Gillian Carter Interview/Music

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Gillian Carter is a band I have been in love with since I was 17 and my girlfriend dumped me and I liked feeling sad. Granted that was only a short 2 years ago, this band is still wonderful and still going strong. Nothing will replace the words of The Flood That Came After The Storm in my heart. It is really great music, everyone needs to read, give a listen, and give them money.

1. Where did the name Gillian Carter come from?

well in 2005 I was listening to a band called allegory of the cave & in one of their songs I heard "Gillian Carter" & I thought sweet cuz I always thought bands that were just names were really sweet like Neil Perry, Jesse Washington, etc. so I stuck with it. later on we played with their other band in 2007 called cheer up and the guitar player asked me where I got the name from and I told him and he said hmmm we never say that in that song. simo I thought wow that's funny I just heard what I wanted I guess

2. Haha, that's awesome, So has the band been going since 2005? Who are the members?

the band has been going on since my 17th birthday in 2005. originally Gillian started as a 2 piece me and a friend named hade then we added a bass player our friend keith we played some shows then they both quit the day of a show & I still played with out them. then in the summer of 2006 I met a dude named Jesse hardy and he joined on bass shortly after we met a dude named Steve who joined after we asked his g.f to try out then the spots were filled up as a 3 piece we re released "the flood that came after the storm" in 2007 before a 30 day tour with cassettes on fire. when we for back we went through a 3 year hiatus Steve was out of bands for a while and I played on drums and did vocals while Jesse moved to guitar and our friend louie joined on bass and we got steve back on drums movine me back to guitar and vocals shortly after releasing having lost in 2011 Jesse quit Steve didn't have time and Louie stopped talking to everyone. so I found the current line up after doing some shows with fill in members Timmy ofbhist aviary and john of Henrietta. baby matt on drums, jesse d on bass and Alan Zollo on rythem & we've been touring ever since

3. So that definitely adds a change to the next question of whether or not the sound of your music changed after you wrote The Flood, considering all the members was continuously changing?

well I wouldn't say that the members have changed the sound because i write all the music its been that way ever since the original members left. so I just did it myself. since the project has always been a personal one anyway being how I've never written a song that wasn't personal. I would say the music "changes" with different emotions. now the way that they are played live is always something new when new people join. I feel that if for some reason it was just me the music would continue

4. Something I always loved about your songs in The Flood was the lyrics, I remember one, I remember when we used to dance in the snow, which may or may not be me hearing what I want to hear. Speaking of writing personal songs did this one have a place with you?, considering the next line is, Now it's just a faded memory. Has they lyrical writing changed any? Do you feel less sad?

its funny that u talk about that song & the songs off of that record. that song was about a girl as most of the songs on the flood were because i was an angsty 15 year old most of the.lyrics were written during a depression phase when I was 15. but yeah that song was about a girl who I liked and liked me in high school. the only songs that weren't about "girls" on that record are chapter 1 which was an anti rape song & thank you for the memories which was added last minute to the record and was about growing up and dedicated to a friends band called thank you for astronauts who was breaking up in 2007. now not every song is about a girl as much as being dedicated to a girl who liked it or like for instance the storm is about not being happy or satisfied with whoever you are in a relationship with at the time
and as far as feeling less sad. I'm a really happy person in person lol having lost was written and recorded over the span of 3 years and is about multiple things that were going on and that I was feeling with personally

5. It's good to finally get, I don't know, affirmation of what I was hearing I guess. What do you have in the works right now? A new album, or maybe a tour?

as of riht now im trying to get having lost out on 12 and were suposed to do some upcoming splits and we play shows every weekend and do mini tours but next year were going to try to go out for 60 days

6. When you started the group was it just for the love of the music? Or did you have words you just needed to get out?

both actually I have always grown up around both my parents and uncle were in bands. I was in bands prior to GC but none really mattered or had meanin until I saw a local band called beneath low flying planes. my whole life and world had been changed ever simce that night. I had never seen or heard of anything like it. if it wasn't for them Gillian wouldn't exist

7. How much longer do you think you will write as Gillian Carter? I know even though members leave the band, and people change, you have always been there writing, so will it always be this way?

I feel that as long as I'm around Gillian will be around

8. What is something you want people to know about you, or your music when they hear it? How will you let them now other than through your actions, that you can always write and play music, and keep it alive'

well to answer the 2nd part I would say that the actions of how we tour and play shows we don't have a van so we tour in my 1996 Buick century. in the 7 years that Gillian has been around I've only cancled 1 show.

to answer the first part I would like people to know that I hold friendships and family very close.

I also feel very warm inside whenever anyone can relate to my songs