At only eighteen, up-and-coming singer-songwriter Gunnar Gehl has been praised by many in the industry for his soothing vocals and laid back personality, and he’s more than ready to take the world by storm. I sat down with him to discuss his newfound fame from his recent gig opening for boy band PRETTYMUCH on their Funktion tour, as well as his new single ‘For Your Love’ that has already racked up nearly 80,000 streams on Spotify since its release last week (Gehl had previously opted to remove his prior singles from the platform).
Upon asking Gehl what forms of media have influenced him in his life and career, he stated: “I love movies. Action movies, specifically. Musical artists that inspire me are artists that have meaning behind their words.” Likewise, Gehl appears wise beyond his eighteen years, and he is able to express his thoughts through his songs. “Writing songs have helped my personal life in the same way that a therapist and/or therapy would. All these emotions that I have I get to release through music and it feels really good to do so,” he shares. Despite “growing up really fast”, he considers his lifestyle to be “a huge blessing” that has made him “really thankful, but it definitely makes you see the darker sides of the real world sooner than later.” Gehl has taken a break from touring for the past eight months to be “in sessions writing and making music, but since February [he] has been very busy preparing for releases”.
When Gehl is able to have some downtime, he enjoys “being outside, golfing, surfing, and traveling,” as well as spending time with his friends. However, Gehl does acknowledge that “it definitely is hard and [his] friend group has gotten smaller since this all started, but [he] has the people [he] loves and cares about close, and that–combined with [his] family of friends–is all [he] needs”. When asked about his future career goals, Gehl said he “hopes to be impacting people on a global scale with [his] music and performing. [He] wants [his] music to reach as many people as it can, and hopes that it is as wide as it could be”.
Gehl’s advice to aspiring musicians looking to pursue a career in the industry would be to “work really, really hard. Never quit, even when it’s hard, but most importantly follow your heart.” Gehl hopes to one day be able to “perform a headline show at Staples Center” in his hometown of Los Angeles, as it “would be a dream come true.” Gehl’s drive and vision have allowed him to reach a worldwide audience that surpass those that have only seen him perform live. His Spotify followers and YouTube subscribers who stream his music daily have allotted to his success, yet his Instagram and Twitter platforms, where his followers can keep up with his daily adventures, have allowed him to be more personal in interacting with his fanbase. He remains humble and reachable, as he genuinely believes in being approachable.