ALTERNATIVE SINGER-SONGWRITER GERT TABERNER ANNOUNCES NEW EP WITH SINGLE “TOURIST”
September 15, 2023 BY Bailey Vigliaturo
Alternative singer-songwriter Gert Taberner unearths life’s most formative experiences and feelings under a glow of eloquent songcraft, unfiltered lyricism, robust instrumentation, and cinematic production. After generating tens of millions of streams, the Frankfurt-born and Vancouver-based singer-songwriter has announced his upcoming EP If We Kept On Trying with his new single “Tourist.”
Audiences have grown accustomed to such candor on Gert’s part. In 2016, he unveiled his debut EP, Fallen. The lead single and title track piled up 14.2 million Spotify streams. Beyond placements on series such as NETFLIX’s Sense8, other highlights included “In Need,” which reeled in 6.7 million Spotify streams. 2023’s As Good As You Thought Might Be EP boasted fan favorites like “Functional.” During his output reacting with audiences, he lost his father to lung cancer in 2020. His mother received a terminal cancer diagnosis shortly after, so Gert pledged to “care for her 24/7”. He made good on this promise until her passing in 2022.
“If We Kept On Trying feels like a continuation of my previous EP and an ending point. Like all of the singles, it’s strongly focused on loss and grief and what we do in the aftermath of it,” says Gert.
He continues, “However, what surprised me a lot about the process of making these songs was the space they held for hope in a way that I really wasn’t expecting. There is obviously so much hurt and sadness in letting go, but I would be lying if I said that, in my case, it wasn’t also accompanied by a healthy dose of relief. Accepting that feels like the core thing that I took away from making it.”
ᐧ
Today, Gert releases “Tourist,” a hauntingly beautiful song that delves deep into the complex emotional terrain of caregiving, loss, and the profound impact it leaves on the human soul. The lyrics are a poignant reflection on Gert’s journey through the harrowing experience of providing end-of-life care for his beloved mother during her battle with a terminal illness. Amidst the somber backdrop of caregiving, the song also explores finding moments of joy and happiness.
“I wrote Tourist about my journey providing end-of-life care for my mother when she passed away after a long bout with a terminal illness. The process of providing care to the person who raised you really messes with your head. It feels like any decision you make comes with a life-or-death asterisk, something that I definitely wasn’t prepared to deal with. You’re constantly getting things wrong, and even when you’re getting them right, it doesn’t feel much better, and frankly, any form of joy in that time felt like a bittersweet act of defiance with regard to the clearly pre-defined outcome that a diagnosis like hers entailed. Getting this one right while writing felt like an exercise in holding space for both sides, the morbid and the joyful, and where they intersect.”
CHECK OUT “TOURIST” VISUALIZER BELOW
Gert’s vulnerability and ability to connect through music about life’s most tragic experiences provide a calming sense of comfort. In the end, his honesty might bring you a sense of peace.
