Ren | |
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![]() Ren Gill in Brighton | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Ren Erin Gill |
Also known as | Ren Ren Eryn Gill |
Born | Bangor, Wales, UK | 29 March 1990
Origin | Dwyran, Anglesey, Wales, UK |
Genres | Alternative, rock, rap, pop, R&B, indie |
Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, musician, rapper, producer, director |
Instrument(s) | Guitar, bass guitar, piano, drums, vocals |
Years active | Since 2009 |
Labels | Independent |
Formerly of |
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Website | www |
Ren Eryn Gill (born Ren Erin Gill, 29 March 1990), known professionally as Ren, is a Welsh singer-songwriter, musician, rapper, producer, and director. Formerly a member of Trick the Fox and the Big Push, Ren has independently released two albums, Freckled Angels (2016) and Sick Boi (2023). His second major album Sick Boi reached the number one spot on the UK charts on October 20, 2023, beating out Rick Astley's new release in a battle for number one and surpassing both Drake and Troye Sivan. In the US, the album debuted at No. 137 on Billboard 200. Ren also debuted at No. 4 on Billboard's Emerging Artists chart and No. 54 on the Billboard 100 Artists chart.
Ren’s breakthrough came when he released "Hi Ren" in 2022. It went viral, receiving 6.8 million views on YouTube within two months of its release and charted worldwide in YouTube's trending music video chart. The song received an honourable mention for best European music video at the Prague Music Video Awards and was nominated for best music video at Camerimage 2023.
As part of Ren's second studio album, Sick Boi , the single "Money Game part 3" won numerous awards, including Best Music Video, Best Director, Best Concept, and received an Honourable Mention for Best Cinematography. The single was also chosen for the British Arrows Y24 Shortlist in the categories of Music Video Director and Music Video Producer.
Ren has been suffering with Lyme disease and its side effects since 2009. He was misdiagnosed with depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, and bipolar disorder for years. At the end of 2015 he was properly diagnosed. The following year he received an experimental treatment that included stem cell transplants, from which he did not completely recover. He has autoimmune issues, brain damage, PTSD, and fatigues easily. He continues to try experimental treatments to improve his health. Many of his songs reflect the ordeal regarding his health; and it has motivated his activism for mental health.
Ren was born on 29 March 1990, in Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales. When he was four his family moved to the island of Anglesey. They settled in the small town of Dwyran where Ren grew up. [1] [2] Ren fell in love with music when he was 10 after his father gave him his first guitar. [3] He taught himself to play by slowing down tracks by Jimi Hendrix and John Frusciante. [4] : 0:20:11 He was influenced by many of the musicians his parents listened to. Artists like Shy FX, Mickey Finn & Aphrodite, early Eminem, Kurt Cobain, and Bob Marley. [3] He dreamed of being a producer [5] and later a musician. When he was 12, Ren sold homemade beats made with Reason on CD. [6] [7] : 01:33 At 13, he began performing live with an AFI song rendition. [4] : 11:02 He started writing songs, mainly about his mates. When he was 15 or 16 he wrote "Street Lights," which is on his first album. [4] : 0:11:37 He started busking at 17 and became addicted to it. [8] : 04:19
Ren was studying music at Bath Spa University when he began busking and created a band called Trick the Fox with classmate Charlie Fowler. [9] [7] : 01:45 Eric Appapoulay, a music producer, heard Ren performing one of his own songs while busking. He was impressed and arranged for Ren to sign a recording contract with his label, a sub-label of Sony Records [4] : 34:23 [10] in 2010. [11]
Ren started working on his debut album with Charlie Fowler at Sanctuary studio in South London. They wrote and recorded tracks, posting a few of them and some videos on the band's Facebook and YouTube accounts. The group began touring, [12] [13] and drummer Tom Frampton joined in 2012. [14] They started receiving airplay. [15]
Halfway through recording the album, Ren became very sick. He started feeling dissociated, experienced physical pain, and became so weak and tired that Ren was unable to hide what was happening. This affected his ability to perform. [10] Ren went to his mother's home in Wales to rest and recuperate for three months, which turned into a year. Bedridden for up to 23 hours a day [10] [4] : 36:23 and too sick to work on the album, he was unable to continue his music career. [10] [16] : 29:09
Ren left his mother's home in Wales and moved to Brighton in 2013. [17] His health issues kept him homebound. Some days were better than others. When he had enough energy, [1] Ren wrote songs and recorded his music in his bedroom. [18] He tried to find out why he was so sick, but for years he was misdiagnosed with depression, bipolar disorder, and chronic fatigue syndrome by multiple doctors and therapists. He developed stress induced psychosis. [6] [10] [19] In October of 2015, [20] Ren met with a doctor who correctly diagnosed him with Lyme Disease [8] : 29:09
Ren finished his debut album, Freckled Angels, to try to raise money for treatment. [1] The album contained 16 tracks, half of which were recorded for the Trick The Fox album. Eric Appapoulay permitted him to use them. [21] [4] : 38:08 The title track "Freckled Angels" was written about one of his best friends, Joe Hughes, who died by suicide in 2010. Ren dedicated it and the album to Joe [22] [23] and self-released the album [10] on 28 December 2015, the five year anniversary of Joe's death. [23] [22]
He released his first official single, "Jessica", on 15 February 2016. [24] Not long after, he went to the United States to undergo an experimental treatment for Lyme disease that included stem cell transplantation. [11] [25]
Ren's health improved after being treated with stem cells, [16] [25] but he tired easily, [26] and had ongoing autoimmune issues, [27] brain damage, and PTSD. [6] Despite this, he "started busking on the streets of Brighton," [16] [25] both on his own and with other independent artists. [10] [6] Ren recorded and released songs and music videos on his YouTube channel. [10] He released several EPs and began working on his second album. He attracted a group of dedicated fans through the art of storytelling and his ability to connect emotionally with his audience. [1] [28]
In addition to his solo career, Ren was a member of The Big Push, a Brighton-based busking band. Glenn Chambers was the drummer, and Ren, Romain Axisa, Gorran Kendall were the front men. They self-released an EP, and their 2021 UK Tour sold out. [29] [30] The Big Push played their last gig and broke up in 2022 due in part to Ren's health issues. [31]
On 15 December 2022, he self-released a music video for his song "Hi Ren". This was a breakthrough moment for Ren. [28] It became a viral hit. A clip from "Hi Ren" on TikTok had over 12 million views in January 2023 [32] and the YouTube video received 6.8 million views in two months and charted worldwide on YouTube's trending music video chart. [6] [33] As of July 21, 2025, Ren’s singular video which continues to introduce Ren to his listeners, fans, and the world, has exceeded 56 million views.
In the music video to "Hi Ren", he mentions dealing with autoimmunity, illness, and psychosis. [23] It received an honourable mention in the best European music video category at the Prague music video awards in April 2023 [34] and in October 2023 it was nominated for the Camerimage 2023 Best Music video award. Ren was listed as the director and Samuel Perry-Falvey the cinematographer. [35] [36]
In January of 2023, Ren went to Canada to receive further treatment for Lyme disease. He had recorded multiple songs and several videos, including most of his upcoming album, prior to leaving. [32]
The next six songs Ren released, "Sick Boi", "Bittersweet Symphony (The Verve Retake)", "Illest of Our Time", "Animal Flow", and "Suicide", also appeared in the United Kingdom's Trending Music Video Chart on YouTube. [33] He was invited to play at Glastonbury 2023 and other major UK summer music festivals, [6] but was unable to attend due to his health and ongoing treatment in Canada. [26]
Over the year before the release of his second album, Sick Boi, many tracks were released as singles to major streaming services, with accompanying videos published on Ren's YouTube channel. [32] Two of the singles, "Suicide" and "Murderer", both placed in the Top 100 of the UK Singles Sales Chart during the week after their release. [37]
The album was released on 13 October 2023. [38] The style has been described as kaleidoscopic hip-hop. [39] It chronicles Ren's health journey over the past decade. The lyrics in several of the songs describe how he felt and what he went through as he battled chronic illness. [39] [40] His openness and honesty about his struggles with his mental and physical health is what has drawn people worldwide to his music. [41]
Upon release, Sick Boi was in a "heated battle for UK's no 1 album," with fewer than 400 chart units separating it and Rick Astley's new release Are We There Yet?. [42] Sick Boi went on to secure number one by almost 6,000 units, [43] surpassing artists like Drake and Troye Sivan on his way to the top. [39] After Ren secured the number one spot Rick Astley congratulated Ren and went on to say "He’s been at this for a while. This is not something new to him, he’s been making music for a long time, so it’s a well deserved number one. Check out some of his videos on YouTube - amazing stuff." [10] Huw Stephens included Sick Boi in his book Wales: 100 Records, calling it an "impressive record" and Ren's style of rapping "mesmerizing". [44] "The book analyses the very best works by some of the most important artists to come out of Wales". [45]
In the US, Ren debuted at No. 4 on the Emerging Artists chart [46] and No. 54 on the Billboard 100 Artists chart. [47] His album, Sick Boi, debuted "at No. 137 on the Billboard 200 with 9,000 equivalent album units earned in its opening week. It also starts at No. 2 on Heatseekers Albums, No. 11 on Top Current Album Sales, and No. 13 on Top Album Sales." [46] He was unable to perform to promote his album due to his ongoing treatment in Calgary [27] [48] and attributed the level of its success to his friends and his fan base's promotion of it. [49] [39]
The song "Money Game part 3", from Sick Boi, was the London Music Video Awards' (LMVA) choice for Music Video of the Month in December 2023. [50] It also won Best Music Video, Best Director, and Best Concept, and was nominated for Best Cinematography and Best Narrative at the LMVAs 2024 competition. [51] And, the album won Best Music Video, Best Director Music Video, and an Honourable Mention for Best Cinematography at the 2024 International Music Video Awards, and [52] won Best Music Video in 2024 at the ÉCU The European Independent Film Festival. [53] It was also chosen for the British Arrows Y24 Shortlist in the categories of Music Video Director and Music Video Producer. [54] "Money Game part 3" was written, composed, arranged, and performed by Ren and the video, [50] [53] a one-shot, [55] was produced by Connor Hunnisett, Samuel Perry-Falvey & Amy Ellery. [54] and directed by Ren Gill and Samuel Perry-Falvey. [50] [53] Ren and Samuel met when they were teenagers and have been working together professionally for quite some time. Ren chose to work with him when creating some of his earliest videos. [55]
Ren appeared centre stage [56] at the 2024 Secret Garden Party with a two-part, two-hour show called "Asylum". Produced and created by Ren Gill & Secret Garden Party, his first solo show in five years [57] [58] included collaborations with Chinchilla, Eden Nash and Romain Axisa, theatrical performances, and live strings. Just like the Sick Boi album, it showcased the asylum Ren experienced as he looked for answers from the healthcare system as to why he was ill. Also showcased was the asylum (safe haven) that others have found because of Ren and his music. [56] [58]
Ren studied music at Bath Spa University's Newton Park Campus. and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours degree in Commercial Music. [9] [11]
On 28 December 2010, Ren lost one of his best friends, Joe Hughes to suicide. [67] The two had been friends since childhood, having met when Ren was 8. Joe's death deeply affected Ren and has influenced him to open up and write songs that talk about mental and emotional health. [25] [48] Ren often chooses to use his public persona to help raise awareness about mental health issues. [68]
In 2011, Ren wrote the song "Freckled Angels" as a tribute to Joe. The song was included on Ren's debut album of the same name, which he dedicated to Joe. [48] The songs "For Joe" and the last verse of the song “Suicide” are also tributes to him. [69] [25] There is also a Welsh restaurant in Menai Bridge called Freckled Angel that is dedicated to Joe. [70]
The RNLI lifeboat crews on Anglesey helped with the extensive search for Joe Hughes, who jumped from the Menai Suspension Bridge in 2010. When the call for help came, RNLI volunteers in Beaumaris jumped into action and quickly started searching for Joe. They and the other RNLI Anglesey crews continued searching for him for several days. [71]
Ren wanted to thank the RNLI for their work in saving people's lives and for the effort they put in trying to find Joe. He started a fundraiser to benefit the RNLI crews on Anglesey. He let his fans know about the volunteer organisation and its selfless work. They responded, reaching the initial £5,000 target in one day, and they continued to donate. [71] On 27 June 2023, [72] Ren presented a £21,000 cheque to the RNLI team on Beaumaris. [25]
Ren has Lyme disease, which went undiagnosed for many years, leaving him with ongoing health problems. [6] Since becoming sick, Ren has said that his life's work has been closely related to looking for better ways to deal with mental health issues. [73]
Ren's symptoms started in 2009. He was attending Bath Spa University at the time, and his symptoms caused him to struggle with his studies. [11] [74] : 00:15 His symptoms continued to worsen, [16] getting to the point where he was bedridden for up to 23 hours a day. [10] [4] : 36:23
For years, he went from doctor to doctor and therapist to therapist, trying to find out what was wrong with him. [6] [10] Lyme disease was misdiagnosed as chronic fatigue syndrome, and the brain damage caused by the Lyme disease was misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder. [6] He was also misdiagnosed with depression. [11] He was given numerous medications. His health got worse and worse. [10] When conventional treatments didn't work, he tried numerous supplements and turned to alternative health practitioners and spiritual healing practices. Nothing worked. [6] As a result, he developed stress-induced psychosis and PTSD. [6]
He was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease [23] [27] after going to Brussels to have testing done by a specialist in chronic fatigue syndrome in October 2015. [20] He went to the US to receive an experimental treatment for Lyme disease using stem cells. [16] [25] His first treatment was in 2016, [75] [10] and his second in March 2017. [76] The treatment helped him to regain some of his health, [16] [25] but he still fatigued easily [26] and had ongoing autoimmune issues, [27] brain damage, and PTSD. [6]
In January 2023, Ren went to Canada to receive treatment for his remaining symptoms in hopes of a full recovery. The first six months of treatment included a minor surgery, daily IVs, and supportive treatments, followed by further testing and treatments. The initial results gave reason to hope for a symptom free life, but the treatments were going to take much longer than they had initially expected. [77] [78] They had to try a variety of medications to be able to find which would work best for Ren. [23] In October 2023, Ren had to start an additional specialised medical treatment plan for the Lyme disease co-infection Bartonella. By June 2024, many of his symptoms had gone into remission, and Ren returned to the U.K in July 2024. [79] [80]
After returning home, several stress inducing events caused him to relapse, and his symptoms returned. He said his health had rapidly declined over the past few weeks and he would be returning to Canada for further treatment at the end of October. [79] [80] Later that September, Ren was hospitalised in A&E (Accident and Emergency) "due to complications with his autoimmunity." His team of friends managed his social media accounts while he was in A&E and as he rested and recovered at home. [80]
Ren went to Mexico for a treatment program that included more stem cell transplants in March 2025. [81]
Ren has also collaborated with several artists, such as Sam Tompkins, Chinchilla, Prof, Chris Webby, Token, Viktus, and Knox Hill. See their discographies for more details.
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||||
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UK [82] | UK HH/R&B [82] | AUS [83] | SCO [82] | US [84] [85] | ||
Freckled Angels |
| — | — | — | — | — |
Sick Boi | 1 | 1 | 28 | 1 | 137 |
Title | EP details |
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The Tale of Jenny & Screech |
|
Demos (Do Not Share), Vol 1 |
|
Demos (Do Not Share), Vol 2 |
|
Violet's Tale |
|
Year | Title | UK Sales [37] | Album/EP |
---|---|---|---|
2018 | "Jessica" (featuring Orlean) | — | Non-album singles |
"Girls!" | — | ||
"Blind Eyed" (with Sam Tompkins) | — | ||
"Children of the Moon" | — | ||
2019 | "Humble" (with Eden Nash) | — | |
"Money Game" | — | ||
"How to Be Me" (with Chinchilla) | — | ||
2020 | "Money Game, Pt. 2" | — | |
2021 | "Round Town [Skit]" (Chinchilla feat. Ren) | — | Moon Maintenance For Dummies |
"Chalk Outlines" (with Chinchilla) | — | Non-album singles | |
2022 | "Power" | — | |
"Violet's Tale" | — | Violet's Tale | |
"The Hunger" | — | Sick Boi | |
"Genesis" | — | ||
"What You Want" | — | ||
"Hi Ren" | 50 | Non-album singles | |
2023 | "For Joe" [69] | — | |
"Sick Boi" | — | Sick Boi | |
"Illest of Our Time" | — | ||
"gutter - Ren Remix" (venbee feat. Ren) | — | Non-album singles | |
"Animal Flow" | — | Sick Boi | |
"Suicide" | 94 | ||
"Murderer" | 95 | ||
"Love Music, Pt. 4" | — | ||
"Down on the Beat" (featuring Viktus) | — | ||
"Masochist" | — | ||
"Lost All Faith" | — | ||
"Money Game, Pt. 3" | — | ||
2024 | "Mackay" | — | Non-album singles |
"Pain Salesman" (Prof ft. Ren) | — | ||
"Baggage"(Chris Webby ft. Ren) | — | Last Wednesday | |
"Fentanyl"(Knox Hill ft. Ren) | — | Chaos Theory 2 | |
"Troubles" | 12 | NHL 25 Soundtrack | |
"KUJO BEAT DOWN" | 15 | Non-album singles | |
"Money Ties" | 53 | ||
"Slaughter House" (featuring Kit) | 47 | ||
2025 | "What Does Your Love Look Like?" (Token ft. Ren) | — | I’m Not Supposed To Be Here |
"Vincent's Tale - Prologue - Sunflowers" | — | Vincent's Tale - Self Portrait | |
"Vincent's Tale - Self Portrait" | — |
13th track on the line up list
At 1:16 I am going all the way to Brussels in 4 days to see Dr. KDM
The original restaurant took its name from Ren Gill's song and album 'Freckled Angels', which they have now brought with them to their new venue nearby and is dedicated to their dear friend Joe.
I'm undergoing my first stem cell transplant in Mexico today! The treatment program here has shifted course a bit and I'll be receiving some pretty intense interventions up till the 15th of April