In this week's 10 Questions we get to know Gail Vogel, a singer-songwriter from Baltimore, USA.

Their song 'Leave 'em Alone' is currently featured on the NAS Spotify playlists

You can follow Gail Vogel on Facebook

1. Tell us a little about where you are from

I live in Baltimore Maryland, USA.

I am currently working on two songs; the first, “You Blow Me Away” has a funky beat and was co-written with Carla Clifford who also is the lead vocalist. Carla birthed the song many years ago and we recently decided to resurrect it and give it new life.

The second piece is New Age with non-verbal vocalizations titled, “In Dreams” because the song came to me in a dream. It was so cool, in the dream I was jamming with other musicians and the chords were being called out as we played. I woke up and immediately ran to the keyboard and played the chords that I had just heard called out in the dream; the chord progressions from my dream translated into an absolutely beautiful piece of music. The plan is to complete them and release in early 2026.

2. What inspired Gail Vogel to start playing and making music?

As a young girl my brother was my main musical inspiration. He was quite a bit older and as a result I grew up from the cradle hearing him playing the piano every day. By the age of four, I was playing little ditties from memory that I learned from listening to my brother practicing.

My father was also a huge influence on my musical future; he gave me encouragement, he gave me support, and he gave me one hell of a badass guitar!

As a teenager, the guitar became my main axe and I formed a 4-piece band called Gale and the Storm Men. We played a lot of the local CYO teen dances. It was a blast! However, before that, when Gale and the Storm Men were forming, I had no guitar and only a few dollars so a trip to the local hock shop was in order where I purchased a cheap (POS) guitar without telling my father. No matter how cleverly I tried to hide my newly acquired musical toy, father did eventually find the guitar. I thought he was going to be angry but instead, he took me to a music store and told me to pick out any guitar hanging on the wall. So I chose a white triple-pickup Hagstrom electric guitar. It was a beauty. The ensemble also included a nice guitar case and a Silvertone piggyback amplifier. Now I was ready to rock’n’roll.

3. Who are Gail Vogel's biggest musical influences?

Vangelis is one of my big influences along with Trent Reznor and Edgar Winter.

My genre-range is quite eclectic as I write and produce at my DAW with keyboards and plugins. Genres that influenced and guided me throughout my musical career are rock, pop, country, new age, and classical. While many of the songs in this eclectic catalog were produced, performed, written and performed by me (i.e., "Namaste", "Leave ‘Em Alone", "Pleiades 2.0"), I do, from time-to-time solicit other artists to contribute their talents. I have several vocalists/co-writers that work along with me and a monster guitarist from Dublin Ireland named Sean O’Connor. These artists co-write songs with me and perform the vocals while I produce and perform all the instrument tracks except for lead guitar which is reserved for Sean O’Connor.

4. What are your goals in the music industry or as an artist?

Several of my goals have already been reached like gigging in bands, teaching on the college level, writing articles for music magazine, etc. Now, I would like to help promote positivity, peace, well-being, awareness and empathy in the world through music. That’s the main reason why I toil away in my studio writing and recording, in hopes of striking a chord (pun intended) in humanity to make decisions that will promote positive change for all life on the planet. Even if my songs only affect a handful of people, that would be a successful goal.

5. Tell us about your creative process

Sometimes it begins with a sound from one of the plugins, or a bass line which, in turn, triggers a musical idea, or a guitar riff that sparks new ideas. I'll keep laying down parts until they also trigger fresh directions and then a song begins to form.

6. What is your all-time favorite song by another artist and why?

One of them is “Get Down Tonight” by KC and the Sunshine Band. That synth-like part in the intro blew me away. I later found out that it is a guitar playing at slowed-down speed then at double speed. I also dig the Mini Moog synth in “Lucky Man” by ELP and had to pull the car over when it first blasted through my car radio. Another one is “Flashlight” by George Clinton. That classic bass synth moved every fiber in me! I would be remiss if I don’t mention the piece de resistance “Frankenstein” by Edgar Winter, what a synth-monster?!

7. What is the best advice you have either given or received in terms of music?

Advice that I’ve given would probably be to my music students. Be sure to practice your music; practice does makes perfect.

Advice that I’ve received would be from my father as he was always my biggest fan and on his death-bed he told me to be the best that I can be. Be good and don’t give up your music.

8. What is your proudest accomplishment?

One of my proudest accomplishments was when I wrote for Rockrgrl Magazine (spelled correct). This was in the 90s and Rockrgrl was the only music magazine for and about women in the music industry. I wrote equipment review articles; this was the coolest gig for a gear-harlot like myself. Music manufacturers would send me their latest gear and I got to keep it for a few months and put it through its paces. Then, I would write up a review discussing the pros and cons and it would be published in an upcoming issue. All issues of Rockrgrl are currently archived at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC.

9. What's been your most embarrassing moment so far?

Years ago while gigging in a top 40 rock band, we were playing a night club and I was going to town on the song “Hungry like the Wolf” as I played those arpeggiated, syncopated synth notes and was not aware that my keyboard stack was shimmying toward the edge of the stage. Then suddenly, I was watching my rig in slow motion as it fell off the stage and onto the dance floor. Everyone on the dance floor began clapping because they thought it was part of the show; I, however, was dying inside as our sax player walked over and picked up my beloved synthesizer. As he picked it up, I pictured the keys and guts dangling down, although the synth was fine and worked perfectly save for a dent in the back. There is a bright spot in all of this; I got free drinks for the rest of the night!

10. Tell us about your lowest and highest points in music so far.

My lowest points are probably when I was refused an audition because I was a girl; or when I called about another audition and was asked if I were calling for my boyfriend.

My highest points were playing guitar in Gale and the Storm Men, playing keys in Top 40 rock bands, writing for Rockrgrl Magazine, owning and operating my recording studio, The Tracking Station, and now I’m composing, producing and performing original music in my studio. That all makes me pretty darn high.