Meet Greta Pasqua | Singer-Songwriter, Artist, & Production Assistant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Greta Pasqua and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Greta, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I’m someone who you’d call a Nervous Nelly. I’m very measured and like to play things safe, so on the surface you wouldn’t think I’m a giant risk taker. However, I ended up picking a super risky career path, so it’s kind of funny… Most people would think having a career as a singer-songwriter and artist is delusional because there is zero “job security,” but here I am! The same goes for my work in the touring industry. My very first time out on the road was touring as a production assistant for Brian Wilson. I was a fresh 24 years old and was the only woman on the entire tour. I was sleeping on a bus with 10 grizzled men who I’d never met before in my life. An insane thing to do! But it ended up being one of the most enriching experiences of my life. So while I’m all of my friends most measured, careful, and responsible friend, I clearly have a hidden streak for taking certain kinds of risks. Go figure….

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I joke that my involvement in music was fated. Both my parents are musicians and worked within the music industry, so they forced me to take piano lessons as a kid, and I HATED it. I always said that I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up but the only thing I knew I didn’t want to be was a musician… yet here we are!

Songwriting found me when I was an angsty teenager, and I wound up pursuing it as my major in college within the Popular Music Department in USC’s Thornton School of Music. This is where I met my amazing mentor Patrice Rushen. After four years of spending all my time learning the intricacies about what makes good music really great, I graduated from the program in 2020 – right into the black hole that was the beginning of the pandemic. Patrice was my lighthouse and hired me back to be her assistant at USC that fall. I worked and wrote my way through those couple of dark years, and in 2022 found myself going on tour with Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys as his production assistant working under his tour manager, and Patrice’s husband, Marc St. Louis. Since then, I’ve continued working as Patrice’s assistant and as a production assistant for some very iconic acts.

It has been a joy to split my time between these amazing once-in-a-lifetime opportunities and continuing to work on my own career as an artist. It’s pretty awesome to see this industry from both sides. I feel like I get to collect all these incredible life experiences and then incorporate them into the music I make.

I always say that my sound mainly lives in the holy trinity of Rock, Pop, and Americana. In my music, melody and hook are everything, but I love to cut through with honest (sometimes brutal) lyrics. I grew up listening to writers like Sheryl Crowe and spent a lot of time with iconic groups from the 60s and 70s like Fleetwood Mac and The Beatles, if that tells you anything…

I put out my first couple of singles last year, starting with my song “Freeway,” and I’m getting ready to release a few more this year. I won’t give too much away, but I’m really excited for the next couple of songs because they are a stark departure from what I already have out there, and they’re honestly just a lot of fun!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I grew up in the Valley, live on the Westside, and work in Downtown, and I love to eat… So!

We would HAVE to spend some time on what I like to call the “Bread Tour” which involves one magical block on Ocean Park Blvd. in Santa Monica where you’ll find Layla’s Bagels (the best bagels), Jyann Isaac (the best bread and pastries), and Ghisalo (yum pizza).

You also can’t fail walking Montana Ave. and stopping to get a breakfast burrito and a Fizzy Hoppy Tea at Go Get Em’ Tiger.

If it’s a Sunday, we might have to go to the ROW in DTLA to hit Smorgusburg. But then we would have to go back a second time to wander around and eat the best pizza of your LIFE at Pizzeria Bianco.

We would visit Salt and Straw probably several times for Almond Brittle and Salted Ganache ice cream.

We would go to the Platform in Culver City to hang out and have a coffee and possibly a taco from Loqui.

We would go to Pasta Sisters down the street from the Platform for some yum pasta and a great hang.

All this eating means we might hike Will Rogers in Santa Monica and catch the beautiful view of the ocean and city… I also might drag you to one of my favorite nurseries to get some plants for a gardening day.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shouting out both of my wonderful parents – Kathleen Laccinole and Alan Pasqua, and my brother, William Simon, who have supported me in all my creative endeavors. I have the best cheerleaders on my team!

Patrice Rushen and Marc St. Louis have been dear friends and amazing mentors who have introduced me to amazing opportunities and have helped guide me through it all.

Enzo Iannello, my partner and collaborator, has believed in my music from the very start and has been an integral part of building my sound and artistic footprint.

And my dear friends who keep me inspired. I am so lucky to have such wonderful people in my life.

Website: https://beacons.ai/gretabelle

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gretabelle/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gretapasquamusic?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@gretabelle

Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Ks1aGiH9oifq7n0Kua6YJ?si=HNegwzUbSTKX778RJGtTfg https://music.apple.com/us/artist/greta-pasqua/1149603977

Image Credits
Kelli Hayden Maxx Walske Josh Kim Natasha Sawhney