The wait is over! Gabi Ammirato has just released her new EP ‘Metamorphosis’ which we are happy to get to premiere. From being a lifelong dancer before a musician, she was always immersed in a diverse variety of genres. Now, Gabi has an eclectic one of a kind sound that radiates through each song on her EP leaving you anticipating what’s to come.
“My ‘Metamorphosis’ EP is the culmination of years of artistic development and life experiences. I think everyone will find something for them in the stories and themes I have chosen to speak to. Life is about growing, evolving and changing…or in other words metamorphosis!” says Gabi.
Be sure to stream ‘Metamorphosis’ on Apple Music and Spotify. In the meantime, we took some time to chat with Gabi to hear about the story behind this long awaited EP release.
How do you relate to your newest EP Metamorphosis?
It is deeply personal as the theme for each song comes directly from my life. Each of these songs relate to milestones in my life that pushed me to grow as a person and learn about myself in both good and bad ways.
Which song from the EP would you say is your favorite?
This is hard because I love each of them for different reasons but forced to choose it would be Lesson To Learn as a singer/songwriter and Sunflower as a person. Lesson To Learn has such a funky, jazzy vibe drawn from my influences such as Amy Winehouse and Carol King. Sunflower lets the World peek into the relationship I shared with my Memom and that is priceless to me.
What was the writing and recording process like?
The recording and writing process took about a year total from start to finish. It was so much fun to be able to start with a stripped-down piano and vocal version and build these tracks into what I envisioned them to be and beyond. They ended up exceeding my initial expectations and that feels incredible. Driving the creative process, the entire way through while working with much more seasoned professionals was empowering and exhilarating. I learned that my artistry must shine through in my songs and be 100% what I want so it vibes with my spirit. Taking influence and direction from others enriches the experience but it is key to not allow it to distort or drown out my unique style. I was blessed to have a family member introduce me to his childhood friend Wayne Trevisani who was a dream to work with. His experience and skills are exceptional, and he is so open and inclusive despite his deep experience. He had the contacts to bring in amazing musicians to play on the songs giving us live strings and horns which completely transformed the tracks. I have often been told my sound is unique in that it has influences from past musical eras like Sinatra, a bit of an R&B or jazzy sound as well as the singer-songwriter vibe. Wayne and his network were the perfect partners to bringing this vision to life and I could not be prouder of it. Well worth all the trips from Boston to his studio in NYC!
You mentioned that the Metamorphosis EP was a culmination of years of artistic development. How long have you been working on this project?
The actual songs just over a year but what went into them is the years I spent at Berklee College of Music learning from amazing artists. For this EP I want to give a special shout out to Rodney Alejandro and George Woods whose influence in the classes I took with them was invaluable. This EP represents the culmination of my growth through the challenges of the last five years or more at Berklee and in life. I arrived as a bit of a music novice since I grew up a dancer and only sang recreationally. The majority of my peers at Berklee were lifelong musicians so I had some catching up to do. Keeping my confidence and making sure I got back up every time I failed shaped me into an artist I could not have imagined becoming. This is why this EP represents years of artistic development and courage to grow through change and challenge.
Do you feel like this EP has challenged you as an artist?
Absolutely. I had hit a difficult period where I was finding it hard to write, hard to know who I was as an artist, isolated in the pandemic and facing several key losses in my life. I had to write a song for a class, and I struggled with never feeling like my songs were good enough. I was in Directed Songwriting with George Woods and I shared how I was feeling and stuck and he told me that even if I wasn’t happy with it I had to move it forward. You might write 10 songs and hate 9, that 1 might be a diamond. Just keep writing….. I wrote Lesson To Learn and it opened the floodgates through which the rest came. I learned to experiment with confidence and my artistry emerged with some of my best writing that I am most proud of. From that rut came the riches that is this EP.
What was your favorite part about the EP process?
Experiencing the recording of the live, in studio strings and horns and their infusion into the songs. We had mixed them with the midi, and they sounded good. After the live instrumentation I remember being in awe of the result, the entire feel of the track changed. I can’t wait for people to hear them.
Do you have any other projects in the works?
Yes I have another EP in the works slated for next June. Once those floodgates opened about eight songs came through. As a graduating senior I had to complete my Capstone Project this semester and we didn’t want to rush any of the songs. So, we chose the most developed ones and gave them full attention. That means there is an EP or two coming soon as the songs continue to flow. Also, I want to do some follow on work with these songs like videos and some shows so stay tuned.
How can viewers continue to keep up with you!
The easiest way may be to bookmark my website as it contains the links to all my socials so you can get anywhere from that single location. I also use the website to link folks to everything I have going on. For social media Instagram is what I use most but I have included all my links below: www.gabiammirato.com (all social media links are here)
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Images provided by Gabi Ammirato.
