Erik Beruvides, professionally and creatively known as Coral Gables, is a Cuban-American singer-songwriter based in Texas. He was born with music in his genes, growing up with musical grandmothers who introduced him to a wide range of genres and sounds from a young age. After releasing five successful singles in 2022 and “100 Fires” earlier this year, Coral Gables has released his debut album, Still Alive.

The album incorporates influences from Latin music as well as alternative-rock as he discusses how to keep going after tragedy. The lyrics are honest and raw, asking chilling questions such as “will I make it out alive?”. Each song has its own unique sound and identity, with different instrumentals and levels of production. Synth alt-pop “Let’s Talk” follows the pure rock song “100 Fires”, with more acoustic and vocal-led tracks elsewhere on the album. Yet, together the songs form a cohesive body of work with a strong story.

“Still Alive is my way of processing the past and creating a new path for my life,” he explains. “Leading up to 2019, I had several difficult life circumstances: unemployment, an empty bank account, family disagreements, fickle friends, religious abuse by people and institutions – and then the pandemic hit in 2020. I made the decision during the pandemic to write and record an album that describes my journey through loss, suffering and acceptance.”

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