Our FREE Summer Series is about to kick off on July 6 with the blues, funk and jazz group Red Bird. To prepare for this great start to the wonderful series we chatted with Bre Gregg (Singer, Guitar of Red Bird) about her song writing processes, influences and inspirations.
Hult Center: Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started playing music
Bre Gregg: I am a singer/songwriter and voice teacher living in Portland, Oregon with my husband and two wild ginger children. I love singing, and believe music is for everyone (whether you are performing or listening) as it helps you access emotions and vulnerabilities that make us all truly human.
I am an active performer with my band Red Bird, and a few other projects (Tom Waits tribute show, Mark Bowden’s All Things Must Pass show) as well as The Lullaby Project through the Oregon Symphony, an organization that pairs songwriters with homeless parents to jointly create lullabies for their children.
During the pandemic, I started an organization with Beth Wood and Kristen Grainger called She’s Speaking which works to share the artistry of women songwriters through online programming and live shows featuring powerhouse women. This is a show we truly hope to bring to the Hult!
I started playing music as a means to fit into my very musical family. 🙂 My father was a great guitar player, my mom was a singer and my sister and I both loved to sing. We would have these family parties in which people would just play music and sing – it was pure joy.
I formally started studying with a voice teacher in middle school, and sang in many choirs. When it was time for college, I decided to study music education at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana. After school, I was accepted into a young artist program in New York City and was on the path to becoming an opera singer. Sadly, I had a very abusive teacher and left music completely for several years. When I came back, I promised to only do music that brings me joy!
Hult Center: What is your creative process like when it comes to your songwriting?
Bre: I would say my creative process is always changing…the most important thing for me it seems is movement. Meaning, ideas come to me mostly when I am walking, driving or playing/singing in my studio. Typically, the melody comes first, and then I can add chords to what I come up with melodically and typically the lyrics come last. This isn’t always true, but often.
I am extremely lucky to have an amazing writing partner in Dan Gildea (also in Red Bird). We often start with my melody and lyrics and simple chords, and then Dan changes my chords to something more complex, unique, lovely and adds some of his own flare to it. His guitar playing is divine, so we often think of each song as a joint feature – vocals and guitar, which helps inform the music.
Hult Center: Who are your biggest influences as an artist?
Bre At a very young age, I fell in love with the music and performance style of Bonnie Raitt, and would listen to her music endlessly while standing on a coffee table (stage) with my brush (microphone) and wailing lyrics I couldn’t possibly understand at that age.
I love musicians, who aren’t afraid to carve their own paths and who are supremely authentic on stage.
Hult Center: Are there any artists in our area that inspire you?
Bre: Oh my yes! There are so many artists that inspire me in our area. Where to begin?
I love the LaRhonda Steele, Mandy Fer, Redray Frazier, Beth Wood, Edna Vazquez, Lisa Mann, Anna Tivel, Arietta Ward and bands like The Get Ahead, The Colin Trio, Outer Orbit, True North (Kristen Grainger’s band), and Way Wild (Mandy Fer’s band).
I could honestly fill a novel with the number of musicians in the area who inspire me!
Hult Center: What do you see yourself doing with your music in the next ten years (ideally)?
Bre: I hope to do be a part of and help develop programming for people to work with songwriters to write their stories. I think music is an equalizer as it allows us to connect at a heart level very quickly…to drop many layers of our outer shells we create to keep us safe, but actually just keep us separate. I think music is a magical tool for connection, and can be extremely cathartic. I would love to do more of this type of work.
Hult Center: If you could open a show for any artist, who would it be?
Bre: Lake Street Dive! I cannot tell you how much I love lead singer, Rachel Price’s voice. It has a throw-back quality that I adore, and there is true warmth of her timbre which reminds me of warm chocolate. I also love that their original music stems from many different genres, and they are great live.
Hult Center: What inspires you to blend different music styles together?
Bre: To be honest, I’m always impressed when people write in a single genre. That just isn’t the music that comes out of me, and it isn’t typically the music I listen to. I just love many genres of music, I can’t help but take certain aspects from each. I also am notoriously a terrible decision maker…I want it all! 🙂
Hult Center: Red Bird just released their debut album, Live It All, showcasing the band’s musical maturity that breathes new life into music today. How would you say your music has changed since you first began playing?
Bre: Well, goodness…in every way. I started singing opera and musical theatre, then jazz, then blues, and now soul/Americana/blues/jazz. Have I mentioned that I can’t make decisions? I truly love it all.
I suppose the biggest difference is that I have given up trying to make my sound fit into a specific bucket. I think ultimately this is probably not a great thing from a marketing perspective but it’s who I am, so I guess it will have to do!
Come on down to the Hult Center July 6 for Red Bird. It’s totally free and fun for the whole family!
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