Gabriel Byrd is a fantastic multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer, creating fantastic pieces of music like his recent release, Under A Mango Tree. It’s a unique folky track, sounding unlike anything I’ve ever heard before, showing Gabriel’s musical skills off perfectly. Why not check it out after reading through this interview?

By Jane Howkins

You recently released a new single titled Under A Mango Tree. What can you tell us about the song?

This track was initially conceived as a sort of classical guitar piece. It was something I wanted to have on my catalogue alongside the usual pop and rock songs. I like the thing where you have a soloist performing alone in front of an audience, something for the concert halls. It came from a time when I first discovered Jimmy Page’s acoustic material such as Bron-Y-Aur which back in the day fascinated me. Later on, I added other instrumentation to help with the textures. I’ve been learning flute recently and I thought it would be a nice fit too. I think the whole thing came out as something quite unique, which has a constant flow and develops in an interesting way. It tells a story without words.

The track was recorded at the famous Abbey Road Studios. What was that experience like?

The track was actually mastered at Abbey Road Studios by Miles Showell. I chose Miles because of his brilliant work with many artists that admire, but mainly because he worked with Gal Costa – a famous brazilian singer and a key figure on the Tropicalia movement. It was important for me to have someone who knew how to deal with intense percussion and strong rhythmic elements. It was actually recorded at my studio in Hackney. I produced it and played guitars, mandolin and flute, accompanied by two percussionists.

How has the reception to Under A Mango Tree been so far, and where can it be purchased?

It can be purchased on Bandcamp. The reception has been great! I think it shows a fraction of what I’m trying to do and it will make more sense alongside other tracks, when released. People have perceived it in many different ways, from something very traditional-ethnic, to soundtrack-ish/prog-rock. I like the fact the track has been received as a world music thing too. Some people said it echoes Latin roots, others Mediterranean, and others eastern European such as Armenian or Turkish sounds. I think it’s all pretty valid.

Do you have any more singles planned for release soon?

Yes. The next one is called Lighthouse‘ It is an 8 minute track which mixes some Brazilian rhythms in with some prog rock. If it goes as planned, it will be available by the end of the year. I can’t wait to share it with you.

Are there any plans to release an album or EP anytime soon?

As I’m producing, recording and mixing, the tracks rely heavily on instrumentation, which can make the process sort of slow, as I have to deal with pretty much everything – that’s what it takes to represent my vision properly, I guess. For that reason I’m currently releasing singles. In the future I will compile it all and release it as vinyl.

Your music has a unique folk sound. What/who are you most influenced by? What have you been listening to recently?

I really like folk and traditional music from around the world. I believe this music holds a very pure quality, in terms of purpose. As previously mentioned, as composition, this track was inspired by Jimmy Page’s acoustic material, but production wise, by the steel strings sounds of Robbie Basho. The flute, mandolin and percussion arrangements were influenced by Egberto Gismonti works. Recently I’ve been listening and deep diving into classical composers such as György Ligeti and also many obscure Brazilian albums from the 70s, which I didn’t know existed. Alongside those recent discoveries, the good and old American blues and British rock never leave my record player.

Where are you based? What is the local music scene like in your part of the world?

I’m from Três Pontas, in Brazil. This little town holds an epic music tradition being the embryo and the cradle of Clube da Esquina – The Corner Club , a movement envisioned and headed by Milton Nascimento, being also his hometown. It’s the city where it all started, really, and the homonym album from 72, is one of the best Brazilian records ever made (the 9th on the most recent list by Paste Magazine, for example). I mean, if you know, you know. Due to its glorious past, the scene there is quite rich and the local musicians hold a very unique vision and astonishing musicality. In terms of my own music and composition, I learnt more there than anywhere in the world, I own a lot to it and I hope I can be part of the story.

Do you have anything else exciting coming up over the next few months?

My new single ! Watch my Instagram stories for snippets of the work in progress.

Do you have any tour dates lined up for the UK?

Not at the moment. I’m playing London dates here and there, but I’m currently working mainly in the studio as I feel I need more tracks out to be able to shape my musical identity, and then I can build a strong team around me to take to the road.

Any last words for the fans?

Thanks for listening to the music, I hope it touches your heart.