We are GFM! We’re a beautycore band from Jacksonville, FL, and we love being able to travel the world as three sisters. Our musical style takes influences from metal, rock, punk, pop, and much more! We love genre-bending and developing songs that sound different from anything out there! We always joke that our music is similar to if Avril Lavigne was the lead singer of Slipknot. We love having that character aspect on stage, and we always try to put as much effort into the show and entertainment aspect as we do the musical element.
Maggie is our bass player, and CJ is our guitar player. They love to move around on stage as much as possible, and they work hard to balance playing and singing at the same time. We put out a single back in January called “I Don’t Need Your Fantasy,” which incorporates a lot of punk/thrash influences. We’re getting to release another song very soon, so make sure to follow us @thegfmband for all updates!
What is your definition of tone, and how has it changed over the years?
Tone is your sound. It’s how you want your guitar or bass to sound. You get to pick it. You can mess with the bass, the mids, the treble, the distortion, and no one can tell you if it’s right or wrong. No such thing exists in music.
Which guitars, amps, and pedals are you currently using and why?
LuLu is sponsored by Sabian Cymbals and SJC Drums, and she uses Promark sticks and Evans drumheads as well.
Maggie plays an Ibanez Soundgear bass at the moment, but . . . we’ve got some exciting news to announce on a new sponsorship coming soon!
CJ plays a custom PRS S2 in a neon green and black crackle finish — matches her personality perfectly! She is using an Axe FX II Preamp/Effects Processor and a Mesa 2×12 cab, and Maggie is using a Kemper Profiler Rack and an Ampeg 8×10 cab. We use the Axe FX and the Kemper because we can perfectly match our sound to our recorded music. They’re super easy to mount in a stage rack, which helps when loading in on stage. CJ’s cab might be small, but it packs a punch, and while Maggie’s cab might be compared to a fridge, it helps the audience feel the bass rather than just hear it.
The band as a whole is sponsored by 64 Audio, Orange Amps, Coffin Cases, Pig Hog Cables, Gator Cases, Enki Cases, and Sinister Guitar Picks as well.
What about strings?
CJ uses Ernie Ball Slinky M-Steel Guitar strings with a 10-52 gauge. Maggie uses Ernie Ball Regular Slinky Bass-5 strings with a 45-130 gauge. We’ve loved these strings for years. Ernie Ball never fails to give us a loud, great sound.
Are there certain recording techniques you prefer in the studio?
We love when the studio has a comfortable atmosphere. It’s so important that the people we work with are comfortable with us and that we’re comfortable with them. No matter how good you are, if you’re nervous or uneasy about playing in the studio, you won’t put out great takes. Make sure to establish that relationship with your producers so that they can help bring out the best musician in you
How do you keep your sound consistent onstage?
As we were saying above, both the Axe FX and the Kemper allow you to customize your stage tone. We’re able to play around with all the effects until the preset matches a recorded song perfectly, and once we like it, we just have to save it. Both machines save your preset, so there is no stress of having to mess with knobs each show.
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What does your practice consist of?
When we are practicing bass or guitar, we will start the mp3 of our song and play along with it. If there is a part that we need extra help on, we’ll pause the song and play along to a metronome at a slower speed and work up to the song speed. We’ve also cut up the song in GarageBand and looped sections that we need to work on or slowed down those parts in order to give us another way to perfect that problem area. When we’re not practicing our music, we love to challenge ourselves and learn songs from other artists that are out of our current abilities or genre. This will not only hone our craft but also broaden what genres and styles we can play in!
What is your advice for young women who hope to work in the music industry?
Whatever you do, do it good. We are in the rock industry, and it is very male-dominated. People aren’t just going to determine if you’re good or not by listening to your music. Women tend to have to work twice as hard to prove that they have what it takes in this industry. But believe us, you totally can! Stand strong in what you want to sound like and work hard to get where you want to. Don’t be afraid to be confident! P.S. – there is a sisterhood in the industry as well, and anytime we see another female musician, we get really excited. Don’t be afraid to make friends! ?
Links to website, social media, and music.
www.thegfmband.com
www.facebook.com/thegfmband
www.instagram.com/thegfmband
www.twitter.com/thegfmband
www.youtube.com/thegfmband
www.snapchat.com/thegfmband
TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/sgHxLR/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2NzvxoOoIshAvoQ2wYbZhj
https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/gold-frankincense-myrrh/1083288327
www.bandsintown.com/gold,frankincense,andmyrrh
