_{By Mike Romero}

With so much music in the Provo music scene, it’s easy to get sucked in and start listening to music in a bubble. It’s always great to see what awaits you in the broader world of sonic textures, and to find new recommendations that can inspire you to make music differently than you did before.

Gavin Marengi hails from Salisbury, Massachusetts. At just 16 years old, his music captures the quintessential American country sound at a level of quality most aspiring musicians never reach. Everything from the slide guitar and mandolin to the strings and subtle harmonies is genre-authentic and hearkens back to a simpler, more authentic era of American country music.

What sets Gavin apart is his vocal approach. He definitely has that down-home country drawl, but underneath it is a distinctly effected Gen Z TikTok voice. When you hear it, you’ll know what I mean. It’s really trendy right now, and for good reason. It’s the voice of the rising generation, and blending it with twang and a vintage country sound is incredibly refreshing. It’s one of the coolest things I’ve heard in the country space as of late.

This kid is selling out 600 person venues on the east coast. He has the potential to do something big, and I think a lot of Utah artists would do well to really understand the genre they’re after and to nail the sound like Gavin does.

Make sure to follow Gavin Marengi on Instagram and check out “Northwinds” below.