If you’ve followed 25-year-old Gus Dapperton’s career from the bright and charming early singles and EPs to 2018’s full-length album Where Polly People Go to Read, you’ll have recognized that the singer-songwriter-producer has entered new territory on his latest release Orca. The album explores human pain and suffering, but also healing and redemption. Gus’s creative decisions in pursuit of a raw sound to match these raw emotions didn’t come easily. “I’m a huge advocate for putting myself in vulnerable positions in my music,” he says but admits that confronting these feelings “was a chance to be open that I was afraid of.” But he pushed himself and, with the help of his friends and family, came out on the other side stronger. Watch out for more new music to come in 2022!