Who is GFM
Interview conducted on Jan. 20, 2020
by Dan Locke
All-female Beautycore band made up of sisters. They are from Jacksonville, FL and have introduced a new genre to the music word by the name of Beautycore which is a mix of hard rock and metalcore, played exclusively by women!
Band Members
CJ English – Guitar, Vox
Maggie English – Bass, Vox
LuLu English – Drums, Vox
Dan Locke: How was NAMM?
LuLu: The best thing about NAMM was getting to see all of the sponsors that have been with us and supported us while we grow. I appreciate how much work they individually put into our band themselves.
I hope to make them proud as we continue to grow.
CJ: My favorite thing was seeing all the new equipment coming out next year!
Maggie: The best part of NAMM we’re all the interviews we were able to do! We got on the JBL stage for an interview, did a podcast with Gator Cases and Life of Lozo in their sound booth, and had interviews in the media center with Talk4Media, The Greene Room Magazine, UncivilRevolt, and HeavyNewYork!
I loved getting to feel the new line of Schecter basses as well!
Surprise at NAMM?
GFM: We met Slushii, we attended SJC’s concert with Issues, Coffin Cases absolutely SPOILED us, and we got to do an interview on JBL’s stage!
You were part of the Women at NAMM event. Who else was on the panel?
The speakers consisted of Robin Walenta, President & CEO of West Music, DeDe Heid, Ex VP Heid Music, Crystal Morris President and CEO Gator Co, Laura B Whitmore, founder of WiMN and Mindi Abair two time Grammy nominee and a co-host of the She Rock Awards 2020.
How did you get your name?
It was our mom’s idea. Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh were the first three gifts given to Jesus at his birth and she said we were three gifts given to her by Jesus.
What is beautycore?
Beautycore is a genre that we created for ourselves! It started as a joke because we didn’t really fit in with normal metal bands or “core” bands, but the more we told people about it, the more they encouraged us to run with it! Now, it’s becoming this women-led movement in the rock industry.
What influenced you while growing up?
When we first started GFM, we really were influenced bands like Lacey Sturm, Skillet, and We As Human. In 2014, we were invited to attend Welcome To Rockville, and we found bands like Bring Me the Horizon and Asking Alexandria which helped us create that heavier sound.
You are sisters. Who was the first one who started to take music lessons?
CJ is the oldest, and she started piano at 5 but changed to guitar at 6, Maggie is the middle sister, and she began piano at 5 and then started bass at 8, and LuLu is the youngest and started playing drums at 4 and a half.
What instruments have you learned how to play?
CJ plays guitar, Maggie plays piano and bass, LuLu plays drums and guitar.
What is live music like in Jacksonville, Florida?
Really great rock bands used to constantly come out of Jacksonville, but now it’s geared more towards beach and pop music. There is definitely a resurgence for rock though, and a lot of the metal scene from Tampa, Orlando, and Ocala is making its way back to Jacksonville.
What is the best venue to play in the area and why?
Our favorite venue was Mavericks Live, but sadly they tore it down. The 1904 Music Hall is a great place to play with an excellent sound engineer.
I have seemed that most female players have names for their instruments. What is it and what is its name and was there a reason for its name?
We actually have never named our instruments haha!
How has God played a row in your music?
We give God all the glory for our talent, the doors that are opened for us to perform and all the lives that He has impacted through our music.
I hear a lot of similarities to the band Skillet.
We used to play a lot of Skillet covers growing up, and a lot of people relate us to Skillet because we are a positive message band that plays in both the general market and the Christian market.
I saw you’re It’s the most wonderful time of the year video. Are you ever going to do a Christmas cd or at least record a Christmas cd like.
With us, you never know, so you’ll just have to stay tuned to find out!
Some of the bands you have shared the stage with were bands like Motionless in White, Breaking Benjamin, Demon Hunter, A Day to Remember, Disturbed, Halestorm to name a few. What have you learned by sharing the stage with these bands?
We’ve learned that hard work, determination, a strong passion for our craft and a spirit of never giving up is a must to continue in this business. We also learned how important it is to read your contracts!
What would be your dream tour?
We would love to tour with bands like A Day to Remember and Papa Roach, but our dream tour would definitely be a women-filled lineup!
You are a fairly young band. How do you stay healthy on tour?
We do our best to maintain a healthy diet which is hard because we love sugar haha. When we’re not playing shows, we try to get plenty of exercise and sleep. It’s important to take your vitamins too!
What is your Go To Comfort Food?
CJ-pizza, Maggie-Asian food, LuLu-sushi and we all love Cracker Barrel
Before a show what rituals do you have?
Vocal warm-ups are a must, as well as stretching! We have specific ways to get rid of any nerves as well!
How do you see yourself in 5 years?
Headlining huge tours, continuing to make music that people love, and helping people with our music
Anything in closing?
Definitely, follow us on all social media platforms at thegfmband and go listen to our new single “I Don’t Need Your Fantasy”!
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