Gunnar Thorn / Lead singer and guitarist for RHYTHM THERAPY BAND

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gunnar Thorn.  

Hi Gunnar, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
At a very early age, I remember being amazed by watching different people play guitar. The instrument seemed so magical, almost otherworldly to me. And I wanted to know everything about it. I was around eight years old when I started taking lessons. I also came from a very musical family which really helped and was very encouraging. I remember wanting to write my own songs when I was very young. My mother was a skilled pianist and showed me a lot of the basics. So, I would sit and write little songs on the piano, then try to figure out how to play them on the guitar. This helped me very early on to really understand how to create my own music. I continued taking guitar lessons. Then when I was in middle school, I started taking classical guitar lessons. This opened an entire different world of sounds and techniques for me. Through high school, I always played in bands, but instead of playing cover songs we played all the original music I wrote. I was amazed to see how much people accepted hearing songs that they definitely had never heard before. Once high school was done, I immediately started playing in club bands. Though we had to play cover songs, I always made sure we played a few original songs in every set. Then after playing literally every club from Chicago to Detroit, I started setting my sights on moving out to West Hollywood and give it a shot. I auditioned for a few bands and tried my hand at really trying to “make it.” However, Hollywood was definitely not what I expected, and I was pretty disappointed to say the least. I came back to Michigan and immediately started getting another band together. For the next several years, I spent touring, recording, and writing songs. I was in a few bands that got extremely close to getting record deals. But even though some things panned out and some things didn’t, my drive and love for music remained. In late 2021 I got together with my long-time musician friend Kevin Turner. Kevin is a very prominent musician in the West Michigan area. We started working on songs that we both had. Kevin had a lot of music that needed melodies and lyrics added to them. Once we started collaborating the songs just started rolling out. During our first year of writing, we got two of our singles played on The Q 94.5, along with a few other radio stations and different podcasts. We put out our first album called (The Music Room Sessions/ Volume 1) Then in early January of 2023, we released our next album (Music Room Sessions/ Volume 2) 

We are currently writing for our third album and hope to have it available on all streaming platforms by the end of this summer. Our fan base has grown considerably in the last year, and we really believe in a grass-roots approach. Though our music is available worldwide, I find that our most loyal followers are by far our Michigan family. There’s definitely diehard fans here that love going to live shows on a regular basis. We have some surprises coming on this next album release. Our goal is to keep growing our fan base and just continue to put out the best music we can. We can’t thank everyone enough for all the support we have gotten in the past two years. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The music business is just that. A business. I recommend to anybody that wants to really make a go at music to learn the business side. It’s so easy for musicians to get ripped off. Especially when you’re at a pro level with a record deal. That’s probably one of the biggest struggles for new young bands that are just breaking. Kevin and myself had our fair share of this through all the years of touring with many different bands. It’s definitely not what most people think. It can be a hard lifestyle. It’s not all glitz and glamor by any means. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Through the years of playing music, I also built up a loyal following of guitar students. I taught voice, piano, and guitar on and off for over thirty years. There are some extremely talented kids out there that I had the pleasure to teach, and I know they will go far. 

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Michigan was a great place to grow up. Though I’m originally born in Chicago, I moved here when I was in middle school and definitely call Michigan my home. My greatest memories are really just being with friends and family. I felt like those early summers consisted of playing music and getting as much beach time as possible. We we’re pretty funny back then, my friends and I would bring our guitars to the beach and attempt to serenade girls walking by. Yes, pure Michigan!

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