Gina Loring
Gina Loring is not just a new pretty face on the music scene …she is innovative, inspiring, and just oozing with creative talent. In a pop culture frenzy of instantly famous, reality based stardome, Gina Loring is the real thing with a passion for speaking her mind and bringing about social awareness.

By Maritza Villegas

Gina Loring has been most inspired by Billie Holiday.

Girlsite interviews Gina Loring and it could not have been a more inspiring experience. This singer/songwriter/poet has a soultry sound that is incomparable. Gina’s sound is reminiscent of Billie Holiday and her lyrics are as witty and poetic as Lauryn Hill. Her devotion to her love of poetry and music has lead her to a variety of projects ranging from being a member of the 2002 Los Angeles Slam Team, to performing on Russell Simmon’s Def Poetry Jam (HBO). Keep your ears and hearts open for this rising star because she will totally blow you away with her sound and message!


GirlSite: Who were your musical influences when you were younger, and who are some now?
Gina Loring: Whitney Houston was my favorite when “The Greatest Love of All” came out, so I was always singing and I knew that it was something I was born to do. As far as writing poetry, I really started finding some comfort in expressing myself through word when I was probably about 14. I started writing poetry a lot and then I didn’t actually start performing it until college.

I am the biggest Billie Holliday fan! I love her so much, and I actually discovered her when I was 14. I have been an avid fan of hers, she has been a big influence to me. I also love Ani Di Franco, Lauryn Hill and Aretha Franklin. It’s just a wide variety-Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, Bob Marley, and Lenny Kravitz have all influenced me, I think I pick up different aspects of different people’s styles and then just combine them with my own.

Gina films a PSA on Internet Safety for GirlSite.

GirlSite: Later on you went to Spelman College and majored in English and Theater, do you think that has helped with singing and writing poetry? If so, in what ways did it contribute to your music?
Gina Loring: When I was at Spellman I sang with the jazz ensemble which got me accustomed to performing and singing with a crowd, performing with a band, and interacting with the other musicians and getting the vibe. It added to my growth as a performer and writing honed my skills as a poet widening my vocabulary and helping me to understand the best way to express myself.

Singing, that’s something that I’ve been doing for a long time. Performing for my mom, just performing, I am always on, so it’s something that I’ve always been doing. It’s something that I just feel within me, I also come from a theatrical family, my father was an actor, and my cousin is an actor, so its just something that I feel comes very natural to me. I definitely would love to do more acting on stage, I have a lot of respect for the theatrical craft and I would love to do that.

GirlSite: You are also involved in poetry slams, what are they like? Do you ever get nervous?
Gina Loring: Absolutely! Any kind of performing can be nerve racking. It really depends on the environment and the people you surround yourself with that kind of determine if you are in a good space, if you feel supported. Slamming as been a very interesting experience for me, I definitely think that it contributed to my growth as a performer and as a writer. It kept me on point as a writer and allowed me more time to get comfortable performing. It is kind of stressful and I’m not a very competitive person, so it did not come naturally to me to want to do better than other people especially when I had to compete against my friends. I don’t really feel that there are rules when it comes to creative expression, but I am thankful for the time I had with slam competitions.

Check out Gina's site at www.ginaloring.com

GirlSite: How was your experience being on HBO Def Poetry Jam?
Gina Loring: Oh I loved it I had so much fun, Russell Simmons has really helped to bring spoken word to a national level where people all over can see what we’ve been working on for years now. He has delivered it into the living rooms of many Americans that had no idea the spoken word even existed. You know it’s a great show and it’s a wonderful forum. It’s nice to be treated professionally, and not have the coffee grinder in the back, and people talking and drinking in the background.

GirlSite: What was it like recording an album? How would you describe the type of music you sing?
Gina Loring: I think when I first went into the studio I was a little bit directionless. I had all these songs in my head, and all these lyrics and an idea, but I really didn’t know what my style was. I think as my time increased, there in the studio, I got more and more in touch with what my style was and what I was going for. I guess it’s kind of like, a neo soul, some of the songs are kind of folksy; with an acoustic kind of sound other songs are more hip-hop. It’s just a blend. Sometimes I get down and I’m rocking out, other times it’s more of a smooth soulful R&B kind of sound. I enjoy doing different genres not just sticking to one sound. But I was really fortunate to find a studio where the folks there are really wonderful! I have these two very professional full-length CD’s that are working as my demos, and hopefully I’ll get a record deal!

GirlSite: What is one of your favorite songs to perform?
Gina Loring: I have a song called “Fancy Things” which I like to perform because most people in the Los Angeles area can relate to it. It’s about how easily we get caught up in material things, especially in Hollywood. There is so much attention put on being rich and famous and having the Gucci and the Versace. This song is sort of about that, and about trying not to get caught up in that by remembering our true selves and our dreams and not all the material stuff.

GirlSite: What is something you know now, that you wish you knew when you were younger?
Gina Loring: Well I think in life we are continuously growing and learning, so I definitely would never say that I have found the way. I’m stilling growing and learning about my self and about life. But I think that probably the biggest lesson would be to live in the moment and really experience the now, appreciate the breeze, appreciate the flowers, appreciate all that has been provided for us. Just to be thankful in that moment rather than worrying about things that have already happened, or things that haven’t happened yet, just to be present!