On his new track “This is Now,” Gunnar Gehl (GUNNAR) is at an emotional crossroads. The singer-songwriter is moving on from his painful past—one that kept him awake and night and affected the way he interacted with the world around him—and is ready to celebrate his growth by driving into the future.

Powered by a classic-rock riff, “This is Now” blends acoustic and electric guitars seamlessly as GUNNAR rides an modern Americana-inspired ballad. He expresses his hurt so boldly; the passionate desire to move ahead drips off of his raw, stinging cries as he details his fights with inner demons. He tries to wrestle them off using “the words in this song,” a weapon that guides him through the darkness and to the top—where he calls to us now.

GUNNAR dutifully pays his respects to a loved one on the track, someone that “he didn’t get wrong,” but “This is Now” shows that he refuses to be codependent. After all, he was the “only man left” as his own ship was going down, and he has himself to thank for pulling himself out of the rough waters. “I’m not saying you saved me / But oh, I’ve been found,” he croons on the chorus, showing love to his support system that saw him for who he was through his struggles. 

GUNNAR acknowledges no person can truly “save” another, but that journey doesn’t have to be fought alone. “This is Now” is a breakthrough, one that explores the multitude of ways that a song can express gratefulness—as an ode to resilience, power, and self-love.