Epic Proportions Spotlight: Gabe Kubanda

After years of being connected, Planet Stereo is placing a spotlight on the bands on the Epic Proportions Tour, an amazing company that helps promote artists by getting them on the road and performing for high schoolers, colleges, and even army bases. As the tour goes on, expect more Q&As to be posted with as many of the bands as possible. Below, you can see a Q&A session between Planet Stereo and Gabe Kubanda.

Gabe Kubanda is a musician and also one of the co-founders of the Epic Proportions Tour. As both a businessman and a musician, he is certainly someone to learn from.

 

PS: Thanks so much for doing the interview. How are you?

GK: I’m doing well, but crazy busy [laughs].  I’m prepping for the second leg of our Fall Tour, and recording a new album that I’m really excited about. I’ve created a way for fans to LITERALLY be a part of my new album in a number of unique ways.  Fans can visit SponsorGabe.com to get involved.

 

PS: As one of the founders of the tour, how exciting is it for you to see how much it’s grown over the years?

GK: Everyone has been so supportive, and it’s amazing to watch it blossom from where we started 3 years ago in a crappy old school bus, into this huge thing.

 

PS: Where did the idea for the tour stem from?

GK: 3 years ago, Pete [Sotos] (my business partner) and I had met and commiserated over the current state of the music industry, and difficulties facing unsigned bands, touring on their own,  reaching promoters and booking agents in a saturated market, gaining a solid following, etc.  I had already been offering free shows to high schools with my old band, and the response was so amazing, that when I left that band and went solo, we decided to couple that with Pete’s military connections, and also offer entertainment to colleges as well.  This gives our artists an instant fan boost in areas where they’ve never been before, we get to support our troops, and the schools love that we promote the arts in education as well. It’s a win-win-win!

 

PS: Are you excited to be on the Epic Proportions Tour as an act?

GK: Yes, I love performing my songs, and interacting with the crowd.  It’s always a new audience, a new place to visit, new sights to see, it’s the best way to travel!  🙂

 

PS: Is there a specific date you’re most excited about?

GK:  I’m very excited about my showcase at CMJ on Oct 25th in NYC, our Halloween show at Sul Ross University on Oct 31st, and our Fall Tour Finale “Winterfest” at Arcadia High on Dec 12th.

 

PS: How do you think the Epic Proportions Tour helps unsigned bands?

GK: I’ve seen our alumni bands get some amazing opportunities from either our industry connections, or just from that exposure out on the road, even if it’s just for 30 days.  It shows the industry that you’re now making things happen, getting outside your hometown, and getting some traction.  From getting our bands on Warped Tour, to Summerfest, to the Hot Topic Band winners, it’s really cool to give them that exposure.  We also take care of the transportation and lodging for our bands on our tour, so that takes a HUGE financial weight off of them, so that they can focus on what they do best, and not worry about the cash end as much.

 

PS: Do you know any of the bands on the tour already?

GK: Since I’m also the de-facto tour manager, normally I’ll meet the new bands in person the day before the tour kicks off, give them the rules of the road, assign duties, etc.  But I’ve grown to love the bands that have been with us in the past, and in fact, some of the guys perform with me just for fun when we’re not on the road, and one of the members of Halocene (Brad Amick) is producing my new album.  He’s a very talented producer, and the album is sounding AMAZING!

 

PS: What are your plans for after the tour?

GK: I’ll be finishing up my new album, and I should probably take a vacation, but, since I love my job, I’ll probably just keep rockin’. 🙂

 

PS: What advantages do you think unsigned bands have?

GK: Unsigned bands have a lot going for them in terms of options and decisions.  Once you’re locked in to a record label (for better or for worse), you give up a lot of that control.  I always coach bands to read the fine print before signing any agreements, or get a lawyer involved, so that they can avoid the mistakes that will detriment them later on down the road.

PS: Where do you see yourselves in five years?

GK:  I love being a business owner, an entrepreneur, and a musician, and I’m so blessed and lucky to have the best job in the world and work for myself.  It’s the greatest form of satisfaction (other than songwriting), building something with your own hands from the ground up, and watching it succeed.  I’d love to see our company do multiple tours at a time, go overseas, and really make this tour proportionally more… “EPIC”.  🙂

 

For more on Gabe Kubanda, click HERE. You can also click HERE to learn more about Epic Proportions Tour and see when it’s coming to you!