on the stage is a human being. You just have to get past that and keep the show going on. People may not even notice your mistake, so no need to worry that much about it. Focus on delivering a good concert, not a perfect one!
Exposed Vocals: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?
Gui Guimaraes: Not even toured yet! I’m waiting for my album to come out to get on the road. I bet a lot of – interesting – things will happen there.
Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?
Gui Guimaraes: It depends. Maybe I’m playing and a cool riff or progression comes out naturally. Maybe I got some random lyrics on my mind and I make a song out of that. May also be a personal event that happens in my life and I put on the paper. No rules to create!
Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?
Gui Guimaraes: I have my official Facebook page : facebook.com/guiguimaraesmusic, my official Instagram: @guiguimaraesmusic, my Twitter page: @guiguimaraesid and the Soundcloud profile: guiguimaraesofficial. You can also find me on YouTube.
Exposed Vocals: What are some really embarrassing songs that we might find on your mp3 player?
Gui Guimaraes: None. If I like it, it’ not embarassing for me : )
Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?
Gui Guimaraes: That might sound cliché, but probably recording the best album I could come up with. Always investing.
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
Gui Guimaraes: I think everything goes, especially with someone like me who’s in the beginning of his career. Sharing, streaming, and selling the album on live shows. Everything to spread the music.
Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
Gui Guimaraes: Finishing my first solo album. It is going to be released in November and the songs are coming out very nicely. We’re mixing all of my influences together and blending a classic, vintage sound with modern stuff, electronic effects and all of that. I think people are going to like it.
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
Gui Guimaraes: Probably studying marketing or administration.
Exposed Vocals: Do you remember buying your first album? Who was it? What was going through your head?
Gui Guimaraes: Yes. Iron Maiden’s Number of the Beast. The artwork got me so interested and curious that I had to ask my mom to buy it. I had never heard anything like that, after all I was only 7.I was instantly hooked!
Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?
Gui Guimaraes: Since music is my job, I try to work hard enough so all the other responsibilities in my life can be covered by the income I make with my music. And I’m really enjoying the results.
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2015?
Gui Guimaraes: My first solo album is going to be released later this year and after it we’re going to the road. I’m gathering a new crew so I can have a killer live band to promote this album. I really hope everyone likes it! People can go to my Facebook page (facebook.com/guiguimaraesmusic) and find more about this album there!
