Interview With Gunnar Gehl.
Interviewed by: Sarah Evangelista
Being just the age of 19, Gunnar Gehl has already achieved so much. The pop artist has opened for PRETTYMUCH on their North American tour, worked with a ton of talented people, and recently released his newest EP One Second of One Day. Read our interview with him below.
Who was the first person that inspired your music career?
I always say John Mayer had a huge influence on me because of the amount of real artistry that he has… But I grew up in an incredible time for music. I listened to a lot of what my parents listened to which was mostly rock driven, and then had sisters who were constantly watching and listening to mainstream pop. I think a lot of who I am today stems from the balance of both of those things, and has shaped me into having a pop, pop/rock leaning sound (at least for now lol).
So sorry if this is a question you’ve been seeing everywhere lately, but being an artist, what are your personal pros and cons about the virus regulations?
I mean obviously Covid-19 has put a stop on all real live shows which is a huge bummer. Live performing and being face to face with people is my absolute favorite thing so not doing that and not experiencing the energy that the show gives off has been tough. BUT, it has given me a lot of time to really focus on the music. I am so excited to come out of this with the music that we’ve written, so that's keeping me motivated :).
What were the hardest parts of starting your music career at a young age, and what have you learnt from that?
There’s sooo many things that I’ve learned from starting this at a young age, and I think that’s just part of the process. The hardest part about starting young I would say is not really knowing where you want to go, or let alone who you even are, while being promised things by people who think they know you. There are so many credible people with so many opinions that it’s easy to get lost in everything, so the biggest lesson I learned I would say is just to trust my gut.
You’ve opened for PRETTYMUCH on their North American tour, how was your experience of being an opener? What were your favourite parts?
Yea!! It was a perfect first tour. Having that tour as my introduction to so many fans was the best thing that could have happened at the time. On stage is where I feel most comfortable, so any chance I can get to go perform, I will.
You recently released your debut EP, how does it feel for it to finally be out into the world?
Ahhh I can't even tell you how good it feels to finally just have these songs out there. I've been waiting for this and I couldn't be happier to say this is the official beginning of a long road of music ahead.
One Second Of One Day is so great. Which song(s) took the longest to create?
Great question. I've had “Missing Someone” in my back pocket for almost 2 years now, but I think the song that physically took the longest to make was probably “Pleasure & Pain” just because I recut the song so many times trying to make sure it was perfect.
How did the project come all together?
This EP is a collection of my favorite songs from over a year of writing hundreds of songs. A lot of the songs we wrote back in December of 2019 in Palm Springs. I remember sitting down with my team back in April and going through so many songs deciphering between our favorites and deciding which 9 we wanted the EP to be. This whole project has such a diverse sound, but is also so cohesive in my roots, I couldn’t be happier with a debut EP.
What about you is misunderstood?
I think with social media and stuff nowadays everybody (of course) is posting the highlights of their days and lives, so the easiest thing to misunderstand is probably that I’m just human and have bad days and go through the same thing as everybody else. Hahah ALSO apparently nobody thinks my instagram makes me look tall, so I feel VERY misunderstood when people think I’m short hahah.
I was actually looking through your Spotify playlist of your favourite songs, your music taste is amazing!! Which artists/groups do you have your eyes on right now?
Thank you! For the last few months I've loved watching Tate Mcrae come into the spotlight, another friend Lexi Jayde has been releasing really good music… Then of course i think Bieber is in a really good spot, and I also love the new Ariana album. That's this week lol, it's always changing.