Gabe Kubanda – Damn Plans

By starrymag | May 10, 2019

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound? 

 

A) I don’t know. I just like to write songs!  I guess it would be indie pop or pop-rock in nature. That’s what people tell me anyways. [laughs]

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences? 

 

A) It runs the gambit from old school funk, Motown, classic rock, 70’s 80’s, prog bands, grunge, 90’s hip hop and current stuff too.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Damn Plans.”  

 

A) It’s really about breaking the cycle of self-pity and learning to be ok with yourself, and where you are in life, and make new plans to better your self and your situation, instead of whining about what could have been.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?  

 

A) I think everyone can relate to that feeling at some point in their life where they are questioning where they are heading, or wondering what move to make next in life.  So many people dwell on the past and what they could have done and they get stuck in a loop of complacency and regret.  I know I do that sometimes.  We all like to blame our past and dip into that victim mentality, instead of owning up to our past actions.  Just forgive yourself and others, and move on! [smile]

 

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it? 

 

A) The video is a loose representation of a few different eras.  The opening shot with the drawings was cool.  Those were actually drawings that I had done when I was around 10 or 11 years old (my mom had saved all of them in a box and I found them years later).  All the clothing changes show how I was never comfortable with myself, so I always tried to fit into different crowds and styles to appease others back in the day. It’s also a representation of repeating the same mistakes over and over again throughout those eras.  But in the end, the guy gets the girl! [smile]

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?  

 

A) Every song comes differently.  Most of them come from me humming melodies or song ideas when I’m driving, or coming from a guitar riff that I loop.  But this particular song was born out of a collaboration between myself and producer Curtis Douglas and it just flowed pretty effortlessly.  It actually started out as just the first part of the chorus hook and grew from there.

 

Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music? 

 

A) I’m not very technical behind the board (I can do the basics and demo everything out, but that’s about it), so I let the producer do all the heavy lifting when it comes to getting the right mic placements, right tones, etc.  But it’s a hand in hand relationship.  The most important thing is to find a producer that shares your vision, so that it

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you? 

 

A) Um… well I just toured in England for the first time and that was mindblowing and really amazing.  But I also really loved touring in Australia as well.  Some of my fav places to play in the US are up at Summerfest in Milwaukee, the Troubadour in LA, Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix and, of course, Chain Reaction in Anaheim. [wink]

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future? 

 

A) Oh man… Beyoncé???  Can we make that happen? [laughs]

 

Q) What can fans expect from a live Gabe Kubanda performance? 

 

A) You can expect to be energized!  I like to do a lot of interactive stuff with the audience, and get them to sing along or clap in certain rhythms, etc… it always turns into a party for all of us. [smiles]

 

Q) Will there be a full EP or album coming in the near future? 

 

A) I’ll be releasing singles for all of this year and then will bundle them with an album in the coming years!

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?   

 

A) I’m really digging the latest Twenty One Pilots album Trench.  A lot of really good deep cuts on that record.  Also, I am a huge fan of the new Dirty Loops record, they are insane!!!  And the new Muse album, of course, the new Polyphia album, the new Anderson.Paak record… I could go on and on.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?   

 

A) Honestly, I’m really an introvert, so I love talking to fans, but I hate posting content all the time.  But it’s part of the job. [smiles]

 

Q) Most recently you launched EduMusication, a non-profit program that promotes the importance of music education to high school and college students. What inspired your desire for philanthropy and what do you hope participants take away from the program?   

 

A) I’ve always loved to mentor and inspire people and this is a natural progression from that desire.  I use the platform of my music to show people that whatever their passion is in life, there’s a way to make a fulfilling career out of it.  In my case, it’s music and entrepreneurship/ownership, but that can apply to anything you want to do in life.  I feel that there’s such a lack of direction and “purpose” from kids and teens in this generation. Nobody knows what to do to make themselves happy. Everyone is looking to become famous or be happy, but they don’t realize that happiness is a choice and that they need to work on themselves first, as well as help others, to really become happy with themselves.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work? 

 

A) I just want to say a simple “Thank You” to the fans and friends who’ve supported my musical vision, as well as all the bands that participate in the Epic Proportions Tour and my EduMusication program.  It’s a lot of hard work to do all of these things and their support gets me through!