Meet Gabrielle Gutierrez | Singer Songwriter, Musician, & Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Gabrielle Gutierrez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gabrielle, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Having a passion for music is something I would not give up for the world. It’s been not only therapeutic but has also led me down so many paths and many doors opened in regards to what i would define as success. But because music, right now, is not sustainable as an income I wear many hats day to day.

In the beginning of my musical career with another job, not only did i prioritize music as best i could but it was also maintaining self care, social time and at times, romantic relationships. It’s not an easy path to choose but music has touched every other job or interaction i’ve encountered. It’s helped me build relationships in every aspect of my life.

Though, when i need to break things down, when the balance really becomes unbalanced it becomes a matter of true self love and care. Even when i need to turn my focus towards work that doesn’t revolve around music its not as if my brain stops completely. I might see a phrase or hear something that immediately goes into my phone’s notes app to use for later when i’m able to handle the turbulence of focusing in on my job.

The best advice i can give thats been given to me is that if your’e not happy, change what your’e doing. Jobs may come and go, the inspiration for music may come and go. If i notice these patterns changing because of my unstable balance, i acknowledged them, come up with a plan, and work my way back to where i need to be. It’s not always an over night solution, sometimes it can be a week or even months. I just remind myself in the chaos of maintaining work to life balance, never stop creating.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I think the coolest thing about making music is also being an avid listener to anything i can, breaking it down and almost reverse engineering it so that i can really learn what other artists do and how i can apply it to my own taste and genre.

The thing that can set me apart from others is going to be my story telling when it comes to song writing. I firmly believe the lyrics can paint a picture in everyone’s minds or take you back to a certain place and time. Being able to place my feelings and own experiences for others to share is something so simple but has to be my favorite thing about making music. Its also something i’ve seen with myself grow and change and always learning how to better improve stories and how those stories can translate to a song.

Right now where i am in my life, nothing feels easy. Its easy to get into a mind set where i think ‘am i good enough for this?’ or ‘do i really have the talent to make anything out of this?’ And to have those thoughts can be so draining. Anxiety is something i struggle with making it a little more difficult to firmly believe in myself. With that being said, i have to often remind myself where i was when i started and how much ground ive covered since deciding to make music.

The biggest lesson ive learned along the way is trust yourself. When your intuition says something is right or if something is wrong, most times you’re correct. The other biggest lesson ive learned, is do not stop creating. What you create does not have to be your best work, it is simply keeping the ideas flowing. Any idea can lead to the next and that could lead to something pretty great.

After some thought, if i could let the world know anything about me or what i stand for, its that my music and my fan base is full of support. I think my person stands for a safe space to feel what you need to in order to come out a better version of yourself at the end. I really hope anyone who takes a few minutes out of their day to listen to my music would feel safe enough to think of me as their friend or just a shoulder to lean on.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If i were to have a friend visit the area and i wanted to show them the best time ever, my idea of a good time is driving around and sight seeing any and every place we could get to. Wether it be all city scapes or on the outskirts of town. Its hard for me to pin point some of my favorite things because im such a homebody! I personally would rather focus on catching up at a comfy coffee shop and light window shopping before having an evening in.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
So many individuals deserve recognition when it comes to receiving credit in my musical journey so far.

First and foremost, I would shout out to my Mom, my dad and my grandmother. Over the past few years our relationships have somehow gotten even closer than i could ever imagine. They’re my best friends and my number one supporters in life. If it wasn’t for my grandma specifically I would’ve never started recording my music for it to be on display on streaming services.

I would also love to place my co producer and musical engineer, Daniel Blake. We have worked along side one another since I was 19 years old and he helped shape my music, mentor me when it came to production and has exposed me to so many opportunities. Not only that but the amount of belief he has in me is something that keeps me going.

Not only have all family members but my loyal group of friends have been nothing but supportive. So personally i would love to thank Stasia for helping me stay creative and in touch with pushing me to try new things, Lindsey and Whitney for being my first listeners when i come home from the studio with a new track or have a phone recording from my bedroom and my dearest E for encouraging me to never stop creating and using music as therapy to always work on healing parts of myself i tend to shy away from. Without them i really would feel alone on this journey.

Website: https://gabriellegutierrez.bandzoogle.com/home

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabrielle_gutierrez_/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gabsmgutierrez

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0SMmk3DtmoaGVYVvSiq8ga

Image Credits
Hunter Mulling Grace Comini E Abrams