Music Celebrity News: Pop At Its Purest Interview with Ginny Vee

(copied with kind permission of MCN)
There are many upcoming artists in the world of pop. The old school way of A&R finding new talent and the mega labels creating the next pop starlet seems to be dwindling. More and more artists are choosing the independent record label route and with the power of online streaming, distribution and social media – the recording industry is undergoing a revolution. At Music Celebrity News, we actually think that can only be a good thing. This new freedom means that the taste is not made by a small group of A&R men that inflict their personal taste on the world – but it becomes a meritocracy where the fans get to pick and choose their new pop stars based on what they output.

One of the growing success stories of this new media model is the pop bombshell GINNY VEE. Fiercely independent, striking to look at and guess what – she is actually talented. This “freedom of independence” allows Ginny to control nearly all of the creative experience, and maybe that is why she is not the usual cookie cutter pop queen. She joins a growing number of major artists that have taken control of their own destiny. Sugh as the undisputed queen of pop KATY PERRY; A pop superstar that has created her own independent record label – METAMORPHOSIS MUSIC as reported in Rolling Stone Magazine. LINK 

Katy is also creating  parallel industry push for the more independent artists with events such as THE CREATORS LINK

This all feels like the increasing power of the artist driven by technology that allows the break from the grasp of the big labels such as SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, WARNER MUSIC GROUP, UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP and their affiliated record labels. GINNY VEE appears to be the next artist taking the wheel and driving her agenda in the music industry.

We caught up with GINNY in London as she geared up for the promotion of her upcoming single.

MCN: Hi Ginny and thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk with us today. We’re going to jump right in. What do you love most about what you do?

GINNY: Hi and thank you for the time today. Wow that is a big warm up question. I guess you asked the "most" - so if I had to pick one thing that I love doing "the most" it would be performing my music live with a crowd.

MCN: Interesting. That strikes fear into many singers. Why do you like that the most?

GINNY: There’s an energy in live performance that you just cannot get when you’re in the studio. You react to the crowd, sing to the crowd and it has a totally different meaning, and that I think, comes across in the music.

MCN: You’re renowned for you're your live singing voice, which some artists get criticized about. Do you think that’s what makes you interesting?

GINNY: I think it’s important. I think it’s how you stay true to your fans. With modern technology such as Melodyne or Autotune you can take anyone, have them sing badly, run it through Melodyne and they can sound great. So the studio can create a false ability. Singing live on stage, with no playback is where you see if an artist can sing. It's the moment of truth.

MCN: Do you use Melodyne at all?

GINNY: The studio engineers today all add some Melodyne. Some of the transitions in modern music for a studio sound just need it. But I don’t like it, and on the few occasions they want to add it, more as an effect, I don’t like it. In fact I’ve often told them to take it off as I think it ruins the true sound. Errors in the singing are part of the richness of a singer.

MCN: We know you’re just starting off but what’s the biggest crowds you’ve played to.

GINNY: I’ve been fortunate earlier in my career that I was part of several big radio tours. The advantage for an artist is that you get to play in front of big crowds on major sets and stages. I’ve performed in front of ten to fifteen thousand people.

MCN: And is that more scary or less scary than a small crowd?

GINNY: I think it’s less scary. You are less intimate and any mistakes you make seem to get noticed less. When I’ve done small unplugged sessions in small venues with twenty people, when you hit a bad note you can see it in their eyes. And trust me, nearly everyone hits a bad note if you’re doing a difficult live set.

MCN: Where would you love to play live?

GINNY: I think one of the major stadiums would be a dream. Having thirty plus thousand people at one of my concerts would be amazing. I think it would bring an awesome amount of energy.

MCN: You have the tag line Pop at its purest. What does that mean?

GINNY: I sing all kinds of music, and love singing all kinds from Celine Dion to Johnny Cash. But My own music, today, is absolutely pop. Myself and the creative team that work with me are trying to get pop a little bit back to its roots. Less use of plug ins, more real instruments on the track, less effects on the voice, less edits. It’s a sort of homage back to when people really got into the music and engaged with a song. I think pop music was at its purest and zenith in the 80’s. So there is a big influence in the sound of the music from that golden era. In fact all of the synths used in the tracks are original 80’s synths and even the drum kit. I didn’t want loops in the track as I think they sound synthetic. So I hope we get back to some of the purity of pop.

MCN: You’re working with Edison Music Group, an independent label. Why?

GINNY: I think the industry is undergoing a major tectonic shift right now. In the past the labels controlled distribution so they were the channel for an artist.  Like most industries the development of online distribution and streaming has changed that landscape. Apple Music, Spotify and Deezer allow an artist direct access to distribution, but that comes at a “low” price. If you want to hear some of my music you can easily get it at Spotify, or iTunes with one click. That parallel distribution channel has made it easier for artists like me to get my music out; but the rewards are less.

MCN: Does that give you more artistic freedom.

GINNY: Absolutely. I write the songs, the lyrics and I have a totally hands on approach with my creative team from the early draft of the song right through to the final mastering. I think that is something pretty new. Technology has played a large part in that too as the entire process gets cheaper and more accessible.

MCN: But does that not just flood the market with low quality. Soundcloud is full of really bad music. Right?

GINNY: The opening up of the industry to more people can only be a good thing. I wonder how many great artists the world has missed in history just because the right A&R person did not discover them. Maybe this way more great musicians will be found. The challenge for any artist is cutting through the noise. But I believe good music will get discovered.

MCN: What are you currently working on?

GINNY: I am right at the end of preparing for the release of a new song – CINDERELLA BABY.

MCN: What’s the song like?

GINNY: It’s a full on, high tempo pop song. It’s the story of Cinderella done in a completely new way. It’s really meant to be a lot of fun.

MCN: Are you shooting a video?

GINNY: I think today it’s hard to launch a song without a video. It’s become an essential part of the music experience. We’ve made a great video that was really demanding to shoot but good fun.

MCN: When will you release the new song and video?

GINNY: The date is not set yet, but I hope it will be in sometime in March. The song will be great for summer parties so that’s the plan.

MCN: Then what?

GINNY: Again there’s a major change in the industry and I have a lot of interest from the Middle East and Far East for my music. I do a lot of social media and most of my fans come from outside of Europe and the USA. I think they are growing and important markets, and the fans are just amazing. They get so involved, it’s great. So I think I’m going to do something in Asia next.

MCN: Are you going to jump from pop star to pop megastar?

GINNY: I want as many people as possible to love my music and love what I do. I’m so happy with where I’ve got to so fast, but I’m ambitious. If I could get to a bigger audience I would love it.

MCN: Are you the next Katy Perry, Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez or more Lady GaGa?

GINNY: I get asked that a lot, and I really don’t think in that way. I do not try to be like anyone. I care about being original, with my own style of music, own way of doing things, look and image. They are all highly successful female artists. Do I think I can get to their status in the music industry? Absolutely. I’m not shy about setting lofty goals, and this is a tough industry. If I don’t believe I can do it, then I'm sure no one else will believe for me.

MCN: You already have a large fan base on social media. Do you think it’s important to use Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

GINNY: It’s one of the most rewarding parts of what I do. It gives instant feedback (good and bad). But it allows me to connect directly with the fans, who so far have been amazing. Many of the fans on my social networks have been with me since the start and have done nothing but encourage me. They are living the journey with me and I can’t thank them enough for that. At the end of the day I do this for the fans. So being able to be with them, share with them every day is amazing and social media allows that direct connection.

MCN: Are you working on an album?

GINNY: That in my mind is changing. I see more and more that albums are becoming an older concept. I think music is becoming an evolution journey, where an artist evolves with each piece. I know Adele has had huge success releasing 25. But I think that will become more rare. The ability to pick and choose songs from an album starts to eliminate the purpose of what an album was. For now I’m just going to release singles, but that might change. If there's one thing the music industry has shown me - you need to stay flexible as change is happening fast.

MCN: Ginny. Our time is almost up and I know you have to run. So just a huge thank you from Music Celebrity News and good luck with the launch of CINDERELLA BABY.

EW