John Guidroz Interview
Q: Can you talk about your musical history?
A: I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember. I come from a musical family. My grandmother on my dad’s side of the family was a classically trained pianist, while my grandfather played trumpet and performed with jazz bands throughout most of his adult life. Family gatherings usually ended up with us gathered around my grandmother’s piano and singing.
I was a member of the choir during elementary school and sang solos and duets on several musical productions. I sang in choir through all four years of high school, including two years in the Show Choir, which was basically a cover band. I sang in a couple of short-lived bands in college.
I picked up the guitar in high school, but I didn’t start playing solo acoustic shows until my senior year of college. I consider myself more of a singer than a guitar player. Over the years, I became a more seasoned performer, having played at various venues throughout Southwest Louisiana and Southeast Texas and some in the New Orleans areas.
I began writing songs in my mid-20s. I used an old Tascam 4-track cassette recorder to record acoustic demos and song ideas. Some demos eventually made it onto my debut album, Yesterday’s News, which was released in 2012. I released a second album, Misfit Me, in 2017. My newest album, Another Shot, was just released this year.
Q: Why did you name the album Another Shot? What are some of the themes on the album?
A: The title is a play on words between wanting another shot of alcohol and wanting another shot at reconciling a relationship. In the song of the same title, he’s asking the police to let him go because he’s sober and wants another shot at the woman he loves.
The album has a few different themes. Sing With Me is about not being afraid to express yourself. Jukebox is a fun singalong about some of my musical influences. Feature is about seeing the best in someone, despite others pointing out their imperfections. Running and Unanswered Crimes are about relationships. Laura is about Hurricane Laura, a devastating Category 4 hurricane that left my hometown devastated in August 2020.
Q: How do you go about writing lyrics?
A: Lyrics and verses in particular typically don’t just come to me. I usually sit down with a pen and notebook and focus on a song. At first, I may quickly come up with a line for a chorus or verse, but it takes a lot of time to go from that to a finished song. If I don’t carve out time to write lyrics, that song may never get finished. The many years spent as a journalist has certainly played a part in my writing.
Q: Do you play live? How is that going?
A: Yes! I’ve been playing mostly solo acoustic shows for almost 20 years now. I consider myself mainly a weekend warrior, playing anywhere from two to four gigs per week. Occasionally, I’ll play with a duo or a full band. Mostly, it’s just me and an acoustic guitar. I love playing live shows. I find that every venue is different. Plus, I enjoy trying to win over a crowd, one person at a time.
Q: What is your creative process like?
A: Ideas for songs usually come out of nowhere. A melody might pop in my head while I’m driving. I typically record a few seconds on my phone’s voice memos app so I don’t forget it. If I’m home, I’ll grab a guitar and play along with the melody. I may mumble some syllables or random words just to provide some sort of structure. After that, it’s all about deciding where I want the song to go and writing lyrics to match whatever theme that best serves the song.
Q: What else should we know about you or your music?
A: I’m just excited to have this new batch of songs finally out there for people to hear. I hope that people enjoy what I’ve written so far. Please listen to Another Shot, and tell a friend or two. Don’t stop supporting independent artists and musicians!
Q: Can you talk about your musical history?
A: I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember. I come from a musical family. My grandmother on my dad’s side of the family was a classically trained pianist, while my grandfather played trumpet and performed with jazz bands throughout most of his adult life. Family gatherings usually ended up with us gathered around my grandmother’s piano and singing.
I was a member of the choir during elementary school and sang solos and duets on several musical productions. I sang in choir through all four years of high school, including two years in the Show Choir, which was basically a cover band. I sang in a couple of short-lived bands in college.
I picked up the guitar in high school, but I didn’t start playing solo acoustic shows until my senior year of college. I consider myself more of a singer than a guitar player. Over the years, I became a more seasoned performer, having played at various venues throughout Southwest Louisiana and Southeast Texas and some in the New Orleans areas.
I began writing songs in my mid-20s. I used an old Tascam 4-track cassette recorder to record acoustic demos and song ideas. Some demos eventually made it onto my debut album, Yesterday’s News, which was released in 2012. I released a second album, Misfit Me, in 2017. My newest album, Another Shot, was just released this year.
Q: Why did you name the album Another Shot? What are some of the themes on the album?
A: The title is a play on words between wanting another shot of alcohol and wanting another shot at reconciling a relationship. In the song of the same title, he’s asking the police to let him go because he’s sober and wants another shot at the woman he loves.
The album has a few different themes. Sing With Me is about not being afraid to express yourself. Jukebox is a fun singalong about some of my musical influences. Feature is about seeing the best in someone, despite others pointing out their imperfections. Running and Unanswered Crimes are about relationships. Laura is about Hurricane Laura, a devastating Category 4 hurricane that left my hometown devastated in August 2020.
Q: How do you go about writing lyrics?
A: Lyrics and verses in particular typically don’t just come to me. I usually sit down with a pen and notebook and focus on a song. At first, I may quickly come up with a line for a chorus or verse, but it takes a lot of time to go from that to a finished song. If I don’t carve out time to write lyrics, that song may never get finished. The many years spent as a journalist has certainly played a part in my writing.
Q: Do you play live? How is that going?
A: Yes! I’ve been playing mostly solo acoustic shows for almost 20 years now. I consider myself mainly a weekend warrior, playing anywhere from two to four gigs per week. Occasionally, I’ll play with a duo or a full band. Mostly, it’s just me and an acoustic guitar. I love playing live shows. I find that every venue is different. Plus, I enjoy trying to win over a crowd, one person at a time.
Q: What is your creative process like?
A: Ideas for songs usually come out of nowhere. A melody might pop in my head while I’m driving. I typically record a few seconds on my phone’s voice memos app so I don’t forget it. If I’m home, I’ll grab a guitar and play along with the melody. I may mumble some syllables or random words just to provide some sort of structure. After that, it’s all about deciding where I want the song to go and writing lyrics to match whatever theme that best serves the song.
Q: What else should we know about you or your music?
A: I’m just excited to have this new batch of songs finally out there for people to hear. I hope that people enjoy what I’ve written so far. Please listen to Another Shot, and tell a friend or two. Don’t stop supporting independent artists and musicians!