While many people in their early 20’s are still trying to find a direction in life, 24- year-old guitarist Gabriel Forsman has already established a flourishing career in the music industry.
“To have a successful career already at 24 is huge,” Forsman acknowledges, “so I’m just going to keep doing what I do.”
Which is a LOT! The list of the projects that Forsman has contributed to and collaborated on goes on and on, speaking volumes of the wide range and reach of his talent, genre and style.
From his work with his first band, Chains, with which he co-wrote and released five EPs, to the projects to which he is currently lending his expertise, Forsman has recorded and played with groups that range in genre from funk, RnB, gospel, fusion, pop, rock, and metal.
Forsman was recognized earlier on in his career for his extraordinary talents on the guitar with two coveted music scholarships back home in Sweden, which foreshadowed the successful career he would come to achieve in the music industry on an international level.
The large number of awards he has received since only confirm the nature of his widespread talents. In 2008, he participated in an international music competition called “Emergenza.” As the youngest nominee, Forsman won the “Best Guitarist” award, receiving a Gibson guitar as the grand prize.
The award he is most proud of, however, is the Musician Institute’s 2013 Outstanding Player Award, given to him by Scott Henderson, famous for his work with the progressive fusion jazz band Tribal Tech.
“Having Henderson, a big idol to me, personally hand it over, was surreal and a dream come true,” he recounted.
As a live session guitar player, Forsman has collaborated with more than 20 artists and bands including Radical Something, Far East Movement, Evolution Beat, Everett Ryan, Kendall Lake, Dead Heroine, Arevalo, and Diana Feria.
Last year, Forsman was one of the touring guitarists for the hip-hop/rock band Radical Something on Matisyahu’s “Built to Survive” tour. Matisyahu is most famous for his 2006 smash hip-hop/reggae hit “King Without a Crown.” The “Built to Survive” tour featured his newest album, Akeda, which also made the Billboard Top Rock Albums list.
Forsman began working with Radical Something as a touring and session musician with the band last year. In addition to traveling the country with the band on the “Built to Survive” tour on which they played 54 shows in 60 days and shared the bill with Matisyahu, Forsman has also made several television appearances with the band, with performances televised on NBC WFLA Morning Show, the WCCB Morning Show, the Fox 2 Detroit News, and the Playboy TV Morning Show.
The band collectively recognized Forsman’s talents and ability to nail their sound, which led them to hire him as the official guitarist of Radical Something. As such, Forsman is set to go on tour across the US and Canada with the band in the fall where they will perform on the same bill as the rapper Schwayze.
Gabriel has also worked with Far East Movement, the first Asian-American group to land a #1 hit on the Billboard Top 100 list. Currently, he has recorded guitar for five songs on their upcoming summer 2015 release.
Finally, Forsman is helping Latin RnB artist Diane Feria, overseeing the recording and mixing process for her debut album where he will also be responsible for all guitar contributions. Feria’s album is scheduled to be released in 2016.
With a career this impressive at such a young age, the sky is the limit for Forsman’s future. As he continues to expand his network and experiences in the industry, he will continue to rise to the top, and as time goes on, we will surely see him continue to achieve even greater levels of acclaim.