Named "Best Band in Nashville" by the Tennessean's Toast Of Music City readers choice awards (2012-2015), Anthony Orio's unique blend of country mixes the traditional sounds of the genre with progressive contemporary vocals and production. Known for his electrifying live performances and strong ability to connect with the crowds, Orio has performed at The Grand Ole Opry, Ryman Auditorium, and Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge.
On October 9th, Orio released his latest EP, Undeniable, a six-track project that blends R&B ("Nobody"), ballads ("I Already Know"), and southern rock ("She's Mine"), along with a cover of "You Can't Always Get What You Want." Here, Orio answers his Essential 8. Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you? I really didn’t have a “musical mentor” per se. Of course, I have had a lot of influences over the years. I love the way The Boss doesn’t break up his show with many stories or speeches, but just rolls from one song to the next. I try to take that element to the stage with me. I love the energy of guys like Garth and Mick Jagger and I try to incorporate that. I look at a lot of the 90's Country Music I grew up on and songwriters like Jeffrey Steele, Tony Lane, and Anthony Smith- guys I heard when I first moved to town- as the benchmark for great songwriting. With UNDENIABLE, what was the “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect? I’m not sure that a song is ever “perfect” (unless you’re Paul McCartney), but for “Undeniable,” and really for a lot of my songs, when I play them live and I see the crowd respond to them, I know we’ve done a good job. Where do you draw inspiration from when writing? Most of the time it comes from just conversation with my co-writers. We write about things we’ve been going through or have gone through. I get a lot of inspiration from groove and feel. When a song grooves and feels good, the lyrics seem to just flow. What’s the best advice to give to a musician just starting out? Be prepared to wear a lot of hats. If you are a writer/artist, and you’re determined to this no matter what, then you’re going to have to be a songwriter, a singer, a producer, an advertising agent, a booking agent, a tour manager, etc. etc. etc.
Do you have any touring tips?
PAY YOUR BAND!! I haven’t had a lot of turnover in my band because I try to take good care of my boys. Duke Ellington has one of my favorite quotes of all time. When asked, “How do you keep your band?” He responded by saying, “You simply have to have a gimmick, and the gimmick I use is to pay them money!” What are your “must have” albums for the road? This changes of course, but these always seem to be in rotation: Butch Walker “The Spade” “I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart” and “The Rise and Fall Of Butch Walker and the Let’s-Go-Out-Tonites” Springsteen- “Greatest Hits” Aerosmith- “The Essential Aerosmith” Anthony Smith- “If That Ain’t Country” Kid Rock- “Cocky” Ronnie Milsap “41 Number 1 Hits” Who would you love to collaborate with? Any of my heroes. The artists I grew up listening to. People like George Strait, Wynona Judd, The Stones, Garth Brooks. I would love to collaborate with some of my songwriting heroes too like Butch Walker, Jeffrey Steele, Anthony Smith, and Tony Lane. Have you met any of your heroes? If so, how did it go? I have met quite a few of them- one of the benefits to living in Nashville. Probably the “biggest” one was Garth and he was completely gracious and engaging. He asked me a lot about my career and seemed genuinely interested in the answers. To keep up with Anthony Orio Website Purchase
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