Kicking off his Broken Hearts Club Tour at the Irenic on Friday, May 31, Gnash is bound to channel his love for music with an unbridled energy at the North Park all-ages church/venue.
The LA singer/songwriter/DJ/producer was born Garrett Charles Nash to a film-director mother and a musician father (music clearly runs in the family), began DJing at the age of 13, and became infatuated with music production after college.
In 2015, Gnash began releasing a series of EPs centered around an unfortunate breakup -- starting with "U" in March 2015, "Me" later that year, and "Us" in early 2016. The rising artist discussed his musical journey, beginning with the release of his debut project, in a recent press release.
"Everything in life is about balance," Gnash wrote. "That's the No. 1 thing I've learned while growing up in a big city like Los Angeles. My first single, 'I Hate U, I Love U,' and my label, happysad -- spelled :): -- both, in the titles alone, tackle balancing emotional issues everyone faces daily but most are afraid to (or don't find the time to) discuss. So I've found the best answer to this problem is for me to do the talking so the listener can focus on thinking."
Featuring Olivia O'Brien, "I Hate U, I Love U" peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and reached No. 1 in Australia. When asked what music means to him, Gnash was candid.
"My music has become a sort of emotional guidebook for those who are open to experiencing life's ups and downs, but who are also committed to an overall positive outlook on life," the DJ/producer explained in a statement. "The three EPs I've released ... serve as a walk through a breakup, finding yourself and finding something new -- but also the universality of that journey and the harmony that comes from learning how to co-exist with other people in this often self-centered world we live in. Eventually, I want to make a song for every feeling and I felt this three-part, 21-song series was a great place to start."
In October 2017, Gnash was featured on "Lights Down Low," a hit single by pop singer/actor Max, which peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. It became Gnash's second entry on the chart, with "Home" -- released just two weeks later -- becoming his second lead entry as a solo artist.
"I make music that connects with people," Gnash wrote online. "I think that's because my music is as real as I am. I produce and write it all in my garage, which is why my production stays simple and clean. To my listeners and I, it's not about how it sounds, it's about what I'm saying. Being honest isn't always easy (or pretty), but it's usually what's best and honestly my favorite music has always been about the lyrics to me anyway. That's why I draw inspiration from songwriters like Cisco Adler, Jack Johnson and Ben Gibbard -- they're nothing but themselves in every way."
Gnash headlines the Irenic with Anna Clendening as the opener on Friday, May 31. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are priced at $20 ($25 meet-and-greet tickets are also available for purchase).
Jehlad Hickson, aka Jehlad Akin, is a singer-songwriter, composer, dancer, actor and writer who just moved to San Diego eight months ago. You can visit his site at www.jehlad.com, or reach out to him on Facebook at Jehlad Akin, SoundCloud, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
