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In an interview with Downtown Music, self-taught guitarist Andrew Gialanella calls music his ‘escape.’ Speaking of the intertwined journey he made as a person and musician, Gialanella says going sober triggered a ‘big shift’ that led him to a pivotal crossroads in life.
The following recaps an interview with Andrew Gialanella as part of Downtown Music’s series, The Music Industry Lives Here. Downtown Music is a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.
Gialanella’s discovery of the guitar was pretty uneventful. “I was twelve and one day I was bored after school, and I thought the guitar’s cool. There were a couple of guitars in the house because my brother and my dad played. I started plucking away and never stopped.”
The introverted kid, and ‘still introverted’ adult, found the instrument to be ‘a safe place to express myself without words.’ Playing in some bands in high school and then college, Gialanella naturally began treating it more professionally, ‘performing at gigs and bars and stuff.’
After graduating from the University of Georgia, Gialanella committed to a massive shift — he got sober. “The lifestyle that comes with playing out all the time started to become problematic for me. I wanted to change — I was at a crossroads in life.”
Gialanella stepped away from live playing ‘to regroup,’ and as months passed by without playing, he realized he still wanted to be creating music. “So I started dabbling with recording and production. [Since] I’m not a vocalist, I made songs with just the guitar, that’s where the instrumental music started.”
As he started to ‘feel better,’ Gialanella’s music evolved to become ‘very peaceful and mellow and centering.’ “That’s where my mind was — as I progressed as a person and musician. Melody is the centerpiece because there are no lyrics. So I try to focus on stuff you might want to whistle to or hum to later.”
Speaking further about his current ‘spontaneous, in-the-moment, and therapeutic’ music-making process, Gialanella finds himself ‘noodling on the guitar,’ which leads to many voice memos on his phone. “Honestly, once I have an idea, it’s straight to the studio. I’ll chase that immediately.”
A significant part of Gialanella’s improvisation comes from his experience as a live music player. “My music is unique. I want people to feel like [my music] is like a friend that you can lean on if you need it.”
Recalling the time when his song ‘Another Year’ went viral in early 2023 and again in early 2024, Gialanella says, “I’ve had people message me saying they listen to me every day while they work — or they’re making breakfast or doing stuff with their kids. Others say my music helped them through a difficult time and was a comforting sound that helped them through stress and anxiety.”
“It’s a beautiful thing.”
Even though Gialanella’s background is the electric guitar, he raves about his love for the ‘organic and earthy’ sound of acoustic guitar.
“I love being outside on a sunny day, under a tree in the shade — that’s my happy place,” he says, adding, “I visualize nature when I’m creating music. I build a production around those sounds, which crosses over to my video content and stuff; it suits the music and fits the vibe.”
For Gialanella, channeling and spreading a message of positivity with his music is important. “I’m big on mental health, and sharing things that go along with my music.”
Aiming to build an ecosystem of conversation around wellness, mindfulness, and self-care,” Gialanella says, “That’s the kind of energy I’m trying to put out into the world. A place of: things are going to be okay,” he adds.
“The only constant in life is change,” says Gialanella, adding that he’s evolving simultaneously as an artist, and as a human.
Speaking about ‘amazingly supportive’ Downtown Music, Gialanella points out that being independent feels like ‘I’m in control of my destiny.’ He adds, “I appreciate the freedom. Owning my masters gives me the ability to keep doing what I’m doing financially.”
“Finding a distribution solution that understands what I’m doing is hard. I feel like Downtown knows how different types of music behave differently across different DSPs.”
As with other unique genres, Gialanella’s music requires some sensibility of how to promote, release, and pitch. “Downtown’s been great with that. My catalog is in really good hands — not many distributors are in tune with the type of thing I’m doing.”
About The Music Industry Lives Here: Downtown Music’s interview series allows powerful conversations with the voices shaping the music industry. To gain weekly access to exclusive interviews with music executives, artists, record label owners, and influential figures who drive the rhythm of the industry, join here.
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