Mark Gunner On the Making Of “Show You Love”
What was the initial spark or idea that led to the creation of "Show You Love?"
“Show You Love” came out of a tension between a number of different wants and hopes I have for my music. My musical act is first and foremost a solo acoustic set, but I also love loads of EDM, so I wanted something that was as much both as possible. I also wanted to write a love song, but I didn't want to do just another song about some stage or other of a romantic relationship. I realised that community is something I think is really important, but to write a song about how great it is to be surrounded by loads of like-minded people getting along really well would be wrong because I don't think that's what a community is all. I think it's that stress and frustration overcome by passionate love and commitment is what defines a good community, and I like to think that that comes across in the song.
Were there any memorable or standout moments during the recording sessions for "Show You Love?"
Yeah, there were a few actually. I tend to have a very clear and specific vision in my head of how I want things to sound and look, and it rarely makes sense to anyone else until I can show it to them. I knew exactly how I wanted this song to sound, but I'm definitely not good enough as a producer to make it happen. I got a good friend and really talented producer called Polyfawn to produce it for me, but handing anyone an acoustic bass recording and some synth tracks and going "Make it sound like Sigala" is going to be confusing at best. He also lives on the other side of the continent. We ended up having several hour-long video calls over Discord where I'd go over every detail, right down to the pitch of individual hits in the drum fills. Like I said he's a good friend, so they were good times, but my word I'm a perfectionist!
How do you feel "Show You Love" represents your artistic identity?
Oof. Mm. I suppose I prefer writing stuff that looks at the mundane and enjoy it with fanfair and passion. I think there are a lot of artists nowadays who take their darkest moments and turn them into sad musical mantras that they scream out every night for years, and I personally struggle to see how that's healthy for anyone, especially the artist. I'd rather enjoy the little background things in life and show the joy and drama of them. I have a series on YouTube called Quick Songs, where I write and record a song in a day, and I'm more likely to write a song about how the weather's a bit hot at the moment than I am about heartbreak, although both can happen.
Can you share a bit about your musical background and the journey that led you to where you are today?
Haha, yes! I was quite a hyperactive child, so my parents just put me up to do anything they could to fill my time. I ended up getting grade 8 in piano, singing, and trombone before I left school (you're supposed to do 2 hours of practice a day for each instrument at that level. Fat chance). At uni (doing electronics, because I'm a NERD) I ended up doing everything from singing in a male Welsh voice choir in the Royal Albert Hall to playing fretless bass in a dubstep-indie fusion three-piece to singing with a jazz big band. I've still dabbled in as much as I can since then, but I've really been trying to focus on my solo bass technique first and foremost, just because I think it’s something unique and compelling I've got going for me. We'll see what happens!
How do you continuously grow and evolve as an artist?
I'm naturally a very curious person who loves to learn new skills. As a result, my music is always brewing in new directions to the point where I don't even count that. The place I'm trying to focus as much as I can now is overcoming my urge to be just the tinkering inventor at home, and stepping out into online communities more. My whole family are engineers who have no real interest in music, so I don't know any of the people or culture in the music industry. I'm trying to adapt to have the sort of mindset that makes sense in this world rather than just making stuff and hoping that someone important stumbles across it. I'm also doing a lot with my YouTube series Mark's Weekly Nonsense, where I just do whatever seems like fun to me, which is going great guns.