Gwynn Gold Mixes Her Classical Background and Love For Classic Rock on Record ‘Land of Honey’
PITTSBURGH, PA – Gwynn Gold goes from classical to classic rock on her debut album Land of Honey. Think of the soulfulness and emotions of a Carol King or Carly Simon song, or the jazz fusionrock compositions of Steely Dan, or blues emulated in the Rolling Stones or the Steve Miller Band’s music. That is the range of Gwynn Gold’s classic rock and pop sound. It’s not a nostalgic effect but brings to the forefront Gold’s passion for making music, mixing her operatic background and love for ‘70s rock with her dynamically expressive vocals.
The Pittsburgh-based singer grew up watching opera programs such as the Three Tenors, learning piano at 6-years-old, while her father introduced her to bands such as the Grateful Dead. Gold decided to pursue an opera career, studying under the guidance of singer and professor Wolfgang Brendel at Indiana University. She then recognized a songwriting path with the ability to write her own music, and left college to pursue it full-time. “I’d rather be pursuing a path of releasing my own material, that I can have real-life experience with,” says Gwynn. “So that’s how I decided to switch over.”
Land of Honey has Gwynn showing the world what her voice can do, backed by a band whose accolades span from Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, Darlene Love, Ronnie Spector, and The Allman Brothers. Produced by Jimmy Hoyson who has worked with artists ranging from Stevie Nicks, Michael Jackson, Iggy Pop, and Lou Reed.
“Jimmy is very close to me now and he will work on the next album with me. Throughout our time working together, he has become a mentor in helping me transition from the classical attitudes to more of a classic rock idea,” says Gold about Hoyson. “He’s helped me with the way you present something, while trying to switch over, and he really did a great job with that.”
“My Blue Eyes” is a powerful ballad with a music video symbolizing Gold’s emotions while representing others. Gwynn took photos sent to her my friends and family that symbolized their personal experiences as the background for “My Blue Eyes” and set the scene through the halls of her local golf club with professional dancer Rocco Duranti choreographing a cathartic dance matching with the rhythm and theme of the song. Gwynn’s debut single “Teardrop Tattoo” is Gold debuting herself to the music world in an upbeat and fun song that she says resonates to coming up in a jazz club in New Orleans, with funky keyboards and guitars.
Other tracks on the album show more of a country rock range, such as “Heading Home”s, lyrics and instrumentals give a Neil Young feel to the record, or the solemnity of the title track “Land of Honey” that is akin to Flying Burrito Brothers or the Byrds’ Sweetheart of the Rodeo.
The 12-track album doesn’t have a direct musical theme, but talks about relationships, boundaries, city-life, growth, and references tracks within others, all flowing together. Yet, Gwynn doesn’t like to reveal too much of the personal concepts on the album and for listeners to interpret their own take on its themes. Gold does reference spirituality and life experiences as parts of the record, exploring her subconscious while writing on real-life situations.
“I want listeners to have their own moment in it. It’s not really necessarily about me, it’s about the listener and I think the point of art and music is to allow the person to get something out of it, whether that be a fun night or something to reflect on,” says Gold. “It can be serious or not serious as you want it to be, but it should always be about the person you’re writing it for.”While Land of Honey’s live version from the album’s release party was just released, Gwynn is planning for the next record–teaming up with Jimmy Hoyson again and continuing to make her multifaceted classic rock homage that she makes her own.
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