INTERVIEW: GANZI GUN

 

Genre: modern heavy rock

Country: Greece

Questions by: Nick Parastatidis

Answers by: George Dzerefos (Drums)

Site: Homepage

1. How have your influences from bands like Seether, Shinedown, and Metallica shaped the evolution of your sound from your debut album “Welcome to the Show” to your latest single “Aggressive Response”?

As all bands grow, so do we. You can clearly hear the evolution in every band’s sound in every album they make. We simply try to follow the footsteps of the bands we grew up with and still listen to this day, so give something better than the previous result. So yes, they have helped us a lot.

2. Can you walk us through your creative process? How do you approach songwriting and composing as a band?

Either a riff –guitar or bass it doesn’t matter- drum pattern or even voice pattern. It really doesn’t matter. Whatever ideas we have we put the in the blender and we mix. If some don’t fit, we take them out and we keep them in the cupboard. Sometimes also lyrics came first. You cannot stop inspiration when it hits you. So we try to follow the voice pattern based on the lyrics.

3. Working with Bob Katsionis and David Prudent on multiple projects, how has their guidance influenced your music? Are there specific moments or pieces of advice that have stuck with you?

The only thing that told to us every time, is rehearsal, rehearsal, rehearsal. It doesn’t matter how good you think a song is, play it. It needs to become one with each of us and with the band itself. Fuel for the engine.

4. Your second album, “Time Is Now”, was released in 2020—a turbulent year globally. How did the global events at that time influence the themes or mood of the album?

It was really just bad luck. You cannot blame a global pandemic. It happened, end of story. But it mostly affected us in ways inside the band. The album did good, many people bought it, but we didn’t have the option to play it on live performances or even a small Greek tour. Great album, bad timing. And especially in music, timing is everything.

5. Your participation in the Rockwave Festival in 2023 must have been a high point. Can you share any memorable experiences or lessons from performing there?

It really was amazing. We always wanted to play in such a big space and the experience was electrifying. The fact that you were standing and playing in the same stage that numerous bands and artists from all over the world had played, is something that you need to live it to understand it. There are no words to describe something like that.

6. With five members in the band, how do you manage creative differences? Do you have a specific approach to resolving conflicts?

We vote. As silly as it sounds, since we do not have a ‘’leader’’ we all need to follow the majority. Do we like this, do we like that, what should we do movingon, wil we play live, when, literally everything. We of course try to follow every one’s lives and schedules, but specifically for music, we always vote.

7. How do you balance staying true to your heavy rock roots while experimenting and pushing boundaries with your sound?

I believe that all bands have a basic template they follow. The experimentations come as we grow or maybe what we were listening at the time. If we like those ‘’changes’’, we keep them.

8. How important is fan feedback to your creative process? Can you share an example of how fan interactions have influenced your music?

We hear what they have to say for sure. But as to our creative process, no. We play what comes naturally to us and we play what we like. We have heard over the years that they wanted to hear that song for example on a live performance that we haven’t played in a while and we did. But regarding our songs, either they like it or they don’t. I may come out as harsh, but that’s the truth.

9. What are some future projects or goals for Ganzi Gun? Are there any new musical directions or collaborations you're excited about exploring?

Of course there are. New songs and ideas always popping out so that’s not stopping. We have discussed sometimes for collaborations yes, but at the moment, we do not have something on the table.

10. Can each band member share a personal story or experience that has had a significant impact on their musical journey?

Tzery (Drums): Playing on the Rockwave Festival. The honor and happiness of me and my band sharing the stage with so many other bands and artists before us, still amazes me.

Thanassis (Lead Guitars): Performing at Rockwave Festival 2023 was a highlightdream moment, but I’ll never forget the raw energy of Rock on Beach Festival in 2015—it pushed me to evolve as a guitarist and work harder with the band!

Dionisis (Rhythm Guitars): Rockwave Festival was an unforgettable milestone, but the journey of creating and releasing our second album, Time Is Now, was a personal and artistic challenge that shaped me.

Manolis (Bass Guitars): Rockwave Festival was a dream come true!Also 2015 live show at Kyttaro Club remains special—it was the first time I truly felt our music connect with an audience.

Nick (Lead Vocals): From our first rehearsal to the Rockwave Festival stage, it’s been an incredible journey, and now with our latest single Aggressive Response, I feel we’re reaching new heights.

11. Thanks for your time. The epilogue to this interview belongs to you…

Thank you very much! We hope to see you all on one of our shows for a beer!