St. Jude Give Monthly 2024
Praise 104.1
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Gwen Bunn

Source: Gwen Bunn / Radio One Digital

HAILING FROM DECATUR, GEORGIA, GWEN BUNN IS A GRAMMY‐NOMINATED, 2X PLATINUM‐SELLING ARTIST, PRODUCER, AND SONGWRITER. IN 2017 GWEN WORKED CLOSELY ON RAPSODY’S CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED AND GRAMMY NOMINATED ALBUM LAILA’S WISDOM WHERE SHE WAS A FEATURED ARTIST ON THE ALBUM.

MUSIC HAS BEEN A PART OF GWEN’S LIFE SINCE SHE WAS A CHILD. WITH HER PARENTS DIVORCING WHEN SHE WAS 3 YEARS OLD, SHE DREW INSPIRATION FROM TWO SEPARATE HOUSEHOLDS. HER MOTHER IS A LAWYER AND WRITER WHO ALSO SANG IN THE CHOIR, WHICH IS WHERE GWEN GETS HER ENTERTAINMENT SIDE FROM. HER FATHER IS A WRITER, WHICH IS WHERE SHE DRAWS HER LYRICAL INFLUENCE.

WHILE SHE GREW UP AND LIVED TWO DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES, IT ALL CAME TOGETHER IN THE END. HER DAD WAS HEAVY INTO HIP‐HOP WHILE HER MOM LOVED GOSPEL, BUT BOTH PARENTS ENJOYED JAZZ, R&B, AND SOUL — A BIG PART OF GWEN’S LIFE TODAY. HER OWN EXPERIENCE SINGING BEGAN WITHIN THE CHOIR AT EBENEZER BAPTIST CHURCH, HISTORICAL CHURCH IN ATLANTA WHERE MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. WAS RAISED.

GWEN WAS ALWAYS A HUGE FAN OF MUSIC. IN HER SPARE TIME, SHE’D ACTIVELY LOOKED FOR CDS AROUND THE HOUSE TO EXPLORE — BUT SHE WAS MORE SO INTO SPORTS. BASKETBALL AND GOLF WOULD TAKE UP THE MAJORITY OF HER LIFE. THE LAST 2 YEARS OF HIGH SCHOOL, IT WAS HER EXPERIENCES IN THE CHOIR THAT OPENED UP HER LOVE FOR SINGING. AFTER QUITTING THE BASKETBALL TEAM, SHE’D GO HOME EVERY DAY AFTER SCHOOL TO MAKE BEATS AND GET CREATIVE INSIDE HER OWN BUBBLE.

UPON GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL, SHE KNEW SHE WANTED TO FURTHER HER EDUCATION IN MUSIC. ATTENDING BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC WAS LIFE‐CHANGING, DESCRIBING BEING AROUND WORLD‐CLASS MUSICIANS AND GENIUSES AS “NEXT LEVEL” FOR GWEN TO GROW AS A MUSICIAN AND ARTIST. AS PART OF A BAND, SHE PERFORMED DIFFERENT GIGS THAT WOULD GIVE HER THE STAGE PRESENCE NECESSARY TO PERFORM, WHILE UNDERSTANDING THE NECESSITY OF TEAMWORK AND PUTTING ON A SHOW.

FROM THERE SHE WENT ON TO CREATE HER INDEPENDENT LABEL MELODY DUNGEON MUSIC. THE FIRST RELEASE ON THE LABEL WAS HER CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED 2018 ALBUM SAFE TRAVELS. SAFE TRAVELS RECEIVED SUPPORT FROM ARTISTS SUCH AS SZA, JAY VERSACE, AND H.E.R., THE LATTER OF WHOM WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TO BUY IT ON BANDCAMP.

IN 2012 SHE RELEASED A RENDITION OF A SONG BY ROY AYERS ENTITLED “EVERYTIME I SEE YOU” WHICH LED TO THE RAP DUOS LITTLE BROTHER, PHONTE, TO REACH OUT IN HOPES OF COLLABORATION. FROM THERE THE INTRO TO 9TH WONDER WAS MADE. 9TH SAMPLED THE SONG “YOURS” FROM SAFE TRAVELS WHICH WENT ON TO BE A PART OF RAPSODY’S GRAMMY NOMINATED ALBUM LAILA’S WISDOM.

THANKS TO THE INTERNET, SHE WAS ABLE TO BUILD A NAME FOR HERSELF GAINING ATTENTION FROM PEOPLE SUCH AS MAC MILLER, CHILDISH GAMBINO, DJ JAZZY JEFF, SYD FROM THE INTERNET, AND MANY MORE.

GWEN IS EXTREMELY GRATEFUL TO BE INVOLVED IN THE DIFFERENT LANES AND SOUNDS WITHIN THE MUSIC. AFTER GOING BACK AND FORTH TO LOS ANGELES FOR 6 YEARS, SHE RECENTLY COMMITTED AND MADE THE MOVE TO RESIDE ON THE WEST COAST FULL‐TIME. SINCE THEN, SHE’S WORKED WITH THE LIKES OF TY DOLLA $IGN, GOLDLINK, AND MANY MORE.

GWEN SPECIALIZES IN EMOTIONS, AIMING TO HONE IN ON THE DIFFERENT AREAS AND DYNAMICS THAT COME WITH IT. LATER THIS YEAR, FANS CAN EXPECT HER FORTHCOMING PROJECT TITLED MOOD SWINGS.