Dave Gutter Premieres His Shiny New “Gold Records” Music Video

Typically, artists who are just releasing their first full-length have not won Grammy Awards, but then again, there is nothing ordinary about Dave Gutter. The songwriter, and now singer and performer, is debuting his new music video today for “Gold Records.” This is the second single from his upcoming album, The Music Industry is Trying to Kill Me, which will be released on June 9th. Gutter is not one to take himself too seriously. You see that in the humorous tone evident in this new video.

Although he is just now establishing himself as an artist in his own right, the music industry is nothing new to Gutter. The Grammy Award that he won was back in 2023 for his role as a co-writer for the song “Stomping Ground,” performed by R&B legend Aaron Neville & The Dirty Dozen Brass Band. For decades, Gutter has been a mainstay within the industry as a collaborator and contributor. Last year, he was inducted into the Writers & Publishers Alliance. He has collaborated with acts such as Tedeschi Trucks Band, Questlove?, Audioslave, 311, Run DMC, De La Soul, Imogen Heap, and many more.

Discussing the inspiration for “Gold Records,” Gutter states:

“I literally Googled if gold records and Grammy Awards were made of real gold and wrote this song five minutes after getting the answer. Its value is perceived. Shortly after I won a Grammy, a friend told me that the rapper Sauce Money pawned his Grammy he got for ghostwriting on a Diddy song. The music industry is insane behind the scenes, and that is the conceit of this whole album. I wanted to poke fun, but in all seriousness, if artists are continually treated unfairly it will no longer be seen by young people as a viable pursuit, and there will be no more artists. The End.”

The time has finally come for Gutter to stand out on his own as an artist and a songwriter. The Music Industry is Trying to Kill Me is a concept record about the darker, more absurd side of being a starving artist. This is his attempt at reconciling his love for music with the brutal realities of the industry. The system is indifferent to the artist’s well-being, but the artist keeps coming back for more. The concept behind the album was developed after Gutter visited the U.S. Congress, lobbying for musicians’ rights.

The record is both candid and satirical, with a close connection to mental health. It’s a statement on Gutter’s own struggles to reconcile his love for music with the brutal realities of the industry. Stylistically, the album is purposely experimental, meant to emphasize its themes of contradiction and self-exploration. The songwriting is both raw and honest, and Dave Gutter shows a fearlessness throughout these songs. His goal was to step outside his comfort zone, even incorporating musical styles he previously disliked. It may have taken longer than he would have liked, but The Music Industry is Trying to Kill Me is the sound of an artist who knows exactly where he wants to go, with little regard for trends or current tendencies.

Dave Gutter ‘The Music Industry is Trying to Kill Me’ album artwork