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Typically, we have been including Spotify playlists with our DeLuna Fest interviews. However, Paloma does not have music available on the service. Instead, you can hear four tracks from the band at http://www.reverbnation.com/artist/artist_songs/1710707.
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A lifetime of experience goes into the Pensacola supergroup Paloma. Piloted by musicians from several of the most dynamic local bands of recent memory, the members of Paloma are well prepared to make their second appearance at DeLuna Fest a monumental event.
Vocalist/guitarist Gio Lugo shares his thoughts on Paloma, what the crowd can expect from the band and his high expectations for all of the local acts representing the host city during this year’s DeLuna Fest.
Q: You’ve been in quite a few bands and solo projects over the years, what is the greatest lesson you’ve learned from Paloma?
A: Paloma. At this point of my life, when I think about this project, I think, you definitely have the dream pulling you toward the self-sacrifice and the stop-drop-everything, lose-every-job, look for a band, tour as much as you can and all that stuff. With Paloma, I appreciate the balance that our lives have come to; you know, have a good job, appreciate the things that are the responsibilities in my life. I see a project where I see my true outlet. It’s not about working, it’s not about making a big fuss about yourself. It’s about, “I’m ready to play.” When it’s time to play, I love playing. When it’s time to meet up with the guys, I love the guys. It’s about the present. I don’t know. It really goes past any of that. It’s literally about what’s necessary.
Q: On that same note, what has been your favorite moment so far with the guys from Paloma?
A: It’s been different. I think definitely being involved with some of the big shows and festivals. Actually, I remember a little one in particular. We were at the Loda Festival. We played two shows on Saturday and we were up in the (Skyview Lounge). All the other bands from there had met up and we’re all just up there. It’s just that kind of thing where it’s just like, “Man, this just feels good. Everybody’s here, we’re all having drinks, we’re all enjoying a beautiful view.” It’s a lot of camraderie, it was a good feeling. It was a nice closure to the day.
The last few moments listening to the tracks of all the recordings, I think definitely with the guys when we stood around my car and starting playing the masters of the recording we had done, we’re all looking around at each other like, “Sweet. We were able to document that.” Step away from the instruments and just listen to ourselves play as a band. When you have those studio moments it’s good for us. You can break it down and talk about the tones and all that stuff, “Are the drums sounding (OK)?” But really, you were all just kind of like, “Cool. Group hug, good job, guys. It sounds great.”
Q: The band is so tight now. What can the DeLuna Fest crowd expect from Paloma when you hit that stage?
A: You’re going to see real graciousness; in the sense that we’re really grateful to come in and play on that stage and representing local flavor. It means a lot in that respect. If people happen to either plan on seeing us, that’s fantastic. If people happen to just walk by and hear it and decide they want to listen to it, fantastic. If any one of those people just happen to be in that crowd, one; Thank you and two; Just know that we are going to give it our all, in a sense we represent Pensacola along with some of the other bands and we want to put on a show just as much as will bring it. Kind of give people an idea of what’s going on in the host city.
Q: I have to ask you, Gio. On a personal level, what bands are you looking forward to seeing at DeLuna Fest?
A: Honestly, whenever I heard DJ Jazzy Jeff was coming in, I was actually really impressed, not so much like star-struck so much as far as, “Oh my God. Fresh Prince!” I just really respected a lot of his projects that he’s worked on. He’s actually mixed and mastered some of my favorite hip-hop artists on the side; one of them being Oddisee —actually his debut album. It seems like he’s still fairly in tune of true hip-hop, the true sound. Everything that he’s working on, it seems like its just legit and it’s got some soul to it and it’s got a real feel to it. I’m really excited about that late night DJ set with him, Sandman.
Obviously, the headliners speak for themselves. I think they completely outdid themselves. They really tuned in and got a lineup that I believe is ripe for this area and this demographic. Definitely Band of Horses, just pretty much everybody. And obviously, actually, I’m really excited about the Twothirtyeight Sunday show. Those guys in a lot of ways shaped the sound of Pensacola, as far as, you see any band that’s every played a Telecaster or really outfit themselves with Fender amps, there’s a reason for that, that reason is Twothirtyeight. I really feel that a lot of that grit sound and dueling guitars — and even with us — it’s definitely a positive influence that I think helped us get away from all the emo, it just influenced us locally on a good independent level. I’m definitely excited to see what those guys are going to put out as far as a set.
Q: What would Gio Lugo of today tell a young Gio who was just starting out?
A: This is funny because my little sister, just a couple of days ago, just asked me that. My niece showed interest in wanting to play guitar. She sent me a link that’s far as like, “What do you think about this guitar? Is this a good guitar player” And I, kid you not, it’s so good that you asked me this, I told her, one; if the interest is already there, it’s sweet. The most important thing, and this is so, I know it’s cliché, but it could be bad advice, but what I told her was, “What it was for me, was an old beat up, hand-me-down, friend of my dads, offered me an old Hagstrom. Just old, insanely thin neck, beat up, but whenever I looked at it, I thought it was the coolest guitar I’d ever seen and it was mine.” I immediately just kind of … you claim ownership of it. Yeah, it wasn’t an $800, $1,000 guitar, it was a hand-me-down, but it looked great, when I held it, I felt … I don’t know, it was a connection and I told her, “Listen, what she needs to do, is you walk in there and you go and look at the guitar and you go, ‘That’s me. That’s, right now, that’s going to motivate me to want to pick up that guitar and make it be a part of me.’ ” Immediately identify with an instrument, you know even if it’s something that’s … I don’t know … I’ve always played cheap guitars, all my friends will tell you, all my guitars are cheap, but it’s how you play it and it’s to me, it really is that; finding that thing that’s cool about something, and that it’s always very minor that something that’s gravitating towards you, you know.
Q: And you make them sing, brother. You make those guitars sing. You sing and you make them sing.
A: I make them stutter a time or two though (laughs).
