Gerry Cinnamon’s folk-inspired new single ‘Dark Days’ is anything but the ominous, sorrowful downer as conveyed by its title; it is hearty, it is stirring and it represents Gerry Cinnamon at his most creatively invigorated.

The thirty-four-year-old Scottish singer is one of the most successful independent artists from his homeland, and he has spoken out extensively against the tactics of powerful record labels and how they prey on independent, original artists for profit, creatively bankrupting them in the process. 

This particular song, complemented by some joyous work on the acoustic guitar in the background, underlines Cinnamon’s approach to those ‘dark days’ that every individual encounters, and how he soldiers on with optimism and wonder. There are dark days but he has got ‘sun rays’, he expresses in the chorus. A happy-go-lucky attitude like that might seem stale for many tracks but Cinnamon wears it with pride. For someone who has practically built his career off word-of-mouth and social media attention, Cinnamon has made it a mission to pursue his love for simple, sweet and meaningful sounds that speak to the social climate as well as they convey matters of the heart, and he does so without any sort of studio-backed financial support. He has only produced one album so far, Erratic Cinematic, but the artist is more focused on performances, having racked up shows at a multitude of events. He also ensures that his profile is centered around his homeland, where he regularly attends gigs and drinks up with his fellow fans and countrymen at the local pubs in Scotland amidst his performances. 

Cinnamon is known for being media-shy, choosing to let his creative process stay within its quarters, isolated from media and corporate distractions. However, he has given statements on how he perceives the corporate culture slowly dominating the music industry. “It’s the old paradigm, remember when people used to go on about the Label’s and stuff, and how they control stuff, but now there’s no money, you have to do it yourself. Instead of moaning about it, do it yourself, build your own Bonfire. Rather than rely on someone else. The power is in their hands. I think we’re at a turning point where its either going to implode or something is going to rise from the ashes. People should just be honest instead of trying to market themselves constantly.”

With such pure intention, it is no doubt that Cinnamon has become an icon of sorts for many up and coming, independent musicians. 

 Folk     Indie