Interview: GUNNAR

Photo Credit: The Young Astronauts

Interview by Sophie Maloney

On Wednesday night, at the tucked-away Cafe 393, I had the pleasure of sitting down with American singer-songwriter Gunnar Gehl (stage name “GUNNAR”) in the green room before his first-ever headlining show in Boston. He’s touring his new album “Sunfaded.” In his most personal body of work yet, GUNNAR is paving his way forward by wearing his heart on his sleeve. 

Sophia Maloney (SM): I just want to start off by asking how the tour is going? 

Gunnar Gehl (GG): Tour’s been awesome. It’s such an exciting thing for me to be able to come out and people know the music and they’re singing. It’s a really special thing for me.

SM: I heard this was your first headlining show in Boston. How does that feel?

GG: Unbelievably cool. Unbelievably cool. We’ll see tonight. It’s just such a difference from when you’re opening for someone, when you have that objective, versus when you’re headlining, you can slow it down and just enjoy it. 

SM: You don’t have to sell anyone; they’re already here for you. 

GG: Yeah, it’s so cool.

SM: Getting into your new album, “Sunfaded.” Sonically, this album, to me, screams a car ride in the summer that starts fun and goes reflective, in good company as well. Was it intentional at all for this album to come out during this summer? And does that accurately reflect the headspace you were in when you were writing it? 

GG: Yeah, I’d say that’s pretty on the nose of how I would like my album to be received. I’d say putting it out in the summer, I think, is just a good time to release music. But yeah, I think my ideal album sonic visualization is, like, yeah, in the car, windows down—wherever that is for you—and just enjoying kind of a spectrum of music: stuff that you can really bang your head to, stuff to really feel, stuff to be self-reflective.

SM: Yeah, just let the album do its thing anywhere that may be. On that note, what is your favorite music to listen to in the summer? Do any artists, albums, or genres come to mind? 

GG: That’s a great question. I’m really into the YungBlud album right now. I also am a huge country music fan, so I’m listening to any and all country music. 

SM: That’s the perfect time to listen to country music, over the summer. 

GG: Yeah. It’s the best. It’s the best. And then, as it gets cloudy, you put on Yungblud. 

SM: Yeah, that’s like a good transition. Did any of those influence “Sunfaded” at all? 

GG: I definitely admire, and I try to incorporate the songwriting aspect of country music as much as I can, and just try to be honest. They always have the most clever lyrics.

SM: Yeah, it really tells a story.

GG: Yeah, that definitely was an influence, I mean, honestly, for this project, the biggest influence was kind of my experience and, like, balancing kind of two separate genres and trying to kind of land in the middle of what makes me feel the most comfortable and authentic. 

SM: Kind of going off of songwriting, when it comes to that process, how often do you go back to things you’ve written before for other projects or from years ago? Or do you write solely for the piece you’re currently working on?

GG: No, that’s a great question. I’d say most of the time I’m working on a specific project, but there are songs that are older, that then all of a sudden I re-listen to them. Like, “Art of Staying Alive” is a song that was years old from another project, and I never used it and never finished it. And then it was just like going through something in my own life, and for some reason, I pulled that song up, and it just like, hit me. And I was like, I need to put this song out. I need to finish it and put this song out. 

SM: With that song or any of the other ones, what is that experience like of approaching older lyrics or ideas from the present? Are there times your perspective has changed? 

GG: Yeah, and what’s really interesting with that song specifically is it was more authentic and true to how I was feeling two years after I wrote it than it was when I had first written it. It’s like serendipity, where I was like, “Why did I write this?” It was almost foreshadowing. 

SM: What’s it like playing a song like that on tour? 

GG: Really special. We open our show with it and it’s. It’s a lot of fun. I think it just puts everything out on the table early, and it’s got a lot of attitude, and I think it does exactly what a first song of the set should do. 

SM: I bet it does, starting the whole show at that point. What is the most rewarding part of songwriting to you? 

GG: I think the most rewarding part is, like. Being able to hear how songs affect other people. I write my music for my own reasons, and some are deeper than others, but like, to know that however I envisioned a song being written or a story being told can be interpreted in so many different ways by so many different people, and help people in different ways, like that’s the most gratifying part of songwriting.

SM: I’m sure. Is there something that you would name as the biggest challenge, or does that change, depending on the song, when it comes to songwriting? 

GG: I mean, I’d say, challenging is a harder word. “You Changed Me” was a song I wrote not to put on the album. I just wrote it for me as therapy. And so I guess the challenging part of that was like wrapping my brain around the fact that other people were going to hear that song.

SM:  Speaking of that, I saw that on your Instagram post for this album, you mentioned that this album “taps into things you’ve never been able to express before.” So, as an artist, what does it mean for you to share an album that’s so vulnerable, and has this signaled a new direction for you musically? 

GG: I mean, it felt incredible, and it feels really good to be that authentic. I definitely think in terms of songwriting, like being that vulnerable is okay. I’ve always worried about what do I want to put out there? Like, do I want people to know this, how I feel? Especially when it involves other people in your life, like, you know, it’s a heavy thought, right? It’s like writing in your journal and then being like, “here, everybody listen.”

SM: Right. It’s like “here’s exactly what went down.”

GG: Yeah. And like, look, there are songs that you write that aren’t deep and that don’t have that. But, like, the ones that do, yeah, it’s kind of a big pill to swallow. And so that challenge has excited me now that it’s out. And like the challenging aspect of it’s kind of through, and now I get to enjoy it. 

SM: Right. The hard part of that is over. 

GG: Yeah. But I think I’ll definitely continue down that path of trying to open up more and more and more and just be truthful and honest. 

SM: That’s really special to be able to give your fans that. Do you have a song on the album that you’re most proud of? 

GG: I really love “The Art of Staying Alive,” and everything that it says, that it stands for. But I think if someone’s ever like, “I only can listen to one song of yours, GUNNAR, what is it?” I’d probably say “Upside Down.” Like, I’m proud of the sonics of that one.

SM: So, after doing a few shows, do you have a song that you’ve grown to love more after performing it on tour? 

GG: Yes, “2 a.m.” “2 a.m.” has become a blast to perform. 

SM: I’m looking forward to hearing it tonight. What is it about that song that you’ve liked more? 

GG: The chorus explodes. It just feels so good in the moment and so good live, and it feels emotional, but powerful and fun. Like, I don’t know. It was just a sleeper song for me that I wasn’t expecting to hit as it does.

SM: I feel like that happens a lot with artists, where it’s like the song they don’t expect a lot of the time. You’ve gone on tour with artists like Maroon 5 and Gwen Stefani. Are there any artists that would be your dream options to go on tour with next?

GG:  Wow, that’s a great question. I would love to tour with YungBlud. I don’t know. That’s a really good question. Five Seconds of Summer would be awesome. Miley Cyrus would be fucking awesome.

SM: Of course, yeah. 

GG: Those are probably the top three. 

SM: Gotcha. That’d be awesome. I hope that happens for you.

GG: Me too. 

SM: I’d love to know, what can people expect from a GUNNAR show? 

GG: I’m really proud of the live show that we’ve put together, and live performing has always kind of been the staple of what I do and the thing I’m most proud of and confident in, and my music career, and I would say that the live show offers such a different side of the album. But it also just offers such a different side of me, and I think you get the most authentic version of me up on stage that I can’t really replicate anywhere else. You know, I put a lot of effort into making sure the show is special and that there’s familiarity to the album, of course, but that it’s different and you get to experience like receiving and taking the album in a new way, in a new life. 

SM: Yeah, I’m sure in some ways it becomes more of a conversation, rather than just playing it by yourself. 

GG: Yeah. Exactly. 

SM: I’d love to reflect for a second and ask if you could go back and tell yourself something or give yourself advice before this “Sunfaded” era started, or even earlier, what would you say? 

GG: Jeez. 

SM: Yeah, a little bit heavy. 

GG: I would say just start releasing. Stop being so precious and waiting for the right time. Just like, start releasing.

SM: Yeah, just get it out there. So I know that you’re kind of at the beginning of your tour for this album. Is there anything upcoming you’re most anticipating, like a certain city, maybe?

GG: I’m really excited for New York.

SM: Awesome. And that’s next, right?

GG: Yup. I think New York’s going to be a really special show. 

SM: Where are you performing? 

GG: Mercury Lounge. 

SM: Have you ever performed there before? 

GG: No, not yet. 

SM: Okay, that’s really exciting!  Congratulations.

GG: Thank you. 

SM: Do you have a favorite part about being on tour or something about this tour in particular that is special or different? 

GG: Hmm. Yeah, I mean, I’ve just loved the memories of being on the road. I mean, it’s such a fun experience, and I’m a homebody, so it kind of is like, it’s kind of a dreaded thing. And then once I get out of here, I love it and I enjoy it. But this tour is just, with it being the first headline, it’s just so special and cool to like, again, have everyone know the words. It’s so cool to me.

SM: In your song “Bitter,” you say, “sometimes the worst mistakes end up as the best damn thing.” How is this lesson impacted? How do you approach music, relationships, or anything going forward?

GG:  I mean, I think it’s an identical replica of my career. I’ve made so many mistakes with teams and different people and different experiences. It’s all part of the journey, and it’s all part of the experience, and that’s what makes you a better person, like choosing the wrong person, you know, and dating the wrong person. When you break up, it feels like the worst thing in the world, but you know, when you look back at it, it’s the growth and the experience that you got from it that always makes it worth it.

SM: It’s exactly what you need sometimes. 

GG: Yeah. Yeah.

SM: All right, well, I am so excited to see this show tonight and hear this album. Thank you so much for sitting down with me! I really appreciate it. 

GG: Thank you for the great questions. 

SM: Thank you, good luck with the rest of your tour. 

After our interview ended, I got to experience the show. When I walked into the Red Room at Cafe 939, GUNNAR’s opener Zoe Ko was mesmerizing the audience with her empowerment pop anthems, ranging from knowing her worth and shutting down unwanted male attention in “Lucky,” to shouting out female inspirations in her life from Lady Gaga to her mother in an unreleased song called “Icona Girl.” Her music is the perfect blend of Rebecca Black and Gwen Stefani, but also offering something completely new, none of the other pop girls are doing at the moment, with an edge that is distinctly playful and proud. Zoe Ko is one to watch, and the crowd seemed well aware. 

Once Ko finished, GUNNAR started the show as he mentioned in our interview with “The Art of Staying Alive.” It got everyone in the room buzzing with excitement, jumping and singing along. Throughout the show, GUNNAR comes off as earnest as he did in our interview. There was a long stripped-down section of the show, where GUNNAR encouraged the crowd to “be in the moment.” His song “You Changed Me” was a particular highlight of the night. It was emotional and beautifully performed by both him and his band, leaving the audience with much to hold onto. After his acoustic set, he had a part of the show where he and his band just freestyled for a couple of minutes, in order to just enjoy live music together. It was a special moment in the evening, as each show will have a different experience. When the night ended, fans lined up outside the Red Room to take pictures with both musicians. There was a real passion from the crowd I could feel as I walked outside. It’s safe to say GUNNAR accomplishes exactly what he sets out to do on this tour: connecting people by simply being himself. 

This interview has been edited for clarity.