Interview with Pete Devine of Pete’s Rock News and Views (http://petesrocknewsandviews.com)
PD: How would you describe yourself or your band as an artist?
GA: We are Brutal Death Metal.
PD: Can you tell us briefly about your background – i.e. where you’re from, how you came to make music, etc.
GA: All of us are raised here in Rochester, NY. We all have backgrounds in various metal projects throughout the past. Ryan Michael (vocalist) and Jason Acquilano (that’s me, guitarist) created the band. Brandon Graves (drummer) and Mike Sloma (bassist) joined shorty after. Mike had to exit the band in 2017 and was replaced by Adam Shampine. Who went on to record our album “Killing Desire”. Adam departed in 2020 and was replaced by Joe Tash. Rick Smith was added as second guitarist in 2021.
PD: Who and what inspires you to make music, both in terms of musical and other influences? What do you like to write about in your songs?
GA: We love bands like Dying Fetus, Cannibal Corpse, and Gorerotted. So they’re big influences. We write about murder, serial killers, horror and gore. Think of it as a horror movie translated to song.
PD: What are your aspirations as an artist?
GA: To get our filthy songs stuck in your head.
PD: What is the proudest moment in your music career so far?
GA: Our last tour was pretty great! Honestly, all of our tours have been a blast! The last one was special because we did it in January 2020 right before everything went to shit.
PD: Promoting one’s music is such a challenge these days, especially with so many new artists emerging from bedrooms
in the day of the home studio. How is that going?
GA: Well we are lucky to have a label, CDN Records. They have been a big help and we can’t thank them enough. And now we are currently campaigning with Metal Devastation PR to get our visibility out there.
PD: And how do you book and promote your live shows and tours? Any performances coming up?
GA: We are very DIY. We have worked with other bands and promoters for tours. It’s all about making connections. We pretty much promote digitally with the occasional flyer for local shows. Currently, we have nothing coming up until June where we will be performing with The Murder Junkies.
PD: What do you think about downloading music online? What about streaming sites like Spotify?
GA: Well it’s not going away so just gotta accept it. We do find having pretty much anything at our fingertips pretty awesome! But we all know these sites do not take care of the artist. So you gotta rely on merch.
PD: What song do you wish you’d written and why?
GA: I wish we wrote the greatest song in the world. But, I guess Tenacious D already did that.
PD: Is there anything you don’t like about the music industry, which you would change if you could?
GA: There’s plenty. But unfortunately a lot of it is tied to the internet. And it’s a totally different world than it was 20+ years ago. So if we could go back in time where people actually bought physical media and didn’t rely on digital media that’d be great.
PD: So, what are you working on at the moment?
GA: We have a 4th release waiting to go to print. Should be out sometime in 2023.
PD: Where can we learn more about you and buy your music/merch online?
GA: We are on Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp, and pretty much any streaming service. Just search the name Gutted Alive \m/
Gutted Alive links:
Band/Artist location – Rochester, NY
Facebook – You Tube – Soundcloud – Bandcamp – Merch – Reverbnation –
Instagram – Apple – Spotify – Amazon – Deezer – Last Fm
Check our page for Gutted Alive
