Gavin DeGraw
Piano Man
Clive Davis Protégé Gavin DeGraw Makes His Blue-Eyed Soul Debut
Singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw honed his chops crooning and playing piano in rural New York's Catskill Mountains. But the 26-year-old got his big break when he moved to New York City and landed a deal with J Records, home to Annie Lennox, Alicia Keys, and Luther Vandross -- and of course, the legendary label boss Clive Davis, who signed Janis Joplin, Billy Joel, Whitney Houston, and others. Prior to the release of his thoughtful debut, Chariot -- on which he waxes poetic about love and relationships -- the charismatic DeGraw spoke with Barnes & Noble.com's Tracy E. Hopkins about his music, his mentor, and his influences.
Barnes & Noble.com: How long have you been performing?
Gavin DeGraw: I started going out to bars with my brother and playing gigs when I was about 15. [Later on] my brother moved around the country and I went to college. Then both of us moved home for a couple months, and we devised a plan to move to [New York City]. When we moved, we both started doing our own thing [musically] and working typical, horrible jobs. We were trying to outdo each other for the worst jobs possible. I think I won.
B&N.com: What kind of jobs did you have?
GD: I walked dogs, waited tables, and worked at a magazine stand. I was also a cable guy. That was awesome. I was so bad at it. [laughs]
B&N.com: How were you discovered?
GD: An A&R guy from Columbia Records came to one of my gigs. The guy didn't see any possibility for me in the mass-marketing world of records, so he opted not to sign me. But he kept an eye on me, and a couple years later, when he moved to J Records, he invited me to come in and perform for [J Records CEO] Clive [Davis]. And I signed a deal that week.
B&N.com: What was it like auditioning for Clive Davis?
GD: It was great, but intimidating. I didn't know what he looked like or anything. He was just sort of this name that you hear -- like Moses. Then I met him, and we walked into this room with an upright piano that was facing a wall. The J Records staff sat behind me on couches and whatnot. It was sort of like we were having an intervention. [laughs] My back was to them, so I was singing to the wall. But Clive sat next to the piano, facing me. So I was singing and shivering. He looked around the room kind of like, Well, what do you think? Someone raised their hand and said, Clive, I'm a big fan. Someone else said, Me too. I was like, Wow. It was like the end of Spartacus. Like, I am Spartacus. I didn't expect that. Then we walked into his office and he said he wanted to sign me. He told me about the first artist he signed, which was Janis Joplin, and all these other impressive people he's signed.
B&N.com: Who are your musical idols?
GD: Paul McCartney and the Beatles in general are so amazing. I'm a big fan of Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Billy Joel, Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway, Otis Redding, and Sam Cooke. I'm also a fan of Chris Whitley and Martin Sexton. How am I doin'?
B&N.com: That's a pretty good list.
GD: Wait, also Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Willie Nelson, and Van Morrison.
B&N.com: How have all of those artists influenced your sound? And what do you consider your sound?
GD: I consider myself a music fan, and I don't know if I represent those artists properly. I'm trying to. They're the artists I think are super, and I'm paying homage to them. I'm trying to attain something of what they had. I don't know if I'm a mixture of those artists' sound or not, but those are definitely people who inspired me. And when I'm writing tunes and singing, I try to attain the feeling from myself that I get when I listen to them.
B&N.com: What's the significance of the album's title?
GD: Chariot is a vehicle of getting to a simpler state of mind, simpler living. I don't know if I speak for everybody, but I certainly get wrapped up in working hard and trying to be in the rat race. It consumes me, and sometimes I need to take a step back and reevaluate. You need a weekend now and again to breathe in some regular air.
B&N.com: How long did it take to write the album?
GD: The whole work was spread out over several years. Some of the songs are six or seven years old, and others are a few months old. I wanted to make a well-rounded album and present a journey of, Hey, this is what I was learning at one point and this was my frame of mind at a different point. I also wanted to balance out the record with up-tempo and slow songs.
B&N.com: What's the first single, "Follow Through," about?
GD: Well, it was about you. [laughs] No, it's about making love work. I had this phase where I had a hard time making promises, 'cause I didn't ever want to be the guy to break one. I wouldn't even promise to pick up beer on the way to the party. I didn't want to disappoint anyone. So when I grew out of that phase and began to take life more seriously, [I realized] sometimes you have to commit to things. Not promising just won't do. And so, "Follow Through" is about that. You start a relationship and it's great. You might sit around looking at each other with stars in your eyes, but that's not going to make the relationship function. You're gonna have to deliver the goods. You're gonna have to say what you mean and do what you say.
July 28, 2003
© 2009 All Media Guide, LLC