Songwriter gigi finds a place for comfort with music, being on stage

Sep. 28—It's mind-blowing for singer-songwriter gigi that she is opening for Noah Cyrus on her current "The Hardest Part" tour.

Gigi was a student in college and often found herself walking in Boston listening to Cyrus' single, "July."

"It's really crazy," she says. "I have a succinct memory of being in college and it was during my first few weeks. I listen to music while I walk because I'm able to soak in my surroundings and it's given me an appreciation. I had a moment with this song and it was dramatic."

Gigi finds herself in the opening slot for Cyrus' tour, which makes a stop in Albuquerque at the El Rey Theater at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5.

The New York-based singer-songwriter recently released the single, "Glue."

"(The song) was written in late 2020 as I was grieving my older sister, who had passed away," gigi says. "This is my best attempt to capture how visceral, all-consuming and complicated my grief was. It was one month prior to a breakup. I think the song captures the desperation I felt. I was holding onto the safest and most familiar thing to me, which was the relationship I was in at the time."

Born in New Jersey and raised in Florida, gigi has already made an introduction in the music world. She's now opening for Cyrus, yet before this tour, she opened for Coldplay. The tour with Cyrus is her first national tour.

When it comes to writing, gigi wants to be as transparent as possible.

"I think writing is a way I learned to be introspective and I started writing when I was 15," she says. "I didn't know what the world was like and I started writing poems and lyrics. That's when the well opened up. Whatever I'm writing about is what my outer circumstances in the world are. I've gotten comfortable with writing and with myself. I know if I'm in a right situation in my life and the minute that I feel that I'm holding back, I know this isn't the situation for me."

With "Glue," gigi did have some difficulty opening up with the writing because she had to be vulnerable.

"I was nervous to share what I wrote," she says. "It had weight on me at the time because it was my reality. Now that the song is out, it's not my reality anymore and I can share with a healed perspective. I remember being so happy after the song was written. I was happy."

Whether it's at home or on tour, gigi aims to keep her mental health in check.

"One of the things I do is I got to the gym as much as possible," she says. "It's a good way to connect with music and I feel like I listen to music a lot. I feel grounded and it's a way of meditating for me. In those moments, it's the only thing I worry about. My feet are moving to the beat and it helps me."

Noah Cyrus

With gigi

WHEN: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5

WHERE: El Rey Theater, 622 Central Ave. SW

HOW MUCH: $28 general admission, $137 VIP experience at ampconcerts.org or holdmyticket.com