[Interview Number 55]
This time, we get to know Hugo Bento. His track "Empty Mind" is featured in the New Artist Spotlight Family of Playlists.
Link To New Artist Spotlight Playlists:
Okay, let’s get into the Ten questions for Hugo Bento!
𝟭. Where are you from and what is your hobby?
Nationality wise, I am half Spanish and half Argentinian, but I have always lived in Spain, in a coastal town of the mediterranean sea. Since I was 11 years old I have spent great part of my free time playing the guitar and improving my skills, and while I was always up to date with movies and videogames.
Music has always been my priority in terms of being excited and enjoying grasping every detail from my favourite band or a unique style of playing from someone. That has always interested me the most. And now adding to my hobbies is my love for sound and music production, which is a work in progress which never ends and getting better and better feels to me very rewarding.
𝟮. How did you get into music?
I started at 8 years old going to saxophone classes at the nearest classical music conservatory there was. I used to play the most cheesy songs you can think of and I didn't discover real saxophone playing until I was 11 and I complimented my classes with a jazz teacher with which I would play bossanova, jazz standards and many more styles while improvising. The things I learnt from improvising and training my ear would then transfer to my guitar which I just started playing and discovering bands like Led Zeppelin, Tool and singer-songwriters like Jose Gonzalez would mark me and slowly create my own style.
𝟯. Who are your biggest influences?
My biggest influence is Tool, and even though lately I don't listen to many bands from the US, I am amazed at how much I respect this band. The time signatures, powerful sound and introspective lyrics sounding together where more than an inspiration when I got into them.
The second great inspiration I have is Jose Gonzalez, who gave me the idea of "man vs the world" kind of style, to play bass on my guitar to make a much nicer sound and be able to play alone but fill all the gaps where there wasn't other musicians.
These 2 influences created my style of playing, or more like it they created the concept towards where I wanted to move my style to.
4. What are you goals in the music industry?
My goal since I decided to become professional has always been being able to keep playing and recording without worrying about money and stability. I am fond of traveling and my guitar or my saxophone has always come with me. In the music industry I would love to achieve reaching out to as many people as I can to show my own style and innovate, while earning a living to be able to travel and keep playing. I made my first album as an attack to the music industry partially. I want to break the music concepts we have created and show something new to the world. As an independent artist I achieve my first goal, which is not to be controlled or taken advantage of any record label, but of course it comes with a cost as you have to independently manage and promote everything you do. Of course, this comes with a great knowledge for technology and social skills, which becomes a new journey of discovering how talented you are and what you can create with the necessary tools.
5. If you could choose a location to perform at, what would it be?
I know that I love it when I play and I make people dance, but I love dark and mystical places. A festival in the forest with fire at night, Woodstock style, or some illegal pub, because music should never be illegal.
I would love to play in countries where I can see other musicians of different styles and out of the ordinary sounds and instruments. At this moment I'm very excited for when I will be able to travel again and make cooperations with musicians around the globe.
6. What is your all-time favorite song?
I guess I don't have an all-time favourite, though I'm very fond of Tools "Wings for Marie" part 1 and 2, as it's my favourite composition of all time and I could hear it in my deathbed and die happy.
7. Most embarrassing moment?
My most embarrassing moment comes clear to my head, as if it happened yesterday. I still feel bad for that man... . I went to an open mic concert pub with some friends and decided to go up on stage to play. It was getting late and I already drank around 2 litres of beer waiting for them to called me. I was drunk. I went up on stage, and they told me we would play a slow blues. I told them "You have been playing 12 bar slow blues all night and I'm sick of it, let's play Johnny b. Goode, because I know the lyrics and everyone knows the structure. So they agreed. needless to say, I told them we would play in A and... drunken me didn't remember that I always played it in A#, so here I went and the bassist caught up with my mistake but... there was a harmonica player. He played so much and it sounded so out of tune that everyone looked at him with judging eyes and whenever he played people where like "WHAT IS THAT?". It was my fault I know, but I ended being praised by everyone while the harmonica player could not have been more embarrassed, and me too after realizing what I had done to him. RIP.
8. Proudest accomplishment?
My proudest accomplishment has been to play music entirely to pay my rent and other costs and knowing that I was able to live from this. Was it playing saxophone some nights and guitar some others and just singing or playing drums a different one? Yes. But I did all I could to play with everyone, wherever and return home with my pockets full. The experiences of having gone out to the world, all day on the streets, playing in markets, going from bar to bar and always making friends and contacts has been the best time of my life.
9. What is something about you that might surprise someone who knows you the best?
Some close friends know this and some don't, but I'm a big fan of cooking and making delicious meals. I love buying new ingredients and trying them out, making traditional dishes from other countries and my pizza dough is 100% perfect they told me. I'm always picky on what I eat and it needs to be of a certain standard for me to enjoy it, as I am a purist of flavour and don't like adding on artificial flavourings to perfectly fresh cooked ingredients.
𝟭𝟬. What is your dream collaboration?
I would love to collaborate with people who are the most talented and passionate about music and innovating in any style. My dream collaboration would be having Maynard James Keenan from Tool write down and sing on top of my guitar playing, and of course having him make one of those recognizable shouts he does. But that won't happen any day soon, so I might as well keep my feet on the ground and find cool and unique musicians with whom I connect, not mattering if they have a fanbase or they just got into the industry.
"Empty Mind" on Spotify
and follow his Instagram
You will not be disappointed!
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