Here at CelebMix, we love discovering new music and always welcome emerging artists with open arms. When we stumbled across GNTLMN, we knew there was something special about them.
Made up of Aaron, Alex, Camden, and Colin, GNTLMN are more than just your average boyband. There is no weak link within this Los Angeles based male pop group – they have the most insane four-part harmonies which will make you swoon for sure.
They’re also destined for big things. Colin is the son of the legendary Richard Carpenter (The Carpenters), whilst Aaron is the cousin of Jason Scheff, vocalist and bassist of Chicago. With music in their blood, there’s no doubt that GNTLMN are ready to shake up the world with their sound.
Back in June, the band released their debut single ‘Get Some’. The track has already received a lot of attention, including their debut radio airplay on XTRA Radio. Along the way, they have garnered support from the likes of David Archuleta and former Destiny’s Child star LaTavia Roberson.
We’re super excited for GNTLMN’s future and recently had the opportunity to ask the band about ‘Get Some’, growing up around music icons, being gentlemanly and much more. Check it out below!
Hey guys, welcome to CelebMix! First off, can you introduce yourselves individually with a little known fact about you?
Alex: Hey I’m Alex! A little fun fact about me… I was home schooled from 5th grade through graduation.
Colin: Hello everyone! My name is Colin Carpenter and one fact that is not so known about me is that I have an immense love of English Bulldogs and have my own pet English Bulldog named Bubba!
Aaron: What’s up CelebMix! I’m Aaron and a little known fact about me is that I am a horror movie fanatic! I love them all except the movie Halloween. That guy gives me the creeps.
Camden: I’m Camden, I grew up in a super small town that had literally no artistic draw. My parents supported my love for music so much, that they would spend countless hours, pretty much daily, driving me to “the big city” for auditions and training. I even went to double schooling- nights and weekends I would attend a music and creative arts academy because the high school I went to had no music/theatre department. I’m forever grateful to my mom and dad.
You’ve all been singing since you were young, but how did the formation of the band come about?
Alex: Camden and I were put together through a nationwide audition with two other members. Those two didn’t work out and so we held another set of auditions and found Aaron and Colin. They are the perfect fit and exactly what we needed.
Congratulations on releasing your debut single, ‘Get Some’! Can you tell us about the song and the inspiration behind it?
Camden: Thank you! The inspiration for ‘Get Some’ came together when we were in the studio with our producer at the time. We were all chatting about what’s hot and we really wanted a cool summer jam. We all just started vibing and this is what came from it! We hope you love it.
The music video is an interesting concept, and doesn’t actually feature you in it. How did the idea for it come about?
Alex: I came up with the concept based off the song’s idea that guys tend to think they’re the ones that are in control of the situation… But in fact, the ladies pull the strings. Having girls lipsync the song implies that they put the words in our mouths and therefore put the whole song into motion!
‘Get Some’ was recently played on the radio for the first time. What did it feel like hearing yourselves on the radio?
Aaron: It was surreal. it sounded so good! I wanted them to put it on repeat.
Are you working towards an album, and can we expect more new material this year?
Camden: We are! I can’t say a whole lot, but we are headed out of town to record our full EP in a few days actually. Our album will be fully available to the public early fall!
How did you choose your band name?
Colin: It took many nights of endless coffee, restless sleep an vigorous thought!…….JK haha we actually took a look at ourselves as a group and thought it would be a pretty accurate and edgy idea to name ourselves after classy and respectable men even though our music may or may not be “gentlemanly”! From there we decided to make the image of it GNTLMN to modernize it!
What’s the most gentlemanly thing you’ve ever done?
Alex: It feels weird to answer this… Like I’m tooting my own horn! Haha hmmm… I’d say that it’s hard to answer this with one thing because being a true gentleman means constantly being a gentleman. Holding doors, standing up when a lady leaves the table, pumping gas for others…. Things my mama taught me and that I continually practice.
Colin: One day I was walking to the library and passed two elderly men who had just finished lunch. I was walking the opposite way as they were and just as I had passed them, I saw the man with the cane trip over an un-leveled surface and fall face first onto the concrete floor. The man had a bloody nose and was marked up and his friend was panicking because he did not have the strength to help him up. It was on a college campus so many students rushed to class or were uncomfortable, but I turned back and helped pick up the man and walked him to his car while cleaning up his scrapes and injuries. After that the man and his friend prayed for me and said God would reward me with love and affection and that it was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for him. That moment has made me want to help anyone I possibly can and continue to be a “gentleman”.
Aaron: Probably when I hold the door open for everyone in public places. People look at me like i’m crazy. it’s great.
Camden: I would like to think I am pretty chivalrous in general. I work really hard on constantly trying to better myself as a person in this crazy society. I was brought up by two completely selfless parents that raised my siblings and I to set examples of kindness, generosity and love. I hope I do exactly that, and if i’m not, feel free to slap me at any time!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BXhseiUAcmD/?taken-by=gntlmnofficial
Colin, your father is Richard Carpenter from the Carpenters and Aaron, your cousin Jason is the lead singer and bassist of Chicago. You’ve clearly got music in your blood, but what advice did they give you about music growing up?
Colin: Having a musical prodigy such as Richard Carpenter be my dad has highly influenced my passion and drive in the music industry! My father gave me an appreciation and understanding of quality music at such a young age. The main advice my dad has given me about music growing up is to do what you love and what makes you happy and if you set that as your reason for pursuing music and not fame or money, then people and fans will notice your talent and drive for music and everything like fame and money will come to you in time.
Aaron: When I was in college I would send Jason clips of me singing. He was always so encouraging and told me to keep it up and never give up on my dreams.
Obviously you stand as artists in your own right, but who would you say are some of your musical inspirations?
Alex: For me it’s my parents and sister, vocally. They’re all incredibly talented vocalists and challenged me throughout my life. As far as industry vocals go, I’m very inspired by the vocals of Guy Sebastian.
Colin: I know it is very corny and predictable but my top inspirations are my aunt Karen Carpenter and my dad Richard Carpenter! They are the reason I have the drive and passion for music that I do and I love every moment of it!
Camden: I’m so inspired by artists like John Legend, Sam Smith and Guy Sebastian. Their vocals are literally insane. Here’s a secret I have never shared publicly; Zac Efron in High School Musical made me want to do this haha. Crazy enough, my first big job was at 16 and I was in the national tour premiere of High School Musical on Stage, produced by Disney Theatrics.
We think you’re very unique – your four-part harmonies are unreal! What do you think makes you stand out from current artists?
Aaron: We vibe really well together and I think that shows in our covers and tracks. All of us have been performing for the majority of our lives. I think we have a professional edge that really sets us apart from the crowd.
You’ve already received support from the likes of LaTavia Roberson and David Archuleta. What does it feel to have the support of such artists?
Camden: It’s wild! We love singing together, so we are always putting out little videos and sometimes we cover songs by other artists for fun. We did our spin on David’s new single “Up All Night”. I’ve loved him since the American Idol days and he is truly an inspiration to me. So when he contacted us I lost my mind haha.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVOmcHcFcxQ/
What would be your ultimate goal as a band?
Alex: We hope to keep a constant flow of content while we grow our fanbase. We’ll always be content and happy so long as we can continue to put out music we believe in and music people love to listen to. Our hope is to break out soon and be the next man band that steals the hearts of the world!
What can we expect from GNTLMN between now and the end of the year?
Alex: You can expect to hear some new songs, see some more videos, and hopefully see us in person! Stay tuned!
Thank you to GNTLMN for their time! Make sure you keep up to date with them on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
‘Get Some’ is available now.