William Gagnon is a rising singer/songwriter from Coos Bay, Oregon. At 13, he began playing the guitar and focused on playing the classics, one being the Deep Purple song “Smoke on the Water”. He says, “Even though that song is somewhat of a meme for guitar players, it still means something when you are able to play it. I knew I could do something with the guitar.” After learning the soundtrack from Guitar Hero, he decided to learn them on the guitar. His earliest catalogue of artist covers included the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Funkadelic, Muse, and Nirvana. He joined a band called the Crushing Crayons, where he started songwriting and put out an album in 2017. Moving forward, he wants his music to be liked by casual listeners and musicians who can pick up their instrument of choice and just jam along.

Fresh off the wax press is his debut solo album, Naked,. Though you might do a double take at the album’s name, William assures you that sexuality is not his intent, but instead being vulnerable with yourself. Says William, “I want to get to the point where I can play this project at a show and make people feel comfortable in their own skin and vibe with the music in a way where you don’t care what people judge of you.” Because the album was recorded in a bedroom environment, he adapted and wanted to make sure his album still sounded like a live rock band. Several other styles such as funk, R&B, soul, and 2010s progressive rock find their way into this project. You can check out this album on all major streaming services.