Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Tales from the Studio

mcgriz Productions is excited to be in the studio today with Kyla Pitruzzello working on a few tracks for her forthcoming debut CD. As long as we've got her here, we figured we'd learn a little more about this dynamic singer/songwriter.

mP: So Kyla, when did you first get started playing music?

KP: Well I played saxophone all through elementary school and middle school, but I started playing guitar at 15 or 16. I found a guitar in a closet, it was my mom's old guitar, but I wasn't really serious about it, I just kinda messed around with it here and there. I probably became addicted to playing guitar when I started living by myself. I needed to occupy my time in some way. Living alone made me realize I think about stuff way too much, playing music was like my therapy, so to speak.

mP: What would you say inspires you to write your songs?

KP: Life... I think there is inspiration in everything. A lot of times someone says something and it sparks a chain of random thoughts in my brain that just keeps going. Or I'll see a certain quote, maybe even read a fortune cookie, anything can do it. Sometimes it's just something that happened that day that I needed to vent about. I tend to write in a journal when I feel like I need to de-stress or gather the excessive thoughts that occupy my brain. But honestly most of the songs I write come spontaneously. I'll just be playing my guitar, some sort of rhythm, and I'll just be humming along and some sort of word or phrase will come out and from there, an idea for a song is born. My songs are usually birthed from an event, something that's going on in my life that I transpose into a more universal idea, so to speak. A lot of my songs are the way they are because that particular sound came out of my guitar at that point in my life, they just kind of come together. I feel like most of my songs happen by mistake, but then again I did write a song preaching that there are no mistakes.
mP: How about a particular example of how one of your songs was born.

KP: "What's My Name" actually came together out of a text message conversation that I had with a friend of mine. I had these 3 random verses that I wrote in my journal that went with this melody I was playing at the time, so I put them together, but the song made no sense. It had no shape, no purpose until, well, the Yankees were playing the Red Sox and my friend texted me a message that said something like, "I just want the Yanks to win," and I texted her back and said, "To be the winner you only need to be the one who did not lose, but you know the score doesn't know how to measure pain," and she replied back, "bla bla bla whatever." She also forgot my name one day at a bar and I had known her for several years, hence the name of the song. That's how that song was born, just kinda happened, all the pieces fell together so to speak. You just go with it, I guess.
mP: Top 5 most personally influential artists you can think of right now... annnd go.

KP: Dave Matthews, Ani DiFranco, Melissa Etheridge, Alanis Morissette, part of me wants to say Coldplay, part of me wants to say the Indigo Girls. Six. Well, throw Coldplay in. And then there's Jack Johnson. Can we just say seven?
mP: I've heard you have some pretty famous dance moves when you're playing. Any comments on that?
KP: I like to dance. I play guitar better when I dance, I think actually. I don't know, it's fun. I think my favorite guitar playing dancer is Dave Matthews: at a show I recall him saying, "You know the reason I dance is because I like to dance, not because I’m good at it,” or something like that. I remember the very first time I ever played in front of somebody, her first comment was, "You dance," and I actually got all self conscious about it for a while but people say they like it, and well, it's better than just standing there. The only down side of it I can think of is when I bang my guitar into the microphone. I'm working on trying to not do that. (laughs)
mP: What's your favorite venue that you've played at so far?
KP: The Space. I like the way the room sounds and it's very comfortable. It's a music venue: people are there to listen to you, not to drink beer or whatever, if you know what I mean? And it was the very first place I ever played. I guess it's got that whole sentimental thing with it. I like what that place represents, what it stands for.

mP: Is there a song that you particularly enjoy performing live?
KP: It seems like I enjoy playing "A Lie," probably because most people tend to say they like it best, but I personally like ‘Collide.” Yeah, probably "Collide" or "A Lie". I think it's just cause those are the ones I feel most comfortable playing. "No Mistakes" too, that was the very first song I ever played out. But I guess If I had to pick just one, I'd say "Collide." I wrote that song the very first day I got an amp. 

mP: Before we get back to work, any other comments for your fans out there?

KP: I don't know, I guess hopefully someday I'll have a CD for you all. If I can get my butt in gear. My mom tells me I'm a procrastinator, maybe that's my problem. Honestly, I think the problem is that I’m a perfectionist. I think being a perfectionist makes it hard to be happy with what you're doing. I'm never satisfied. I think that makes me better but at the same time it kind of holds me back a little bit, because I don't know how to just let it go and be okay with it not being perfect.

mP: Well the CD is underway at least, so whenever it's deemed perfect enough it'll be available. In the meantime be sure to catch Kyla live this summer, dates and locations are listed below.

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