MusiQology is a family business, and it’s our great pleasure to announce the debut of Bridget Ramsey’s EP, B-Eclectic for online sale HERE. After more than a year behind the boards and at the studio keys, Dr. Guy has shepherded his daughter through a debut release that stretches genre boundaries and listener expectations, all packaged in a five-song sampler of MusiQology’s next generation. We sat down with Bridget for an extended Q&A to celebrate the album’s release.
MusiQology: So it’s a few days after the EP’s release. How are you feeling? Does it feel like an important signpost or crossroads in your young career?
Bridget Ramsey: It feels like a huge milestone in my career! It’s been a long time coming and it’s something I’ve been looking forward to and working towards for such a long time. It’s my physical proof of the work that I’ve been doing and that my dad has been putting into my career. It’s such an exciting feeling and I can’t wait to continue to record and put out music. I want to keep doing it and get better and keep trying to evolve.
MQ: In terms of that evolution, this album draws upon quite a number of genres throughout history. How do you blend classic genres but still make things sound contemporary?
BR: My dad is my musical coach right now, so he has a lot to do with taking the contemporary ideas I want and fusing them with classical sounds (Not that that hasn’t been done before: Plenty of the jazz songs that are in “pop culture” have been remade to be contemporary so that it can be appealing to the masses.) But he’s the historian, so I’m kind of just observing closely, trying to let it all soak in so I can turn around and do it myself/with other musicians without him by my side every step of the way. But for now, I’m blessed to have a musical genius, producer, manager, biggest fan, and dad all in one.
MQ: What was it like embarking on such a large recording project with your dad? What’s he like in the studio?
BR: It was exciting because though we were such close collaborators, this was my record. I knew at the end of it, I’d have an album, with my face and name on it. It’s kind of intimidating because I want to make sure I am perfect when I’m around him. That doesn’t always happen, but I try. I like having him there though because he tells it like it is. It’s either right/good or it’s wrong/bad, and I need someone that will be honest and tell me that.
MQ: Tell us about the recording process. Where, when, for how long? Was it your first (or lengthiest) time in the studio? What challenges does recording in the studio create?
BR: We recorded at Turtle Studios in South Philly and at JatWorld in Springfield. Both places we spent many, many, many hours. Too many to remember. The whole project took about a year to finish. We used live music for a lot of it so that took time. Before this record, I never really went to record more than one song; I was usually just featured on a song, or just recording one song for someone else’s project. This being my first project that was mine. And it was amazing.
MQ: There’s a theme of eclecticism running through the album title and its tracks themselves. Why was this chosen as the theme of the EP? Why do you think being eclectic is important for a musician?
BR: I think that it naturally became an eclectic album. I studied classical music in college but grew up singing jazz and listened to lots of R&B/Pop in my free time, so I wanted to include all the things that I naturally loved. I don’t want to necessarily fit into this one genre of music. I want to be free to perform, record, listen to, be featured on any style of music I choose. Some people may find the album to be reallyR&B, others may find it to be more jazz. I don’t care how they classify it, as long as they enjoy it as much as I enjoyed recording it.
MQ: So then how would you respond to the idea of eclecticism as a strategic choice?
BR: I don’t know that it’s actually important to be “eclectic” as a singer/musician as much as it is important to be open minded when it comes to other people’s preference in music. There’s nothing wrong with being in a specific genre and mastering it and being the best at it. I’m just trying to be the best I can be, in whatever kind of music I’m performing at the time.
MQ: It seems like there is also a positive message throughout the songs here of positivity, strength, and perseverance. Was that something you wanted to emphasize? Why?
BR: “Happy Talk” and “Hold Your Head Up” are both definitely intentionally positive. “Happy Talk” is originally a fast standard, but when you slow it down and really listen to the lyrics, it takes on this whole new meaning. I wrote “Hold Your Head Up” and wanted it to be positive because it’s something I strongly stand for and I also wrote it to encourage myself and others. Like any performer, I sometimes have days where I question my talent and question if I’m good enough. But I just have to keep my head up and keep pushing on.
MQ: MusiQology is very much a living, breathing musical project. How do you expect to bring this work into the MusiQology experience, and how is the studio different from the live setting for you?
BR: I think singing live you naturally get more nerves. Being in the studio, you know you can do it again if you mess up. So it becomes a kind of a laboratory, and the EP is the final product of experimentation. But the live setting is where you move out of the lab and into the real world. I actually haven’t performed my two originals live yet. I’m looking forward to putting together a live performance arrangement for them.
MQ: Now that this is complete, what’s next? How do plan to promote the album?
I’ll continue performing live with MusiQology and showcasing my voice however I can. I want to continue pushing the album to get people excited about it. That excitement will roll into the next one.
You can purchase B-Eclectic, the debut EP from Bridget Ramsey at iTunes HERE.
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