Giuliana Lucia Amaral is the 20 year old lead singer/songwriter and bassist of Band Inc. out of Boston, Massachusetts. Giuliana and her band have the music world standing up and taking notice. They have opened for some pretty heavy hitters such as Buckcherry, The Iron Maidens, The Dave Matthews Band and Alice Cooper, just to name a few. I have seen her perform a few times now and I can tell you she is a powerhouse. We recently sat down for a chat so we could get to know her a little better.
By Lea Fiega, May 2022
Lea/TRR: Giuliana! Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk with me today!
Giuliana: Thank you! When I heard you were the person that was going to be interviewing me, I got so excited! It's nice to talk with you again.
Lea/TRR: I'm excited too! As a child, did you know then that you wanted to be a musician?
Giuliana: When I was 5, I told my Mom that I wanted to be a musician. All the other kids talked of wanting to be a doctor or a teacher, I had no connection to any of those things. I always knew I wanted to do something in the arts. My Mom had me start piano lessons (which I did not like). I kept up with the piano for a while.
Lea/TRR: For a while? What other instruments do you play?
Giuliana: Other than the piano, I play bass. I taught myself how to play the guitar. I always wanted to play guitar, but I picked up the bass first and I love it. I could be a solid rhythm guitarist though!
Lea/TRR: A multi-instrumentalist. Very cool. Who are your music idols, biggest influences in music?
Giuliana: This is a hard one... there are many. First I would say Lady Gaga. She is so different and never afraid to step outside the box. She will perform with Metallica one minute and Tony Bennett the next. She has no limits to what type of music. She does it all. One of my favorites is Led Zeppelin. They are the definition of rock music. They broke all the rules. Next would be Queen. Freddy Mercury I believe is one of the greatest songwriters of all time. My fourth would be Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead. He was and still is a great inspiration to me.
Lea/TRR: That's a great list of artists. You have also caught the attention of some of the biggest names in the music industry as of late. / had the opportunity to chat a bit recently with Jimi Bell of Autograph. He told me that he has been following your career and that you are an exceptional talent and are going places. What does it mean to you to have the support of international artists such as Jimi Bell?
Giuliana: I feel so honored to know that he thinks that of me. I am a huge fan of his and of Autograph. It is amazing. He is such a legend! It inspires me and pushes me to continue forward.
Lea/TRR: Who has been your favorite artist to perform with or open for?
Giuliana: Another hard question. I have performed with some incredible artists. I would have to say Buckcherry. They are all great musicians and put on a great show. A close second would be Alice Cooper.
Lea/TRR: What is your favorite venue to perform?
Giuliana: One of my favorite things to do is read autobiographies about other musicians... Almost all of them have played at the Whisky A Go Go in California. Last year we were invited to play there. I usually do not get nervous before performing in front of any audience. However, I get so nervous when I play there. It is iconic to me, knowing that such artists like the Doors, Motley Crue... Huge names have played there. Now I have too. It is my favorite venue. The Rainbow Bar & Grill is right down the street too, and that is a fun place to go.
Lea/TRR: If you could collaborate with any musician, past or present, who would it be and why?
Giuliana: I think, being a bass player and singer songwriter myself, it would be Jimmy Page. I think he is a musical genius!
Lea/TRR: What is your favorite thing about being a musician?
Giuliana: I love songwriting. I have always been shy and I keep to myself. Expressing myself by speaking has been a struggle for me. It is easier for me to write down my thoughts, feelings and experiences. Being able to turn these words into songs that someone can relate to, or find comfort in knowing that someone else has gone through the same thing, is a beautiful thing.
Lea/TRR: You have recently been nominated in the Best New Artist Category for the International Portuguese Music Awards. Congratulations! How excited were you when you found out?
Giuliana: It is such an honor to even be nominated! I was with my Grandpa in Santa Monica looking for a place to park the car. We were not having good luck in doing so. It was then that I received messages on my phone telling me I was nominated. Being of Portuguese descent, the Portuguese music awards is something my family and I would watch and or attend. It is a huge honor.
Lea/TRR: Tell me about your sidekick, Lemmy!
Giuliana: Oh My Goodness! Being a person that travels a lot, I get lonely. The only people I really talk to or spend time with the band members and my Mom and Grandparents. I decided I would get a Pomeranian... I would take him with me wherever I went so I wouldn't be so lonely. My Mom and I traveled quite a ways to pick him up. As we were driving back I was reading an autobiography about Lemmy from Motorhead. We stopped to get a coffee. As we got back to the vehicle, my Mom stepped on the book. At this point I still had not picked out a name for my puppy. I looked at the front cover of the book and there in big red letters was the word LEMMY. God put a light on the book. I took it as a sign and named my sidekick Lemmy! He travels with me. He is such a rock and roller. He waits in the green room when I am performing and we hang out when I get off stage. He's my buddy.
Lea/TRR: What is something about you that your fans may not know that you would like to share with them?
Giuliana: I am VERY SHY and VERY QUIET, soft spoken and awkward. When I was younger I had stage fright. I will have to show you the picture of a performance we did when I was in school. It is a picture of me hiding in the corner of the stage. I am getting better. I no longer have stage fright.
Lea/TRR: You have an alter ego then, because when you hit the stage, you are a powerhouse! How do you spend your time when you are not performing?
Giuliana: Spending time with my family is my number one thing to do when I am not working. I love taking my Grandma to run her errands, sharing a bite to eat with my Mom and just talking, and spending time with my Grandpa. We talk about music a lot. He is my best friend! Music is my life, my family is my everything.
Lea/TRR: What is on the horizon for you and Band Inc?
Giuliana: We just released our single, Midnight Rider. It has reached over 10,000 hits. I am excited about that. In just a few weeks we are traveling to Nashville to record our EP which we anticipate to be released late spring/early summer!
Lea/TRR: Giuliana, It has been an absolute pleasure chatting with you. I am looking forward to seeing you in May back here in Western Mass for your show with Draw the Line! Thank you for spending some time with me!
Giuliana: Lea, Thank you again for this interview. You made my day!
Lea Fiega is a freelance photojournalist
for Tru Rock Revival Magazine and is
the owner/photographer of