New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Lucio Rubino Official Website) Father/Husband/Producer/Indie Rocker Lucio Rubino Reflects on Musical Influences, Family, MTV, A Flock of Seagulls,
Jeff Buckley and Solo Debut CD in Engaging New Interview
Singer/guitarist/producer Lucio Rubino reflects on his musical influences, his complicated background, his affinity for early MTV, his involvement in a tour with A Flock of Seagulls, his family life and even reveals the album everyone must own -- Jeff Buckley's 'Grace' -- in an engaging new interview (full text below).
Rubino's eponymous solo debut CD, out now, is a diverse combination of modern folk, acoustic rock and guitar-driven pop music. Listen to audio samples, here: https://www.thefishtankrecordings.com/c/label/artists/lucio_rubino/
The album, available now via iTunes with broader national distribution planned for this summer, reflects Rubino's complex journey from addiction, recovery and personal loss to new love, marriage and fatherhood. With his wife, Savannah Zara, providing harmony on three tracks, Rubino delivers a cathartic, winning debut.
From the U2-esque opening of 'Better Left Unsaid' to the soulful, stripped-down beat of the album's first single 'Fallin' From the Start' (currently making its mark at AAA radio,) to early fan favorite 'Promise You That' (perhaps the ultimate new wedding/commitment song,) Rubino's guitar mastery and cinematic lyrics assert his arrival as an indie with fascinating past and a strong future. He evokes both the smokiness of
Amos Lee and the dramatic storytelling of Gavin DeGraw, on the winning new release.
International pop/rock outlet Melodic.net featured a lengthy Q&A with Rubino:
By Rickard Holmgren, 6/2012
https://www.melodic.net/?page=interview&id=403
Lucio Rubino recently released his self-titled solo debut album. Check out what he had to say about it and some other things.
Hello and welcome to Melodic .net. How are you? Hi, thanks for having me :) I'm doing pretty good actually...busy...between being a father, a husband, a full time music producer at the Fish Tank Recordings, as well as a vocal artist, I find little time to relax. But I fully enjoy all of my roles, and feel blessed to have them.
Could you tell us a little bit about yourself? I'm the first U.S. born person in my family. My three older sisters were all born in Italy. I grew up in New England but moved to St. Augustine FL in middle school...boy, are those some awkward years. But I actually found a pretty good music program in high school and blossomed in it. It hasn't been all "success overnight" or anything, but started off pretty good and have been blessed enough to make an honest living while working my booty off always excited about the next step :) I started playing bass and singing harmonies...mostly cuz I was the only kid who could actually DO harmonies. Haha. I always loved rockin out and learning hard bass parts, but melodically always resonated more deeply with all the 80's pop songs I heard in the back of the car as a little kid. I actually even toured as the bassist for
A Flock Of Seagulls in '98. It was a fun first touring experience. I've always been a writer, and after recording my first song in a studio, I had my first bit of radio success at an active rock station in Jacksonville, FL that added me. The song blew up and all of the sudden I found myself being courted by major labels, layers and managers. I got shuffled into signing a deal with EMI as a band called Monkey The Fish but never released a record. In 2003 I started a band with a drummer friend and called it StorySideB. We serviced a radio single and it immediately caught fire. We went on to release two records on Gotee records and in a 5yr period we played for hundreds of thousands of people all over the country and reached fans worldwide. We had a number of hits at radio and one single, Be Still, was awarded BMI's top five most played song of 2008. In the beginning of 2009 our best friend and bassist, Ron McClelland, passed away, and three weeks later, our manager,
David Lipscomb, also died. The band shortly thereafter broke up. In this time, my marriage failed, and I was back to square one. It was a time of struggle and heartache for me. It was right around that time that I met my amazing wife Savannah, and we couldn't wait to start a family. We have two young children. Eowyn, our 2yr old daughter, and Rumi, our 17mo old son. It's been the most amazing and enriching experience I've ever had. I love being a daddy :)
How would you describe your own music? I come from a rock background, but I've always resonated with singer songwriters. I'd say this record is more on the intimate side of me. Very much vocal and acoustic guitar based with hints at modern folk, acoustic rock and pop.
Melody is the most important thing to me. Lyrically, it is mainly driven by my love for my wife. It feels good to say that.
You have a new album out, what can you tell us about that? I'm very excited about it. I've always wanted to do a record like this. In the past, I chased modern rock, which I like, but I always wanted to do a more melodically, vocals-driven record rather than riff rock and power drums. The more intimate songs I wrote always found themselves by the wayside when I played with rock bands. I always hated having to sing over instruments that were too loud. So this time, I didn't. I did music that I love and would want to listen to myself. This way, Even if you don't like it, I do ;) (but I hope you like it) I'm not saying I'll never do another rock record, but this one is dear to me.
Who are your biggest musical influences? I'd say the big singers and writers of the 80's have impacted me most in a writing sense.
Peter Gabriel, the
Police and Sting, and
Depeche Mode are some, on into the 90's with Jeff Buckley,
Radiohead and Elbow. Obviously the
Beatles have influenced me just like everyone else whether they admit it or not. Haha. Early MTV was huge for me. It was back when they still had music videos...imagine that. But when I really think of the people that made the most difference in my life musically, it was the guys whom I had that almost telepathic relationship with. Guys I'd play with, that sometimes we didn't even need to speak, the music just happened on a higher level. One of those guys is the main cowriter on my new record, Todd Lombardo. His talent and friendship continue to inspire me.
What is in your opinion the biggest challenge you have to face as a musician today? Well, where do I begin? Being a musician has so many emotional challenges that will never change through the ages of business and
Internet theft and availability. Sex Drugs and Rock and Roll isn't a cliche phrase for no reason. People idolize musicians when they're onstage and it can potentially alter the self worth and identity of a musician in a negative way, often resulting in promiscuity and depression. The pressures are never ending on a hard working artist and many of us turn to drugs for a creative release which also can be damaging. Nothing a little counseling can't help ;) In terms of business, the game has changed drastically and I don't think anyone has really figured it out yet. There is so much music available now that the challenge is to get people just to listen to it...even when you give it away. So I think in many ways, we have gone back to a basic connection. Play your music for as many people as you can and do your best to connect with and appreciate your listeners. I am honored when people will give my songs a fair listen. It's all I ask for.
If you were not an artist, what would you be? There is nothing that can keep me away from music. So I have my own recording studio called The Fish Tank, and here I engineer and produce other artists' creative visions. Otherwise, I think I'd be a professional dad and part time world traveler.
Name one album that everyone should own.
Jeff Buckley ~ Grace. I've bought and given this album away more times than any other. It's a music must have.
Is there a particular song out there that you wish you had written? Happy Birthday. Hahaha!
What does the near future hold for you? Besides producing in the studio, I'll be doing some traveling and playing shows. I'm having a hometown CD Release show on July 1st here in St. Augustine FL which I'm pretty excited about. Nothin like good old hometown support. I'll try to post some video of it as soon as its done.
Any plans of coming to Sweden to play? I plan on coming to Sweden all the time. Whether or not those plans actually happen or not is written in the stars. If this is an invite, yes, I'd love to.
Thanks for answering the questions, any final words for our readers? Thanks so much for having me and for the great questions. I'm on Facebook, and I really like meeting new people. So all you'z people out there gimme a shout. I'd love to hear from you!
Visit Melodic's Artist Page for Rubino, with website link, photo, bio and more
https://www.melodic.net/?page=artist&id=15338
Rubio tackles taboo subjects and shapes the album as a forthright chronicle of his sexual addiction and recovery (against the surreal backdrop of being the former member of a Christian rock band,) the untimely deaths of a former band mate as well as his former manager, and finally, the joy of falling in love with his wife Savannah Zara and experiencing what he describes as his "first ever pure relationship, with complete transparency."
Although his new CD marks a shift to the spotlight as a solo artist, Rubino is not a newcomer to the music industry, and a full bio follows, below. He is also an accomplished producer with a successful studio and label, The Fish Tank Recordings in St. Augustine FL, and his label is also home to Korean pop star-turned-bluesman RickyP and Deron Baker, with new releases scheduled for both, including a major release in Korea which is in the works right now. A new site is up at https://www.thefishtankrecordings.com/. Rubino was recently profiled in his local paper: https://staugustine.com/entertainment/arts/2012-04-05/musician-and-producer-lucio-rubino-records-lincolnville-home-studio#.T5gSiWDZe_E
Lucio Rubino looks ahead to a free, hometown CD release show on July 1 at the
San Sebastian Winery in St. Augustine, FL. Additional tour dates will be announced soon.
Biography:
While a musician can often be classified as "a singer" or "a guitarist" or "a producer", Lucio Rubino cannot so easily be contained. His musical expression is constant, emanating forth when he's sitting on stage, his soulful and evocative singing accompanied beautifully by his exquisite finger picking, or when he's in the control room at his own Fish Tank Studios, bringing his artistic instincts to bear on the creations of others. As a singer, a writer, a guitarist, bassist, and producer, Lucio Rubino creates beauty from silence.
And his track record supports these claims. He rose to the top of the Christian music scene as the lead singer for StorySide:B, a group that released two records to critical and popular acclaim. Lucio co-wrote their hit song "
Be Still", a song that continues to offer solace and peace to legions of fans to this day, and which was awarded BMI's "Top 5 Most Played Songs on Christian Radio" for 2008. He played bass on Paramore's "All We Know Is Falling" album, and produced Manic Drive's latest album, in addition to albums by promising newcomers Lighthouse Music, Lindsey Dedge, and Todd Lombardo.
Lucio's style is equal parts modern folk and acoustic rock with stadium-worthy power-pop drumming and guitars thrown in where appropriate. His voice is fittingly unique and diverse - reminiscent of the smoky soulfulness of
Amos Lee and at times suggesting the dramatic storytelling of Gavin DeGraw, with a touch of vibrato sneaking onto the ends of certain words, hinting at some time spent soaking in the sensuality of a dimly lit jazz club. He's not a folkie or a hard rocker or a crooner, but somehow offers the musical reward of all of these.
Based since 2002 in historic St. Augustine, FL, The Fish Tank Recordings Studio is a full production ProTools HD suite with the best professional hardware and software available. It's location in the heart of St. Augustine and its proximity to the beach and any number of renowned restaurants nestled among the cobblestone streets of the nation's oldest city offers an artistic vibrancy that is hard to find or duplicate elsewhere.
Lucio may seem to be a jack-of-all-trades - and he does do many things exceptionally well - but they're all just variations on the same theme. Whether for himself or others, whether behind the microphone or behind the console, he is a passionate creator of music - it's just what he does.
Visit: www.luciorubino.com
Visit: www.thefishtankrecordings.com
Visit: https://www.thefishtankrecordings.com/c/label/artists/lucio_rubino/
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