Finding Stillness in Sound: How Cam Gnarly Helped Me Catch My Breath

By Marlena Brown

Photo credit (left to right): Tawny One Love (Cam Gnarly performing in Fullerton, Ca at the final stop on his Very Positive tour.), Album/single cover created by Cam Gnarly & Skywalker Mike

Lately, I’ve been feeling stretched thin, like my mind’s in a million places at once. You too? That low-grade burnout that just lingers. That’s exactly the headspace I was in when I stumbled upon Cam Gnarly’s “Calling All My Energy.” And honestly, it hit different.

The track opens with this grounding line: “Calling all my energy back to me.” Simple, but powerful. As soon as I heard it, I paused. Not just mentally but physically. Like my whole body took a breath it didn’t know it needed.

There’s something about music that doesn’t just sound good but feels like a conversation with your spirit. That’s what this track is. It’s part mantra, part motivation, and totally rooted in something real. And what makes it even more impactful? It comes straight out of the Inland Empire.

Now, if you know the IE, you know it doesn’t always get its flowers. It’s a region full of culture, struggle, beauty, hustle, and way too often, it gets overlooked. But artists like Cam Gnarly are changing that narrative, one meaningful song at a time.

“Calling All My Energy” isn’t just a vibe—it’s a call to check in with yourself. For me, it brought up all the ways I’ve been running on empty without even noticing. It reminded me how much of my attention has been scattered across work, family, community... everything but me. That one line? It felt like permission to come home to myself.

And let’s be real, the IE demands a lot from its people. Long commutes, rising costs…of everything, plus the pressure to always be “on.” It’s draining. So, when someone from this place creates something that speaks to rest, reflection, and reclaiming your energy? That’s not just art. That’s resistance.

What I love about Cam Gnarly is that he’s not trying to fit into a box or chase approval. His music feels honest. Rooted. You can tell it comes from lived experience, not just trends. That kind of authenticity is rare, and it matters.

This song didn’t fix my burnout. But it gave me language for it. It gave me a moment to pause and remember that music isn’t just background noise—it’s a tool for healing. Especially when it reflects the soul of a place like the Inland Empire.

Cam Gnarly isn’t the only voice coming out of the IE with something powerful to say, and I love that for us. But this song? It reminded me that message-driven music still has a place. And that maybe what we need right now isn’t more noise—but more moments of stillness, truth, and intention.

So, if you’ve been feeling a little scattered, like your energy’s everywhere but where it belongs, press play on this one. Let it pull you back to yourself. It did for me.

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