A Q&A with Gildor

Mellow, reflective folk from the Netherlands…

What’s the title of your latest release, and what does it mean to you?
‘Thinking Back’. “It’s about reminiscing on good ol’ times, that I’m sure we all know in one way or another. For me it encompasses careless days of summer out in the countryside in France. Growing up alongside friends, wondering how it could ever be any other way. But life is long and often turns out not to go as you would’ve imagined, and that might just be the beauty of it.”

What was the hardest part about putting this release together, and why?
The hardest part was actually digging up the old photographs that are featured near the end of the video, those were somewhere stored in old boxes between thousands of other photos.

Who produced the release – what did they bring to it?
Isabel Gracefield produced it. She was the best to work with, very open to experiment and before we knew it we already had all the tracks we needed. She knew right away what specific instruments and mics were required to nail the sound we were going for.

What do you want the listener to take away from listening to your music?
It’s good to slow down sometimes and be grateful for the people in your life who shaped you into who you are now.

How does a track normally come together? Can you tell us something about the process?
I’ll be playing guitar and stumble upon a certain riff or chord progression that speaks to me, then I remember it for future reference. Sometimes it can take a year or more before I have matching lyrics, but mostly I’ll be writing something in the same period that will fit nicely. However, for this song I wanted it to be as simple is it could be: three chords, no other changes. The lyrics came along very soon as I was literally thinking back about the life I had in my early 20s.

What band/artists have influenced you the most since you started this project, and why?
Vetiver. I think he’s one of those rare cases who can really capture a chilled-out mood and let it soothe any listener’s ears.

What countries would you like to tour? Are there any standout venues you’d like to play in?
To me the US would be a great honor, not only because of the music scene but also because it’s such an amazingly beautiful continent to drive through and get inspired. As for venues, I always liked the Troubadour in LA.

If you could pick one track for our readers to listen to in order to get a taste of your music, what would you pick, and why?
‘Thinking Back’, because it’s really just a window into a world that shaped me to who I am both as a person and an artist.

What ambitions do you have for the band/your career?
I’d like to be able to do a few tours in the year, and to be recording a whole lot of music throughout each year.

Finally, as you leave the stage, what are your parting words?
Don’t forget we’re only a speck of dust floating through infinite universes.

For more info visit: instagram.com/gildor_music