Fight the demons that scare you to be free
"Whenever something bad happens to me, the power of music makes the worst situation into something better." Brazilian Gedro, Pedro Gabriel Carvalho, uses his musical calling to transform bad situations into something looking to the light. His song Get Out, about overcoming depression, holds some pretty dark lyrics written at the lonely time of 4 am when Gedro couldn't sleep.
As soon as he started jamming, the vibe shifted. "When I got those lyrics off my chest to my notepad, I knew I had something and was enthusiastic." Listeners to Gedro's music should feel they're not alone and that other people have struggles. He wants them not to dwell on the past but to face up to it to be free.
"The most important thing to do is keep going. As I say in Get Out: You may go through fire to let it go, fight the demons that scare you and then one day you'll be free to live life in the way it's supposed to be.'
Growing up in Brazil, his father introduced him to musical greats like Pink Floyd and The Doors. Although he learned a little piano when he was seven, Gedro was 12 when he started music school. His instrument of choice was the guitar. Gedro's still in Brazil at Porto Alegre, the capital city of Rio Grande do Sul. Since the country is vast, each state has an individual musical culture, which makes the industry diverse.
"We have many styles around here, such as Sertanejo, Funk and Axé. Unfortunately, since I play mostly rock and metal, not many people listen to my music where I live." But that's not an issue, as he's not chasing fame or notoriety. "I just want to enjoy myself, and that's the genre I like to play.'
Getting Out is a six-track music project and a milestone for Gedro's career. He's particularly proud of a riff he created for the song After Carnaval. "As the title says, I had just returned from a trip with my friends to celebrate, and after listening to music that wasn't anything close to rock and metal, I came up with the guitars for the verses." He felt a rush of excitement. "It was all new, and I hadn't explored those gaps, syncopation and intervals."
But it's not all rosy - he learnt lessons during the recording process. There were problems in the studio, and it took over a year to mix and master Getting Out. "It was hard to see how little others cared about my project and how little effort they put into it."
Gedro dreamt of recording those six songs but felt it was nothing to the people involved. "It seemed like it was something they were doing whenever they felt like it. They didn't commit to it." If he can take things from this experience, it would be to work with professional people who care about what they work on.
With big plans for 2024, Gedro is working on an EP and a full-length album. "I can't talk much about it because I don't want to ruin the magic.' To date, the best thing in his musical career isn't anything related to numbers, although his track Medusa had over 10k streamings. It's the feeling of having a good time and playing with friends. "That's what matters to me - I want to have fun and see other people let their hair down with me at my shows."