Meet Landon Gamble: Toronto singer-songwriter, voice memo hoarder, and the next big thing you’ll be bragging to your friends about discovering early. Fresh off the release of his latest single “Shocker !”, I was able to sit down with the busy 23-year-old to talk creative chaos, finally having label support after years of grinding solo, and what it’s like writing a love song before the girl says yes.
“My voice memos are atrocious,” says Gamble, wincing. “There are like 800 of them, all unlabeled.” He laughs because, of course, they’re named something like “New Recording 368”. But, Gamble isn’t worried about organizing the chaos. He’s too focused on capturing inspiration the moment it strikes – often while driving, after watching a new movie, or binge-watching a TV show that’s completely infiltrated his dreams. “I never sit down and go, ‘Let’s make a song,’” he says. “That’s happened like three times… I get a lot of inspiration, honestly, from movies and TV shows.” And yes, he means that literally. Gamble has written entire songs about fictional characters and storylines. “You know when you fall into a show and become so addicted to it, and it’s so good that you wake up the next morning and you’re just thinking in that show?” he says, laughing. “It’s happened a lot to me where that gets translated to music. And I’m like ‘What am I doing? I’m writing a song about these characters?’”
When asked to describe his sound, Gamble leans towards the indie rock and indie pop labels. “Big guitars, lots of instruments, and just big band feel. That’s what I love,” says Gamble. With artists like Royel Otis, Mk.gee, and The Backseat Lovers among his biggest musical inspirations, it’s easy to hear their influence in his work. “That’s what I love to perform, that’s what I love to record, and it just makes for the best live shows, in my opinion.”
Despite the easygoing confidence he carries now, Gamble wasn’t always this way. He got his start in songwriting at the age of 14. “I was probably writing, ‘My heart burns for… whoever,’” he says, cringing. “But, you gotta get all that out. Especially when you’re young, you’ve got nothing to write about.” What solidified his dream of pursuing music was when he played his first few shows in high school. “That was when I had the ‘Okay, I’m not going to school. We’re just gonna do it’ moment.” With that being said, it wasn’t until he was 18 that he recorded his first song. “I’ve been an artist on Spotify for at least 4 years, so I never recorded or had a record until I was 18,” he says. “I was also a solo artist, obviously, and just worked jobs to get enough money to release a song, and then every single dollar I made would just go into that.” The reality of independent artists everywhere: saving thousands from random part-time jobs to fund a single song. “I would release 3 songs a year because I couldn’t afford it. It was like 3-4 grand, save it up, and blow it on a single. Then, just do it all over again,” he says. “And I also had to live, obviously. I needed money. It was definitely difficult.” However, things look a little different now, with Gamble finding relief, resources, and support since signing with his label, Infinity & Recordings. When asked what’s changed most for him since signing, his immediate response was, “Money.” Gamble is extremely grateful to finally have financial support for his music and a label that believes in both his artistry and growth. “I’m very grateful for the relationships that I’ve made and the people that I’ve met, and just how good they’ve been to me in terms of the music and me as a person.”
For Gamble, the creative process isn’t just a solo effort. He grew up around a lot of music and his family has always played a role in his journey. Gamble’s dad handed him his first guitar, and his brother, Dawson Gamble, remains one of his closest creative partners. He also notes his two close friends, Trey Joshua and Matt Arthur, for their constant collaboration and support. “Three of us are artists and one a producer. We make music together all the time. Having that further our bond as friends is pretty crazy. Definitely an indescribable feeling when you do get to make music with the people you love and trust.” His newest single, “Shocker !”, released on May 30th, is his favourite song to date. It’s a song based on his real life, which is rare for the singer-songwriter. “It’s a very special song to me. It’s about my girlfriend – well my now girlfriend. She wasn’t my girlfriend when I wrote it,” Gamble explains, smiling. The song came together in a single night, effortlessly and all at once. “Also sonically and lyrically, one of my favourite songs that I’ve made so far.”
Gamble has continued to grow his stage presence within Toronto’s constantly evolving music scene. “I love playing shows in Toronto. I love so many venues down here,” he says. “Growing and shaping as an artist within the city is really cool. Performing is the best part of what we do.” He speaks very highly of the city’s venues, having played shows at both The Horseshoe Tavern and Adelaide Hall earlier this year.
We wrap with a rapidfire of some of his Toronto favourites:
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Favourite restaurant? “Sugo.”
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Favourite bar? “Bowie – it’s my girlfriend’s favourite bar. But, after the “Shocker !” shoot, City Pool has so much sentimental value. So yeah, Bowie and City Pool – tied.”
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Favourite venue? “Favourite that I’ve played is probably Adelaide [Hall]. My favourite venue in Toronto is History – my dream venue to play at, for sure.”
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Favourite Toronto or Canadian artist? “We’ll go JB [Justin Bieber], just to show JB love.”
Looking ahead, Gamble is closing in on the rollout of his second EP – his first with the label. “We’ve done three songs so far that have come out this year, and we have two more,” he says. “Those, I’m hoping are to be released before the summer ends. I’m excited to have another full project out.” He’s also hoping to play two or three more shows before the year wraps. With momentum building and so much more music ahead, this is just the beginning for Landon Gamble. Don’t gatekeep this one, you’ll want to be the friend who can say you found him first.
Keep up with Landon Gamble on his socials:
Spotify: Landon Gamble
Instagram: @landon.gamble
TikTok: @landongamblemusic
Stream his latest single “Shocker !” on all platforms here
Photography by Valentina Caballero