Ren Gill
Welsh musician and artist with Lyme disease.
Ren Eryn Gill, a Welsh artist who works as a singer, rapper, producer, actor, and director, first drew major notice for his 2022 music video 'Hi Ren', which explores mental health and illness. His album Sick Boi topped the UK Albums Chart in 2023. Gill has been open about his experience with Lyme disease and ongoing chronic health issues.
Quick Facts
- Birth name
- Ren Eryn Gill
- Alias
- Ren, Ren Eryn Gill
- Born
- 29 March 1990
- Birthplace
- Bangor, Wales, United Kingdom
- Origin
- Dwyran, Anglesey, Wales, United Kingdom
- Genre
- Alternative
- rock
- rap
- pop
- R&B
- indie
- Reggae
- Occupation
- Singer-songwriter
- musician
- rapper
- producer
- actor
- director
- Instrument
- Guitar
- bass guitar
- piano
- drums
- vocals
Facts from the source article.
Early life and influences
Ren Gill came into the world on 29 March 1990 in Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales. When he was four, his family relocated to Anglesey, and he spent his childhood in the village of Dwyran. His father gave him his first guitar at age ten, and he learned to play by slowing down tracks by Jimi Hendrix and John Frusciante. The music his parents played—Shy FX, Mickey Finn, Aphrodite, early Eminem, Kurt Cobain, and Bob Marley—shaped his early tastes. By 2024, Ren noted that his songwriting draws inspiration from the storytelling of filmmakers Quentin Tarantino, Stanley Kubrick, and Martin McDonagh.
Career
While studying music at Bath Spa University, Ren began busking and formed the band Trick the Fox with a classmate. In 2010, producer Eric Appapoulay heard Ren busking and signed him to a development deal as a representative of Sony, which required showcase performances. On 28 December 2010, Ren's childhood friend Joe Hughes died by suicide, influencing Ren's later songwriting about mental health and chronic illness. Ren wrote 'Freckled Angels' as a tribute to Hughes, and the songs 'For Joe' and the final verse of 'Suicide' are also tributes. Ren began recording his debut album with Fowler at Sanctuary Studio in South London. Trick the Fox began touring and added drummer Tom Frampton in 2012, receiving radio airplay on BBC Radio 1Xtra. During recording, Ren became ill with dissociation, physical pain, and fatigue, returning to his mother's home in Wales and later being bedridden for up to 23 hours a day. He moved to Brighton in 2013, where his health kept him homebound, and he wrote and recorded music in his bedroom when he had energy. After misdiagnoses of depression, bipolar disorder, and chronic fatigue syndrome, he developed stress induced psychosis. In October 2015, a doctor correctly diagnosed him with Lyme disease. Ren finished his debut album Freckled Angels to raise money for treatment, self-releasing it on 28 December 2015, the five-year anniversary of Hughes's death. He released his first official single 'Jessica' on 15 February 2016, then went to the United States for experimental Lyme disease treatment including stem cell transplantation.
Personal life
Ren studied music at Bath Spa University's Newton Park Campus and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours degree in Commercial Music. He started a fundraiser for the RNLI crews on Anglesey due to the organisation helping search for Hughes; fans reached the initial £5,000 target in one day, and on 27 June 2023, Ren presented a £21,000 cheque to the RNLI team on Beaumaris. Ren has Lyme disease, which went undiagnosed for many years, leaving ongoing health problems. It was misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome, and depression, and he was given numerous medications. When conventional treatments failed, he tried supplements and alternative health practices, developing stress-induced psychosis and PTSD. He was diagnosed with Lyme disease after testing in Brussels by a chronic fatigue syndrome specialist in October 2015. He received experimental stem cell treatment in the US in 2016 and March 2017, which helped regain some health but left him with fatigue, autoimmune issues, brain damage, and PTSD. In January 2023, Ren went to Canada for treatment of remaining symptoms, including minor surgery, daily IVs, and supportive treatments. In October 2023, he started an additional treatment plan for the Lyme co-infection Bartonella. By June 2024, many symptoms had gone into remission, and Ren returned to the UK in July 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Ren Gill born?
Ren Gill was born on 29 March 1990 in Bangor, Wales, United Kingdom.
When was Ren Gill active?
Ren Gill has been active since 2009.
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