ALTERNATIVE SINGER-SONGWRITER GERT TABERNER RELEASES MOVING NEW EP ‘IF WE KEPT ON TRYING’
October 27, 2023 BY Bailey Vigliaturo
As if extending an open hand to a friend in need, Gert Taberner makes the kind of music that pulls you out of life’s low points. His sound hinges on an acute sense of empathy as much as it relies on his inventive soundscape architecture, airtight songcraft, and unfiltered lyricism. The Frankfurt-born and Vancouver-based singer, songwriter, and producer has gone through loss, doubt, grief, and a whole lot of uncertainty. However, he always finds a way to not only pick himself back up, but to also uplift listeners via his artistry. After building a devout fan base and gathering tens of millions of streams, his third EP, If We Kept On Trying, might just do the same for you.
The EP features previously released gems such as “To Break,” “Alright,” and “Tourist,” which serve as emotional pillars within the overall narrative of the collection. These songs capture the poignant realization that everyday moments, like sharing a simple cup of coffee with a loved one, can become bittersweet memories when faced with the fragility of life. Gert Taberner’s music becomes a vessel for the emotions that accompany these experiences, offering a sense of understanding and connection to anyone who has walked a similar path.
“There is something to be said for being transparent,” he observes. “When I started writing the EP, there was a lot of soul searching. I was learning how to cope with grief on my own. The whole process of getting into the studio and writing these songs was very much about trying to figure out how to move forward after loss. Grief is complicated and confusing enough, but I’d say I’m getting a little bit better.”
Absorbing this experience as best as he could, he took a closer look at what he’d gone through during the writing process for the EP.
“A lot of this record is about the time period between finding out her diagnosis and taking care of her,” he recalls. “My sister and I moved in to take care of her for the last nine weeks. The grief started the day before she passed though. Once you realize, ‘Oh, I can’t take my mom out for coffee, because she can’t do that,’ and ‘she may not see my next birthday,’ you begin mourning.”
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 such as “Functional.” In the midst of his output reacting with audiences, he lost his father to lung cancer in 2020. Not long after, his mother received a terminal cancer diagnosis, so Gert made a pledge to “care for her 24/7”. He made good on this promise until her passing in 2022.
