Montreal pianist, harpist, and singer Gaia Guarda is set to release her first album Anatomy of Fear on November 6th, 2020. Joined by drummer Rocky Gray (ex-Evanescence) and her Uriel bandmates Jessica Ricard on cello and violinist Ariane Paquette on violin, this work of neoclassical darkwave is an entrancing and auspicious debut.
Guarda took a few moments to talk with Metalhead Money about her music and aspirations. Check it out!
Tell our readers all about your band! Where are you from and when did you get started? What is your music like?
I am a singer, harpist and pianist from Montreal. I sing in a metal band called Uriel and I have a neoclassical darkwave solo project. I started writing music when I was 12, but really started studying music when I was 16. Music has been a huge part of my life since the beginning and I’ve taken every decision in my life towards that. I started singing in metal bands in 2011 and joined Uriel in 2012. I am releasing my first solo album on November 6th independently. My music is inspired by classical music, electronic music and metal music.
What are your goals for your music?
For the moment, putting my debut album out is my priority. I am really excited to see how it will be received by the people following me; it is so far from metal, but at the same time I know that metalheads are extremely open-minded to other genres. With Uriel, we are rewriting our songs to make acoustic version where I can use more my harp.
What do you do for a living?
I'm an assistant manager in a pharmacy.
How do you balance your work and personal life with the band?
Every single time that I have where I am not at work, I work really hard on my projects. When I'm at work, I work on my music during my breaks, I'm really devoted ahah.
What do you consider to be the best investment you've made, music-wise?
Buying my harp was probably the best thing I have ever bought. I feel like it took me to another level as a musician and made me see music in a new light while I was composing my debut album.
What's the worst or least helpful thing you've ever spent money on as a musician/band?
I think that I've been pretty lucky that the worst thing that I've paid that was useless was a design. The artist was extremely talented but didn't finish the art in time. I would recommend to always get reference from people that have worked with the artist before hiring them.
What kind of merch sells the best for your band? And what do you purchase most often as a music listener?
CDs are still our number one seller but shirts are not too far behind. As a listener, I often buy vinyl, so I can have a bigger artwork from artist I love and want to support.
Which online music or social media platforms are most helpful to your band?
Facebook is still the number one for me; Instagram is not too far behind, but overall there are more options on Facebook. Especially with live-streaming, I feel like Facebook has an amazing platform for that; I haven't tried Twitch to be honest, but I know that compared to Instagram, Facebook is better to get traction.
What does "making it" mean to you, and what do you think a band needs to make it in 2020?
Being able to do music full time for me would be "making it." I think bands need to get educated about how to market themselves online and be careful of people trying to make money off of them without actually helping them with their career.
Connect with Gaia Guarda
Interview and photos courtesy of Dewar PR.
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