Gaye Su Akyol

Gaye Su Akyol has built a reputation as one of the most daring and imaginative artists to emerge from Turkey’s music scene in the past decade. Born in Istanbul, she is a singer, songwriter, painter, anthropologist, and art director whose work dissolves the boundaries between sound and image, tradition and the future.

Gayes career has traced a steady path of expansion. Her music is rooted in the legacy of Anatolian folk and Turkish psychedelia, reshaped with elements of surf rock, post-punk, stoner rock, grunge, disco, and electronic textures. She has developed an artistic language that is deeply personal and politically resonant. Her fourth album Anadolu Ejderi (2022) is the culmination of her increasingly bold sound, conceived in pandemic isolation and carried by lyrics that reflect her own refusal to surrender to despair.

Gaye Su Akyol’s music is defined by breathtaking musical contrast, a mix that feels familiar and unpredictable at the same time. Her songs often reflect the political and cultural tensions of contemporary Turkey, but they also speak of resilience, love, and imagination. In her world, dreaming becomes a form of resistance, and joy itself becomes an act of rebellion. Her stage presence is as striking as her music, turning her performances into immersive spectacles through costumes, choreography, and visual design. As a painter and visual artist, she conceives each project as a total artwork, painting album covers and directing her own videos. Independence is central to her strategy: she co-founded her own label, Dunganga Records, while also releasing internationally through Glitterbeat Records.

Gaye Su Akyol’s influence is ever-growing. She was named Best Artist at the 2019 Songlines Music Awards, the first Turkish musician to win the prize. After multiple tours across Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas, and praise by media outlets, a documentary about her story shot by filmmaker Fatih Akin is set to be released in 2026.