Gigi Perez: Drawing, Dreaming, and Finding Her Voice

A Debut That Resonated Across Generations

Perez’s 2025 debut album, At the Beach, in Every Life, was more than a collection of songs; it was a love letter to two things that shaped her deeply: the sister she lost, Celene, and the sun-drenched Florida coastline of her youth. Since its release, the record has lifted her from intimate venues to national stages. She has balanced headline tours, joined Noah Kahan on the road, and collaborated with one of her earliest inspirations, Hayley Kiyoko, on the Girls Like Girls project.

“It’s been a whirlwind,” she admits. Yet amid the rising fame, she has remained anchored by what matters most: the honesty of her writing and the connection she shares with listeners who see their own stories reflected in hers. Her music, including beloved tracks like “Sailor Song,” “Fable,” and “At the Beach, In Every Life” has become a sanctuary for many, capturing the ache of longing, the warmth of memory, and the fragile beauty of being alive.

Fenway Park, Rain, and a Full-Circle Moment

Touring alongside Noah Kahan brought her face-to-face with one of the most surreal and emotional moments of her career. She joined him for four nights at Boston’s legendary Fenway Park, and the first evening remains etched in her mind forever. “I went to school briefly at Berklee in Boston,” she recalls, “so it hit that nostalgic chord where I would walk by Fenway all the time and soak in the magic of that city.”

That night marked the very first time they performed their duet “She Calls Me Back” together, and it was raining. Not a drizzle, but a full, sweeping downpour. Instead of feeling defeated, Perez felt alive. “It was the coolest thing I’ve ever experienced,” she says. Standing on that stage, under those lights and that rain, she realized she wasn’t just living a dream; she was becoming the kind of artist her younger self needed to see.

Kahan has become more than a collaborator; he is a trusted mentor and friend. Perez found his music years ago, when she was just 18 and discovering Busyhead. He discovered her music during the quiet of the pandemic. “We’ve known each other for a while, and I feel like we respect each other very highly,” she shares. “Anything’s possible.”

From him, she has learned one of her most vital lessons: “Your life has to unfold for you. You can’t necessarily be so particular about a timeframe.” It is a truth she held close in 2025, a year when relentless touring left little quiet space to write and when she learned that silence and stillness are not failures but necessary parts of creation.

Drawing Through Grief: The Hydro Flask Partnership

When words felt too heavy, Perez picked up a pencil. Drawing became an unexpected lifeline during her journey through grief, a quiet, wordless way to process feelings that songs alone could not contain. Now, that deeply personal creative outlet is finding its way into the hands of fans through her new collaboration with Hydro Flask and Universal Music Group.

The collection features her own original doodles and designs, expanding the visual world of At the Beach, in Every Life beyond the album itself. “I’ve used their bottles since I was a kid,” she says of the partnership. “It was one of those things that was very synchronistic.” The centrepiece design reimagines the back of her album’s vinyl artwork, inviting fans to carry a piece of that emotional landscape with them every day. “What would I say if I had to say it on a bottle?” she asked. The answer is there in every line and curve, a reminder that art heals, travels, and connects.

To mark the launch, Perez hosted an intimate “walk club” gathering in Brooklyn on October 17, a gentle reminder that connection doesn’t always require a stage; sometimes it just means walking together.

Wisdom Passed Down and Dreams on the Horizon

Another profound influence in Perez’s life is Hayley Kiyoko, a musician, trailblazer, and now a trusted friend. “She’s literally a hero of mine,” Perez says with bright gratitude. Growing up, she didn’t always see herself reflected in the music she loved until Kiyoko. “It really wasn’t until I heard her music and saw her in front of me that I realized that that’s what I was supposed to feel.”

Kiyoko’s belief in her has been a gift beyond measure. “She wants to see people win,” Perez says. In an industry that can feel isolating, having someone who understands the journey, the highs, the loneliness, and the triumphs has made all the difference.

As for what lies ahead, one name shines above the rest: Brandon Flowers and The Killers. “They are my favourite band,” she says. “He’s just one of a kind, generational, incredible.” That dream remains for the right moment, and Perez has learned to trust that the right moment will come.

Creating Without the Clock

Right now, she is writing again freely, joyfully, and without pressure. She’s finding inspiration in unexpected places, including breakout artist Slayyyter, whose recent show left her awe-struck. Perez has learned to embrace the ebb and flow: the periods of quiet followed by bursts of creativity, the seasons of stillness that make the songs possible. She is letting her next chapter write itself, one day at a time.

The Journey Unfolds

Gigi Perez’s story is still being told through songs, sketches, shared walks, and the quiet courage of growing into herself in public view. She has already given so much of her heart to the world. Now, she is learning to give the same kindness to herself: to wait, to wonder, and to trust that everything, the music, the dreams, the life, will arrive exactly when it is meant to.