Before he stepped on stage for the last show of the tour, GUNNAR sat down with MUD to talk about his new album, Best Mistake.
We’re at the final stop of your tour. What’s the whole journey been like?
G: Dude, tour has been incredible. I've learned so much, grown so much. It’s kind of cliche, but every night has been memorable for its own reason. We had a crazy experience in Philly. We played the sickest venue. It was a great vibe. The cheesesteaks, the espresso martinis. It was just a great overall experience. But now I love New York, too, because I'd never loved New York before. I always thought it was too much for me. And now we’ve been here like, five, six days, and I'm like, fuck, man, I could move here.
Love to hear that. Earlier I asked you about writing music on tour. Do you get inspired to write on the road, or do you just focus on tour and what you're doing?
G: That’s a great question. I kind of like to write music for live shows. You’ve listened to the album and enjoyed it, which is awesome. And that's why I want you to come see the show tonight, because to the people who hear the album and connect with the songs, I would just say, come see a show because that's where it really all makes sense and clicks. Do I get time to sit and write a bunch of music on tour? No, not at all. At least not on this run. But I take a lot of inspiration from what people connect with and interactions that I'm having. I write them down and I'll save them for when I get back.
I can’t stop listening to the new album, it’s just so good. Would love to know the inspiration behind it, and is there a specific song that captures the overall picture?
G: So the album is called Best Mistake, and it’s a huge departure from what I've been doing in the past. I was kind of put into this pop box growing up, and during the pandemic, I got time to reflect and realize I didn't like what I was making. This album was just the opposite of doing what other people wanted me to do. I just started making music that was for me and for nobody else besides me. It was really empowering and I got a crazy feeling to write music and express music. It sounds so dumb, and I know every song should be from you, but man, to write music that was straight up from me and me only was a new experience. It was like Gunnar’s reborn. And so if there's a song on the project that encapsulates its entirety, I would say it’s probably either “Cinnamon” or “Bad Idea.”
I know you just released your album and you’re also just wrapping up the tour, but is there anything you’re looking forward to this year?
G: I’m super excited about playing more shows. Our goal this year is to do 100 shows, whether it's in the U.S. or outside of the country. Either to headline a tour or open for somebody else, I’d love to play as much as possible. The album has been two years in the making, and that’s where my head has been all this time. So now it’s all about getting the music in front of as many people as possible. Obviously, I’m working on new music constantly, but to me, this is the year to play live shows.