Simply Six: Amy Lynn & The Gun Show

1. For many artists, they cite a defining moment for themselves when they knew they wanted to be a singer. For many it was the appearance of Elvis on the Ed Sullivan show, to another generation it was the Beatles’ appearance on Sullivan half a decade later. Is there such a defining moment for you?

 For Amy, when she sang her first solo in her eighth grade Christmas concert. The song was, "I Got No Man. No Man But A Snow Man". She still can remember the first verse, "I got no man. No man but a snow man, with a corn cob pipe, a hat, and a cold, cold heart". For Alex, it was when he was a little boy in his parents kitchen and the tv was on. The theme song for Mike Hammer came on and a saxophone was playing the melody to "Harlem Nocturne". Then and there was when he knew he wanted to play saxophone.

 2. When you’re not creating music what are you listening to? Who are some of your favorites? Fitz &

The Tantrums, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Frou Frou, Earth Wind & Fire, Ottis Redding, James Brown, The O'Jays, J.S. Bach, Meshuggah, Maria Carey, Michael Jackson, Chicago, Chaka Khan, Duke Ellington, David Bowie, Weezer, David Gray, Sibelius

 3. What would you say is your greatest moment so far as an artist, either on record or live? Actually, we'd say our most recent performance as Amy Lynn & The Gunshow at Joe's Pub. For three of our songs we had a string quartet perform with the band. The performances and arrangements came off better than expected and we got a lot great positive feed back from the audience regarding the entire set of music. The set just flew by and was so much fun.

 4. Do you believe music can change the world or is just something to listen to? How much can music influence current events?

 The thing about words put to melody is that if done right, the ideas behind it and the very words themselves will embed into peoples minds. Music certainly motivates different people in different ways. For some it is just mere filigree and others a tenant of religious ceremony. A good melody can live in a person's head for a life time. All that said, Amy and I decided long ago that we wanted our music to touch, move, and inspire people in a positive way. To that end our music will indirectly affect current events by feeding our positive energy into greater psychic system of society's consciousness. Kind of how the theory of Chaos draws a connection from the wind generated by the flapping of a butterflies wings in the amazon to a tornado system that sweeps across the North American Midwest.

 5. How has technology affected the music industry? How has technology affected your career as a musician?

 Whoa, now you're getting heavy on us. As a creator of music who is trying to get their music noticed out there in the world, the computer is unparalleled by any other tool as to its efficacy. Our first record was recorded and mixed all on my MacBook laptop. Most of those drum tracks were recorded in a drummers flat in London and the other instruments we recorded in 3 different living rooms in New York. For the first time ever we gave away our single, "Clearly It's Me" for free through a sight called bandcamp. We did this because we are eager more than ever to get the word out about our band. How is anyone gonna listen to your music and more importantly download it and live with it on their mp3 player if you put a price in the way of making it as easy as possible to get? We think the technology just makes things easier and easier to record as an artist and harder and harder to make any money.

 6. Now for my Barbara Walters question: If you were a pair of shoes what type of shoes would you be? 

Amy would be a colorful yet "sensible" pair of summer wedges. Not too dressed up, not too laid back, just the right sass. Alex would be a pair of broken in, comfortable sneakers. Not too dirty, not too clean, just comfy


.