Spotify Saturdays with Local Singer-Songwriter Gareth Fernandez

Having made his debut in 2014, Gareth Fernandez is a singer-songwriter who has been part of the local music scene for coming 6 years now. He draws inspiration for his music from the likes of Sam Smith and Lauv—two very popular and talented pop artists.

Since his foray into the industry, Gareth has dropped singles such as trap/R&B track ‘Drowning’, ‘Let You Down’, ‘Achilles’, and lofi-hiphop Christmas jingle, ‘Can’t Call It Xmas’ alongside songstress Ffion. Gareth’s latest release, Be Cool, is a career-defining collaboration with the renowned Gentle Bones, produced by fulses.

Tell us your name, and how you’d introduce yourself to someone whom you’re meeting for the first time.

Gareth Fernandez! I’m a big nerd. Music is my first love, but all the usual nerd stuff applies. Oxymoronically, I also love working out. My dream is to perform and record original music for a living while working out and gaming in my free time. Hahaha.

What are the five tracks of your life? 

Somebody To Love – Queen

I Don’t Want To Be – Gavin Degraw

Ordinary People – John Legend

Like I Can – Sam Smith

King Of Wishful Thinking – Go West

Why would you consider this playlist to be significant to you?

Each of these songs just speaks to me and I’ve been obsessed with each one at some point in my life. For example, ‘Somebody To Love’ by Queen is my Mount Everest song. Meaning I can’t quite pull it off yet but I hope to someday after I’ve put the work in.

Gavin Degraw and John Legend are huge vocal influences for me and some of the first artists I tried to draw inspiration from, and emulate as a teen.

With my more recent work, I occasionally get mistaken for Sam Smith, which is the greatest compliment ever. I suppose I have a similar vocal range and approach to songs, melodies, and runs as he does, although my technique is nowhere near as flawless.

Pick one track and tell me your fondest/most interesting memory of it.

Go The Distance by Michael Bolton.

As a kid, I loved Disney movies, and Hercules being about Greek Mythology is perhaps my absolute favourite. This song encapsulates my childhood, where I always wanted to amount to something. To become a ‘hero’, succeed, and have a ‘happy ending’. This need for external validation drives me very hard to work my ass off and achieve stuff, but can also be slightly unhealthy. I’m working on it. Both my music career and myself. It’s a slow, uphill grind, but I’ll make it!

If I had asked you this question 10 years ago, what is the one track that your then-self would have picked as your favourite?

Ordinary People by John Legend. It’s so profoundly beautiful and painful, and it’s in my opinion, his best work ever. I always sing it whenever I can.

Gareth Fernandez | Listen to his playlist here | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify