At 28, singer/songwriter Gregory Douglass has already released seven albums, including his newest, "Battler," which just came out this week.

A relentless tourer, Douglass is stopping by the Chestnut Hill Cafe this weekend to support the new disc.

Released on the independent label Emote Records, the aptly titled "Battler" came about after a Douglass faced a difficult crossroads.

 "I just felt like I was flatlining," he explains. "I spent the last 10 years plugging away. A lot of my friends were settling down, having kids, buying a house and here I am still schlepping around playing for college kids.

"It's a hard time in the industry, probably the worst time ever and at times it's really frustrating."

Douglass was considering quitting the business completely.

"I really started to doubt everything," he says. "I lost a lot of motivation. I thought I just needed to shut down and take time to figure this out."

So back to Vermont he went, and settled in to what turned out to be a cathartic winter depression.

Friends had urged him to watch the dark HBO series "Six Feet Under," and he figured it would be a good way to pass the time and escape his own worries.

Turns out he was wrong — kind of.

"This is one of the heaviest shows on television," he says. "It's the most dysfunctional family you could imagine and they run a funeral home. But each character has something really significant to offer. There are gay issues to one of the characters, sexual addiction issues, family dynamics play a part. It's very difficult."

The show also had parallels with his own life.

Douglass' first album, released while he was in high school, was titled "If I Were a Man," and dealt with his struggle to understand his own sexual orientation and then to fight for his identity.

The series became, as Douglass puts it, "an unexpected source of inspiration. It was very cathartic."

It was so inspirational, Douglass drew on it to create the music for "Battler." It was something he says he had to do. The result is a melodic journey, layered with haunting keyboards and impressive guitar work.

And he realized that, at least for now, there was no other road for this songwriter to take.

"What's the point if you can't support the truth of what you're going through (with music)?" he asks. "I always say that a lot of my inspiration comes from being a crusader of truth."

THAT'S THE TICKET

Gregory Douglass

Fri. 7 p.m.

Chestnut Hill Cafe

532 W. Chestnut St.
www.chestnuthillcafe.com