Gert Arwood

Henry Garrett “Gert” Arwood is a professional bassist, singer-songwriter, and arranger based out of Nashville, Tennessee. He is an exceptional talent that has played with and/or opened for artists such as Ben Rector, Lawrence, Melt, Carter Faith, Graham Barham, Noah Thompson, Cole Swindell, and many others. The young musician originally hails from Clemson, South Carolina, but his early influences stretch far beyond the confines of the Upstate. After receiving a bass at age twelve from his grandfather, Lowell "Red" Arwood (who was an accomplished professional trombonist), Garrett sought out to learn as much as he could about the legacy and history of his new instrument. The year that followed would be heavily influential for the young boy, as he discovered and fell in love with the names and sounds of his eventual bass heroes, including Marcus Miller, Victor Wooten, Paul Jackson, and Nathan East. Throughout high school, Garrett began to play country, rock, blues, and jazz gigs in the local venues, bars, and restaurants of Upstate South Carolina, and these experiences would eventually lead him to the decision to go to Nashville, Tennessee, and study music at Belmont University. During his time at school, Garrett studied under legendary bassists such as Roy Vogt, Stuart Hamm, Adam Nitti, and Craig Nelson. Additionally, the young bass player met countless musicians who would become some of his closest friends and most valued contemporaries in the blossoming underground of Nashville's music scene, including Claire Ernst, Molly Grace, Sierra Carson, and the group of musicians who would eventually become his backing band, the Centennials. It was also during his time at Belmont that Garrett assumed the nickname "Gert", which was coined by an old friend of his from Clemson and got carried over into his college years. 

Gert graduated from Belmont University in December 2021, and he is now working as a full-time musician, songwriter, and arranger. His debut EP with Gert Arwood & the Centennials, titled Honeymoon Phase, was released on May 28th, 2023, which included the songs “Paralyzed” and “Aftertaste”. New music from the group is set to release very soon!