Despite fame, Noah Gundersen keeping his music grounded

By Wesley Wilcox | gargoyle@flagler.edu

Musician Noah Gundersen’s reaction to finding out he had been nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics says a lot about how down to Earth he is.

“I got a thing in the mail and I threw it away,” he said about receiving the nomination notice. “It didn’t change anything.”

Gunderson worked with writer Kurt Sutter for the song “Day is Gone” on the season six finale of “Sons of Anarchy.”

But it’s not the only show to use Gundersen’s music. “The Following” and “The Vampire Diaries” have also used songs “David” and “Family,” helping to spread his music to a bigger demographic.

Gundersen will make his first visit to St. Augustine Wednesday, Oct. 14, when he plays the Colonial Quarter on St. George Street.

The Emmy nomination was not the first time Gundersen had collaborated with Sutter. Gundersen’s hit, “Family,” played on the show prior to season six.

“I had worked with him (Kurt Sutter) and Bob before, and was familiar with there vibe,” he said. “It didn’t take a lot of force.”

Gundersen knows all about not forcing anything lyrically. His first EP, “Brand New World,” arrived in 2008 while he was 18. He followed it up with the release of “Saints & Liars” in 2009, but it was 2011 when Gundersen made his huge breakout in the release of the EP, “Family.” He was 21 years old when the song made season four of “Sons of Anarchy.” In the spring of 2014,  Gundersen released his first album “Ledges” with hits “Boathouse” and “Cigarettes.”

Gundersen has received phenomenal reviews from NPR and Wall Street Journal on his newly released album, “Carry the Ghost.” What distinguishes him from other artists is the way he speaks from the gut and the heart.

“I wanted to stay true to myself,” he said when asked about the direction he wanted to take on this album. “I just make my art and do my best not to compare.”

So what makes Noah Gundersen seem so down to earth?

He plays alongside his sister Abby Gundersen, who brings a breathtaking violin and voice to the music, and now he also plays alongside his brother as well.

“Abby brings something to the music that makes it unique with a voice of her own,” he said. “(It) counter balances my voice and personality.”

His love of music helps to keep him grounded, even through Emmy nominations. He said what matters the most is the deeply rooted music that he shares with fans, along with playing with family.

Being from Seattle, Washington Gundersen is accustomed to traveling the west coast, but not as far as the sunshine state.

“We don’t come to Florida because it’s so far, but we heard a lot of people reaching out,” he said.

Noah’s tour of Carry the Ghost began Sept. 11 in Vancouver, Canada, and will make a stop in the Nation’s Oldest City before ending in Portland, Ore., on Nov. 3. For tickets to the St. Augustine show, visit www.staugamphitheatre.com.

Carry the Ghost is on sale on iTunes or through noahgundersenmusic.com.