Tony Bautista

Tell us about yourself and your music

I’m a seasoned musician who plays rhythm guitar, lead guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, and drums. I enjoy the process of writing original songs, and my goal is to create interesting arrangements with meaningful lyrics and catchy melodies. I started playing guitar when I was 10 years old.

Talk to us more about your latest release

My latest release is titled “60’s Alive”. This song tells the story of the melding together of musical influences from the United Kingdom and the United States that created the unique rock music of the 1960s. In this song, I tried to capture the sound and spirit of music from the mid 1960s.

What inspired you to write this release?

I recently watched the film “Echo In The Canyon” and read the book “Canyon of Dreams”, which are about the musicians who lived and created music in Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, in the 1960s.  The film and book reminded me of how special the music of the ’60s is, and inspired me to write this song.

Describe the writing and recording process

I started with the idea of writing a song about the unique set of events that brought about the unique and wonderful music of the 1960s.  I then came up with the lyrics for the chorus: “The time was right, the spirit was high, the music aligned and brought the 60″s alive”.  I then created a melody that I felt captured the feeling of the ’60s and also fit well with the lyrics.  I then worked on the music for the different sections of the song: intro, verses, chorus, bridge, and ending.  Next, I worked out the song arrangement and completed the lyrics.

I recorded the song in my studio on a Tascam DP-24SD Digital Portastudio.  I experimented with different guitar and keyboard sounds until I found the combination that I liked.  I then recorded the song one instrument at a time.  I played all instruments on the recording and sang vocals.  The final steps I performed were mixing and mastering the song and downloading it as a wave file.

Any plans to hit the road?

I currently do not have any plans to perform live.

Who have you been listening to lately?

I typically listen to a wide variety of artists and genres.  However, rock and pop music from the 1950s to the present is my favorite.  This summer I listened to music by some of the original 1960’s rock musicians: Eddie Cochran (Summertime Blues), The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, and a variety of bands from the British Invasion, as well as 1960’s rock bands from the US.  I also listened to Jeff Beck, Boston, Grateful Dead, Bon Jovi, Bob Seger, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Justin Bieber, Halsey, and Selena Gomez.

Who are your biggest influences?

Jimi Hendrix, John Fogerty, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Eagles, Bob Seger, The Allman Brothers, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, John Sebastian, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Mark Knopfler, Neil Young, Santana, Steppenwolf, Van Halen, and Boston.

Tell us about your passions

My passions are studying and visiting San Francisco Bay Area historical locations, as well as European history.  Studying human nature and psychology, exercising, socializing, listening to music, playing guitar, keyboards, and drums, and writing and recording original music.

What else is happening next in your world?

I’m looking forward to writing and recording new songs and spending a week at a cabin in the Sierra Nevada Mountains this September.

Thanks for an awesome interview, Tony Bautista

Connect with Tony Bautista

Website: http://www.tonybautista55.comYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaxSdrmK95v7g3Q2hDWwSKQ

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