Gaby Jogeix has today released his new single titled ‘War’ from his new album ‘Smile to the Clouds’. Retro styled blues and Americana with a touch of Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen, keeping Gaby just outside the box but every bit as accessible.
With a pristine chanting style way about the lyrics and relentless slide guitar that gets your ears a bit dirty just listening to it, Gaby Jogeix lends a guttural and almost tribal feeling within the crescendo and buildup to a song that feels as anthemic as it does anarchic.
About Gaby Jogeix & ‘War’
Drawing from a myriad of influences from rhythm and blues, soul, pop and rock, ‘War’ is a stark reminder of hope, empathy and the collective strength of the human spirit, further elevated by Gaby’s stirring vocal delivery. Gaby explains: “War is another powerful, uncompromising song I felt compelled to write, given our current state of affairs. It tells the story of Alina and Anna, a Ukrainian mother and daughter who fled Kiev and were taken in for 5 months in Madrid by myself and my family. My long time collaborator, Jeff Espinoza, after hearing that I had agreed to take them in, sent me some ideas the next day. There was a song in there, I thought and the lyrics came to me. The stories of families being separated breaks my heart. The stories are devastating and it was impossible not to help those that need our help. I would like them to do the same for my family if I were to be in a similar situation. War is not the answer. War is not the way. It should never be the way.”
The new album ‘Smile To The Clouds’ was written in collaboration with American musician Jeff Espinoza and produced by veteran Columbian / Spanish producer Juan Guevara.
Gaby adds: “I stared writing songs in a different way, more song oriented, focusing on the message and especially my singing. It’s the first time in a long time that I don’t cut a record based on a trip to Los Angeles (Hermosa Beach) or New Orleans (Meanwhile In New Orleans) and I could work on the album straight from the beginning with Juan Guevara. Fatherhood, stories from travels, relationships, the death of my mother (who first made me listen to gospel and rock n roll, the war in Ukraine (I hosted a Ukrainian mom and her daughter at my place with my family for 6 months), being positive and sunshine and topics found on this album.”
Gaby Jogeix released his fourth album, ‘Meanwhile In New Orleans’ in 2021 and was on the shortlist for the list of nominees for the ‘Best Americana Album’ at the 2022 Grammy Awards. The mercurial musician has toured around the world both as an artist and as a producer for many international Spanish acts. Gaby Jogeix is a self-taught singer, guitarist, composer and songwriter. After releasing 4 albums, he has now fine tuned his musical ethos and sound, melding real life anecdotes and personal insights whilst paying homage to the blues, rock lineage, juxtaposing the old with his own modern inimitable touch.
“Gaby Jogeix is an impressive musician. His lap steel and electric guitar playing is very, very good. He’s creative and is not an imitator, although one can hear the influences of his musical masters.” (Bruce Iglauer, Alligator Records)
Born in Bilbao (Basque Country), of French and Spanish origin, Gaby Jogeix is one of the most renowned Spanish Rhythm’n’Blues artists having started playing since the age of 17, influenced by the likes of Elmore James, Laverne Baker, B.B. King, Elvis, Ray Charles, Albert Collins, Derek Trucks and Doyle Bramhall II, among others. He also pioneered the lap steel guitar technique. Gaby explains: “The sounds that the slide transmits is the closest to the human voice you can find. This is what fascinated me and why I continued to work on its form.”
Gaby’s stay at the Summer School of Arts and Languages in Winchester (United Kingdom) further enhanced his interest in the arts, delving into English literature, theatre, music composition and body language, gave him unique insight to an artist who already possesses a mixture of cultures.
LINKS:
https://www.gabyjogeix.com/
https://www.instagram.com/gabyjogeix/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/62qBHQbEiTi48Nea3Xv214