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Gnarly is a British-Sri Lankan music producer, finger drummer and content creator from London, UK.

Known for her highly skilled and captivating live performances, she creates genre-bending future beats that seamlessly blend hip hop, lo-fi, jazz and experimental influences into immersive musical experiences.

A prominent figure in the global finger drumming community, Gnarly has built an international reputation through both her online presence and live performances. With over 220,000 followers across social media and more than 7 million streams across digital platforms, she continues to push the boundaries of modern music production and live beatmaking.

Her debut self-released album, One Takes Vol. 1, earned editorial recognition from Apple Music with Snake Eyes being featured on the BEATstrumentals playlist. Subsequent releases received support from Spotify's official editorial playlists such as lofi beats, Jazz Vibes, and Chillout Lounge. Her official lo-fi cover of Disney's I Won't Say (I'm In Love) from Hercules was released through Walt Disney Records as part of Lofi Minnie: Chill. Her work has also attracted international recognition, including being sampled by renowned Japanese producer PUNPEE on his track MUSEIGEN.

Her music has been featured as sync across major media platforms including Riot Games' Teamfight Tactics, BBC Radio, Netflix, BT Sport, Logitech, Bandai Namco and more.

As a versatile multi-genre producer, Gnarly has been selected to participate in prestigious songwriting and production camps from major and independent labels including Warner Chappell, Atlantic Records, Apple Music, Platoon, ENKI, BMG and SoundOn.

Gnarly regularly collaborates with leading music technology brands including Native Instruments, Akai Professional, Roland, Thomann, Red Bull, ROLI, Reverb, BandLab and more. She has created content, featured in adverts, presented product launches and hosts educational programming.

Gnarly’s performance credits include appearances with Nikita Gill in a unique collaborative project that fuses live electronic production with spoken-word poetry. Together they create powerful performances exploring mythology, identity and contemporary experiences through the lens of South Asian women. Their work has been presented at venues and festivals including Southbank Centre, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Arnolfini Arts Centre and BBC Radio 4's Women's Hour.

Performances also include An Afternoon of J Dilla, Glastonbury Festival, Dialled In Festival with Anoushka Shankar, TEDx with Reeta Loi, BeatGeek, Lofi Festival, Music Producer Convention Paris and more. A Sample Music Festival quarter-finalist, semi-finalist in the Goldie Awards and winner of the pilot Beatmakers meet Dancers Red Bull UK Beat Masters competition.

Passionate about education and community-building, Gnarly has led workshops and masterclasses internationally, appearing at events including Music China, Superbooth, Pro Light + Sound, Tate Lates, Native Meetups and School of Bop.

Through courses with Domestika and Aulart, lessons on Melodics, exclusive content on Patreon and most recently collaborations with ABRSM on its Creative Musicianship Qualification, she continues to inspire and mentor the next generation of producers, finger drummers and creative musicians.

Whether on stage, in the studio, or in the classroom, Gnarly is dedicated to expanding the possibilities of music technology, live performance and creative expression.

AKAI PROFESSIONAL

THOMANN

GEAR4MUSIC

Achieve Amazing | Chillblast

Discover Gnarly's journey through her music career and what tips she has for budding finger drummers, as well as how Chilblast PC's power the creative process.

Sound Of lIFE | a KEF pROJECT

When you have an infinite number of beats at your fingertips, it can get pretty overwhelming. Watch how up-and-coming professional finger drummer Gnarly has made an art out of a sea of sounds.

Pioneer DJ

YOUR GUIDE TO THE FAST-GROWING WORLD OF FINGER DRUMMING

Gnarly, a finger drummer, producer and teacher from the UK, told us that finger drumming performances could be considered on a scale. “Some people will either play along to loops or have a backing track and only be playing the drums,” she said. “Whereas some finger drummers are more purists. The style that I play, every single sound, every melodic element, bass, drums and everything is all 100% live.”

Gnarly celebrates having confidence in your creativity

In celebration of Women's History Month, we spoke with Gnarly, a finger-drummer and multi-instrumentalist whose unique blend of influences create a sound unlike any other.

Gnarly: "Everything about how I create has evolved"

Finger-drummer, multi-instrumentalist and content-creator Gnarly is the type of musical-polymath that can only exist today. Each of her Instagram posts, Youtube videos and online tutorials rightfully draws thousands of views, awe-struck comments, and fire emojis — and her tips and talents help inspire a digital generation of music-makers.

All Access Summer with Gnarly Music & Foundation FM.

Summer and music are the only recoupling we really care about! To celebrate festival season being officially back ON, we brought together Gnarly Music and some LOVELY ladies from Foundation FM to showcase the HOTTEST sandals from Dr. Martens – perfect for all those festi-fits or summer slay lewks.

TEDxLondonWomeN

Why are we oppressed? Reeta Loi

This talk features a soundscape produced by Jeia and a special performance of Reeta’s latest song ‘Remedy’ with Gnarly.

BBC RADIO 4 womens hour

gnarly x nikita gill

Irish Indian poet and writer, Nikita Gill and British Sri-Lankan producer and live performer Gnarly will appear together for two nights at the Southbank Centre in London. Poems written by Nikita are transformed into songs by Gnarly, merging traditional and digital art and creating, what they say is something no one has seen before. They join Anita Rani in the studio for a chat and a bit of a performance.

listen here

Par-Desi

Gnarly x Nikita Gill: we felt seen, we felt validated, and most importantly, empowered

The Gnarly x Nikita Gill event was transformative and (not to be dramatic) life changing… We were sat in a room with brown women, hearing messages of healing written for brown women, by brown women, validating our experiences of growing up with stigma, shame, and multicultural confusion.

Bandai Namco Scarlet Nexus x Jim Vision (Music by Gnarly)

WITCiH Digital Festival 2021 Commission

Bandai Namco Scarlet Nexus Brainpunk Street Art created by mural artist, Jim Vision (Music by Gnarly)

PRS FOR MUSIC MAGAZINE

GIRLS MAKE BEATS TOO

Annique Simpson meets the female producers shaking up the UK music industry, analysing gender imbalance in the sector and celebrating those taking strides.

A source of strength for Gnarly is the positive messages she gets from other women and people of South Asian descent who find her work inspiring.

“The responsibility is with the labels and companies. There are so many women in production so there’s no excuse to have all-male rosters anymore” - Gnarly

Producer's Producer #15: Gnarly over Lido

The New Year's resolutions from London producer Gnarly ? Get a beat out of the drum machine every day in January. Hitting is to be taken literally with her. She regularly presents her finger drumming skills to her followers on her socials and fires her instrumentals right into the streaming world. The challenge of conventional paths is deliberately chosen here. Gnarly celebrates the Norwegian producer, singer and songwriter Lido , who likes to go unusual ways in his music.

Native Instruments

BENDING GENRE BOUNDARIES WITH GNARLY MUSIC

Versatile and skilled MASCHINE user GNARLY is becoming a big-hit with her online finger-drumming workouts. Check out our feature as we talk with the UK-based musician about her background, and watch some of her best routines

Podcasts & RADIO

PRODUCERHEAD

In this episode, Toru sits down with Gnarly, a finger drumming phenom and hip-hop producer who transformed her craft into a career.

STEREOFOX

Interview: Gnarly on Finger Drumming, Being a Woman of Colour on the Beat Scene and the Importance of Perseverance.

SISU: In The Key Of She on threads radio

Tune in to hear her story, how she's built her brand on social media, and how she's blazing a trail in pushing the boundaries of live electronic performance with her fingers. Literally!

Keakie Radio: Konekt 1 Konekt All

Punching Pads w/ gnarly

Truefunktion gets in depth with finger drummer and producer Gnarly on the debut episode of Konekt 1 Konekt All.

Listen Here

beats for the ill

WORDS WITH GNARLY

Our next interview is with London, UK based multi-talent, Gnarly, someone who is working blank canvas into art of the soundscapes.
With her exceptional abilities when it comes to beat-making, production, and might I add finger drumming. Gnarly lays a foundation that triggers head bops, sways, and moments of stilled contemplation.