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 Raw, Organic SoulBy Constance McIntosh She seems to live life with her eyes wide, her senses open to all the lights and shadows of the world around her. Her voice is full of soul, and her words speak of human hearts in all their many hues and hiding places. Faith Gilmore is an artist with a perspective on humanity that is just far enough from ordinary to make her work worth a second listen (if you’re not already hooked by the first one). Between growing up in the soul-filled city of New Orleans and working at a women’s home in Nashville, Gilmore has come up with plenty to say and a powerful, bluesy way to say it. What do you remember about growing up in New Orleans? How do you feel like your hometown has shaped you, both as a person and as a musician? I remember so much of my childhood … mostly it was riding in my mom’s Pontiac, listening to her playing Motown and Woodstock musicians on the car radio. Those stations in New Orleans played the grittiest, most soulful tunes. We’d roll through the oak-lined streets in the sunshine, past Laundromats and car washes where people who lived on the bare minimum spent their Saturdays, wearing bright, mismatched clothes they put together from the local thrift stores. I’d look at all the shotgun houses, where families sat out on their porch steps, establishing modern-day community. I remember how the rich and poor communities, set back to back against one another one block to the next, could be a stark contrast. Mom would pick up a SnoBall with spearmint flavoring and roll the windows down as we ran errands around town. In many parts of the city, there’d be people out, walking on the sidewalks, playing in the hose, catching a streetcar or bus. Who I am was shaped by all of this: by being a part of a multicultural town, by hearing rhythm and blues, by watching people integrate and segregate. The city had a latent sense of racism and fear of others’ differences, but my mother somehow always broke through that … she had a way of showing understanding and was well received in return. All of this, the heartbeat and culture of my city, are scenes that paint the backdrop of who I am. You majored in social work in college, and that is your day job. Can you describe what you do and tell us why you chose that means of supporting yourself? My “job” is so weird in the sense that loving others is, at the same time, a career for which I get paid. I chose it because of a call from God, in addition to having been mentored by an older father figure when I was 17. This man built self-esteem in me that simply was not there and showed me what God’s thoughts are concerning me. I knew I was “loved,” but didn’t know I was “liked.” The job I currently hold is basically that of a mentor as well, who instills parameters and discipline while passing on that same knowledge of each person’s worth and value. I was terribly unqualified for the job experientially, and I have to rely on divine wisdom daily to have any sort of effectiveness in these women’s lives. You often mention people-watching as one of your influences as a songwriter. Can you tell us a little more about that? I mainly people-watch when I’m sitting alone somewhere. I assume that I know what people’s lives are like and what they’re going through, and I find a common emotion. Of course, that’s all coming through my own lens, the perspective I’ve gotten from my experiences. But it just reaches me and moves me to know that tears, humiliation, the need to prove oneself, competitiveness, the desire for affirmation, the want for companionship are all universal and innate feelings. Watching others gives me conclusions about life and stories about our human experience. Describe your musical background. What made you decide that you wanted to sing professionally? Well, music was constantly playing in my home, and singing has always felt like a release for me … the sense of complete, unbridled freedom from the pressure to perform. Oddly enough, music is something that is meant to be performed. I never felt I could stand in front of others to sing until several others ripped me out of my comfort zone throughout various stages of my life. Then I found that I liked singing anywhere in the world as much as I enjoy doing so in my house. How would you describe your musical style, and what influences do you see as most influential in shaping that style? My sound might be best described as raw, organic soul. Some guitar, some drums, some soul. I’ve been influenced the most by hundreds of artists. I don’t know how to narrow it down. Where does God come into it for you? How has being a Christian shaped your music or the way you write songs? When you grow up eating whole-grain Cheerios every day of your life, you have no idea how much it is affecting your body. But a steady diet of Cheerios plus veggies will keep you from being sick on the inside. This is how I feel about Christianity. Knowing God is in my veins affects every thought I have … it keeps me from getting sick. Constance McIntosh is an editorial intern for RELEVANT Media Group. Back to Top |
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03.08.07
Interview with author and pastor Holly Wagner of the Oasis Christian Center in Los Angeles, California |
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