Gretchen Bonaduce Interview – Singer for 80’s cover band Gretchen Bonaduce’s Ankh! 
Gretchen Bonaduce Interview
1. What are your current projects for 2012?
Mostly I am pitching TV shows by day and pushing my band Ankh by night. Just like everyone in this economy trying to get by.
2. What are you currently endorsing?
First of all I am endorsing that Audie Desbrow from Great White just endorsed me as a good musician on Facebook!! hahaha. Love that. I also work with a few animal charities (Humanity thru Music for Fur and Feather and Safe Harbor in Florida) The biggest cause that is near and dear to my heart is the military. My next show at the Hard Rock is in conjunction with the American Soldier Network. I will do anything, anytime for our military!
3. Gretchen what’s your take on the sex appeal in the music industry?
It’s sad that ever since the dawn of MTV it really started to matter what you looked like. If you were butt ugly..forget about it. If you were a mediocre talent and looked good that was good enough to get you on MTV.. and then tons of radio play! It’s a sad truth and as much as I hate to say it, sex sells. I even know how to play the game myself.. when I was up for the Fox Reality show “Gimme my Reality show” which was a contest to win a show, I even brought in some gorgeous 20 year olds to model (scantily clad) my clothing and jewellery line that my partner Evita Corby and I designed. I thought 40 year old scantily clad..hmm not so much. But 20 year olds, yes!!! Everyone wants to see that!
4. What’s your vision of the Internet as a tool to promote and get your music out?
I think it is essential to get your music out via the Internet. I think the record business is a failing industry. People don’t give out deals like they once did. The best way to get it out there is to do yourself by Internet. Then of course you get to keep most of your profits and not give it to the greedy record companies.
5. Where did the idea come to make Gretchen Bonaduce’s Ankh!?
I Have always loved 80’s music. The Cure, The Cult, Joy Division, Sisters of Mercy, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Cars, Till Tuesday… just the best music in my opinion came out of that era. You don’t see many bands like that anymore. When I turn on the radio now I am like… who the F is this??? I haven’t even heard most of the people that get radio play currently. So generic with no longevity. There of course are some great bands right now like the Foo Fighters, Adele, The Killers but I think mostly it’s a bunch of crap. But what do I know thou….. hahaha. But, I started Ankh purely because I love the 80’s music so much and I have been singing it for years and thought it would be easiest for me to remember cause I’m old!
6. How is the current Music Scene in California doing?
It sucks. It is mostly pay to play or the door. There are just too many choices in this town to draw a lot of people unless you are Steel Panther or Spazmatics or a big name. I think it is taking advantage of bands and their talent to not pay every band something. People put in a lot of time and effort to not be paid.
7. Could you tell us about your main influences as a singer, etc?
As I stated earlier I love the 80’s. I am a fanatic for Amy Mann.. I just adore her writing and her voice is so hauntingly beautiful. Irish singers like the Coors, the singer of the Cranberries.. just adore their voices. Melissa Etheridge of course has a kick as voice, and currently Adele.. Jesus what a voice!
8. What could we find interesting in your Music collection?
I haven’t bought much lately, but in my collection I have the Silver Sun Pick-ups, Shiny Toy Guns, Santogold, The Airborne Toxic Event.. a lot of these have coffee on them now as I spilled my Star bucks and it ran all over!!! But, these I would replace as I love them.
9. Could you describe what goes on in a day in your life?
Total chaos! Being a single mom, getting kids to and from school, rehearsals, meetings at studios, taking care of the household needs… craziness. Currently my 17 year old is learning to drive so that has given me quite a few nervous moments and screaming matches with my daughter. Yikes.. I hate teaching someone to drive. I’m not cut out for it.
10. Are there any tour dates lined-up for Gretchen Bonaduce’s Ankh!?
We are working on quite a few dates right now in Phoenix and Las Vegas and few big dates at the end of the year in Palm Springs, Florida and a cruise. That is about it right now.
11. Are there any products or projects we can see from you in the future?
Yes.. we were just signed by someone (whose name I will decline to give as I don’t want him flooded with a bunch of bands!) to record music to be placed potentially on TV and hopefully movies. He is a big deal and I am stoked about it. We just recorded about 10 covers so we will see where that goes. Hopefully some good income for my band.
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