Interview with Gina Gleeson of Baroness, at ArcTanGent Festival

Natasha Grosvenor caught up with Gina Gleeson, the incredible lead guitarist and backing vocalist for Baroness ahead of their set at ArcTanGent Festival. A sensational human being. We talked riffs, rising & dogs.

You’ve been part of the heavy scene for some time now, how has your experience as a woman within the industry, shaped your journey in the genre?
Gina: Ah, I don’t know. It’s a good question. I don’t typically try to think about myself as being any different as a woman.

NG: Excellent!

Gina: Yeah? Yeah! I don’t like gendering people’s jobs, or their art.

NG: Awesome! You are the exact person that I want to be interviewing then. Do you get asked gender-based questions often, rather than strictly musician based?

Gina: I do. I think I think I’ve avoided it enough times. I don’t typically like the idea of gendering people’s ‘thing that they do’, because I think it kind of drives a wedge between their gender and their craft.

NG: Do you find being in the states, is gendering less than it used to be? I’m finding over here it’s getting better over the years.

Gina: I think it’s better than it was too. There’s a lot more female representation; women coming together and giving one another that visibility. There’s a lot of different types of folks that aren’t just males playing heavy music. Which is fucking awesome! That’s what we want. But, yeah I don’t like the idea of getting on a soap box, saying hey, I’m a female guitar player because I think of it as, you wouldn’t say, oh, this is a male nurse.

NG: and in previous interviews, that weren’t about gender equality in the industry, have people actively referred to you as female guitarist?

Gina: Yeah!

NG: Oh gross.

Gina: Yeah, it is less and less the older I get and every day the scene progresses, which I like, I think that’s cool. I think to promote general equality, we should all stop putting labels on things that are so binary.

NG: Fuck yes.

What was it like stepping into an established band like Baroness and how did you find your place within the group?

Gina: So, I have been playing in bands for years since I was a teenager and playing professionally for a long time at different capacities; basement shows, small clubs, tours and playing in more of a theatre capacity, where I play guitar for Cirque du Soleil.

NG: I read about this, that is so cool.

Gina: It’s a way different job, it’s my ‘job-job.’  484 shows a year and you just go in grinding. It’s a really, really cool experience. But yeah, so I’ve been in the music scene in many different capacities, but I was a fan of Baroness for many years in college, which is kind of when I discovered them. So, I was thrilled to join a band that, you know, I felt an emotional connection to with being a fan.

NG: Around how many years were there in-between you being a fan in college, and joining the band?

Gina: Probably five or six?

NG: Fuck yeah, that’s amazing! *Congratulatory high five*

Gina: Hey, thank you!

NG: Achieving your dreams out here? Come on, nice. That’s fucking sick.

Can you share a moment on tour or in the studio that was particularly memorable or impactful to you?

Gina: Yeah, I mean there’s so many in the studio, sometimes there’s just magic that happens. You kind of listen back to what we’ve created as a team and you know, we have had emotional, tear-jerking moments. And it’s also shocking, it’s like oh okay I guess this is gunna be the thing now. There’s this is kind of calm, bringing together of unity.

NG: Amazing, I’m going to cry later.

If you could collaborate with any artist past or present, who would it be? And why?

Gina: Oh this is a good one. So, this is a hard question because I love with my whole heart so many different varieties of music, genres and playing styles. My favourite I guess for a current artist is the singer- songwriter Gillian Welsh. She’s a brilliant lyricist and writing partner and guitar player Dave Rawlings; my favourite musical Duo.

NG: Do you think that’s a collab that could happen?

Gina: I don’t know, but if you’d asked me this ten years ago, I probably would have said Baroness!

NG: Alright, scheduling a call with you 10 years from now to check in!

What advice would you give to young women who aspire to enter the metal scene, especially as instrumentalists?

Gina: I think the thing with entering the music scene or any community is just don’t stop. Keep going and keep cultivating the crew of people you want to be surrounded by. It’s really important to cultivate your community and have that support system and just keep honing in your voice, your crew of people and avoid distractions. There are a lot of distractions in the music industry, and I think social media especially just makes you compare yourself to other people and ways to get discouraged, just avoid it and if in doubt, go to the grassroots.

NG: Grassroots venues are where its at, everyone’s learning and supporting each other.

Gina: Exactly, yeah!

Gina, would you tell us about your dog?

Gina: Oh I love talking about my dog! I have a dog, her name’s Rachel.

NG: Amazing! human names for pets are the.best.names.

Gina: Well, I didn’t name her, she came from a shelter. She really looked like the most scared dog in the shelter. She was shaking and all the way in the back and I asked them ‘what’s up with this dog?’ And they said ‘this is Rachel’ I was like ‘Rachel’s gotta get the fuck out of here she is not stoked being in the shelter’.
So, she came home with me and she never left. She’s the best. She is best friends with John’s dog, who is named Frank and they’re just a super cute team. Rachel’s a pit bull, she’s black and white and she’s a couch potato.

NG: The actual dream.

Okay and one last question. What’s your favourite kind of dinosaur?

Gina: Oh man

NG: I know right, it’s tricky.

Gina: Great question, I’m going to go with Pterodactyl!

NG: Yeah, why?

Gina: Because they can fly, they’re super intimidating and… they’re kind of dragon-adjacent.

NG: Fuck yes dragons are where it’s at, thank you Gina!