For GUNNAR, this past year has been an unexpected season of growth. The LA native lost his home to the wildfires that swept through California in January, but from the ashes, he found renewal.
GUNNAR returns nearly a year later with his sophomore album, Sun Faded, and his first-ever headlining tour to support it. The record marks a bold evolution from his 2023 debut, Best Mistake, blending pop, rock, punk, and alternative to explore themes of love, loss, and perseverance through life’s toughest moments.
We caught up with GUNNAR ahead of his Boston show at Café 939 to talk all things Sun Faded, from crafting songs for live performance to the meaning behind the tour’s name, and the deep gratitude he feels for the fans who’ve stood by him every step of the way.
(This interview has been edited for length and clarity.)
JUICE BOX PRESS: “Upside Down” is both the name of your tour and the second track on the album. What makes that title the best reflection of the story you’re telling on this tour?
GUNNAR: From the moment I wrote “Upside Down,” I was like, this song is going to be my favorite song on the record. And to this day, it’s definitely one of my favorite songs.
I never even realized that I did that, but I just felt like the “Upside Down” tour felt more chaotic, it felt more energetic, had more attitude than “Sun faded Tour” or something. I don’t know, I just like what “Upside Down” represents, I like what the song represents, therefore I like what the tour name represents.
JUICE BOX PRESS: You’ve shared that the past year has brought a lot of personal growth. How did that transformation shape your approach to this album compared to your debut?
GUNNAR: My debut, Best Mistake, was kind of a real departure from down the middle pop that I’d been doing for so long – as I was growing up. And so, yeah, I dropped my last name and made my artist name just my first name. And I put that project out, which was like a pretty rock-leaning album. And then toured that for a while and really kind of tested it out in the world and really realized that what I loved was the little bit more ballady songs or more pop-ish songs on that record. So I came home and kind of knew exactly what I wanted to do and what I wanted to make – a solid pop rock album, which is now the second album that I put out called Sun Faded.
JUICE BOX PRESS: This album was written with live shows in mind. Which track are you most excited to perform on tour, and what makes it special to you?
GUNNAR: I’ve always been that person who writes music for the live show. I think that’s the reason that I do it.
The first song of the set, “Art of Staying Alive” has been something I’ve been really looking forward to playing and then out on the road it’s been doing everything that I thought it was going to do. We opened the set with it. It’s got a ton of energy and kind of sets the tone for the show.
I think the first show is always a little bit, you know, you’re a little bit nervous, you’re in your head, you want to make sure you do it right. It was incredible in Chicago and then the second night I’d say it was the last song of the second night. Everyone was so excited for this one song, “Bitter.” It’s the show closing song. I’ve never had that many people so excited to hear one of my song in person. So it was a pretty surreal moment for me and something I’ve definitely thought about the last few nights.
JUICE BOX PRESS: You’re closing out your first headlining tour in your hometown of LA on October 29th. What does that moment mean to you?
GUNNAR: LA is a funny place because it is my hometown, but it’s also such a cesspool of different people. It doesn’t really feel like a hometown show. It kind of adds pressure cause you have all the industry people that come to that show and everything. So honestly, I think I’ve been more so excited for like nights like this in Boston and New York and these places that I don’t get to see very often, I don’t get to play for and LA is going to be awesome and it’s going to be incredible. I kind of know what to expect in LA. And so it’s really exciting being out and playing in cities that I don’t get to play in every day.
JUICE BOX PRESS: What would you say to the fans who’ve been with you from the beginning of this journey?
GUNNAR: How grateful I am. I mean, it’s been a long road and things started really quick and then they slowed down for a few years and I feel like we’re in a really good place right now.
The foundation has been set and we’re starting to see some really good growth on my project and that’s something that I like to say is because of the people who have been with me, whether it’s a week or a year or five years or seven years – we’re all one team, one family and I’m just grateful for you putting the time in with me and getting us to this point.
Featured Photo Credit: Amelia Cordischi
Amelia Cordischi, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Juice Box Press, is an accomplished digital marketing professional with over a decade of experience in media and communications. Her work has been featured in notable publications, including The Boston Globe. A communications graduate of Simmons University in Boston, Amelia served as manager of Simmons College Radio (“The Shark”), where she also launched and co-hosted her radio show, The Find.
In addition to her editorial work, Amelia is an established freelance photographer, with bylines in Blended Magazine and CelebMix, capturing artists and cultural moments across the music and media landscape. Her career began at WCVB-TV’s Chronicle, the ABC affiliate in Boston, where she gained firsthand experience in broadcast journalism and storytelling.
When she’s not taking photos from the photo pit, interviewing emerging artists, or crafting the next Juice Box Press feature, Amelia can be found thrifting and exploring the world of sustainable fashion.