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An Interview With The Pittsburgh Grammy- Nominated Artist and Multi-Instrumentalist, KEVIN GARRETT!
Posted On 13 May 2019
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Meet the Pittsburgh-born and GRAMMY® Award-nominated artist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Kevin Garrett! He recently released his debut full length album, HOAX. He also made his late night television debut on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, performing the lead single off his project, “It Don’t Bother Me At All” on April 3rd.
Kevin said about the album, “I’m excited to finally get this album off my chest. I’ve been living with these songs for so long and I’m lucky to share these stories with all of you. I hope the messages in this album are universal and connect with everybody in their own way. It’s okay to be sad and it’s okay to struggle, but it’s important to be aware of it. I hope the songs resonate with you the way they have with me over and over again.”
Kevin is currently on his 18 city headlining North American tour in support of his album. The run kicked off on April 30th in Philadelphia, PA at The Foundry and wrap on May 31st in Atlanta, GA at Vinyl ATL. Quinn Lewis and Minke are set to open on select dates. Full remaining tour routing below and more information HERE!
HOAX TOUR DATES
May 13 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry*
May 15 Denver, CO Larimer Lounge*
May 17 Salt Lake City, UT In The Venue*
May 19 San Francisco, CA Rickshaw Stop**
May 21 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour**
May 25 Austin, TX The Parish**
May 26 Houston, TX White Oak Music Hall**
May 28 Dallas, TX Deep Ellum Art Co. **
May 30 Nashville, TN Exit/In**
May 31 Atlanta, GA Vinyl ATL**
Kevin Garrett twists up soulful tradition with singer-songwriter spirit, lush instrumentation, and alternative adventurousness. In 2015, Kevin hit the road with Irish sensation James Vincent McMorrow and unveiled his debut EP, Mellow Drama, which attracted acclaim from The Fader, Complex, Vibe, and Pancakes & Whiskey. It also yielded a hit with the singles “Coloring” racking up 30 million-plus streams. Beyond gigs alongside everyone from X Ambassadors to Alessia Cara and electrifying festival performances at Bonnaroo, Latitude & Longitude, and Sasquatch, he contributed “Pray You Catch Me” to Beyoncé’s blockbuster Lemonade, sharing co-writing and co-production with the superstar and James Blake. 2017 saw him sell out his first headline tour before spending 2018 recording the new album with producer Brad Cook [War On Drugs, Bon Iver] in Durham, NC. Now, his brand of bold and blunt soul unfolds on his debut album HOAX.
Connect With KEVIN GARRETT Here:
Website
YouTube
Learn more about Kevin Garrett in the following All Access interview:
Thanks for your time today! Where does this interview find you?
Thank you for the chat! I’m in Philadelphia at the moment. One day at a time.
Now that we are into the 5th month of the new year, how has 2019 been treating you so far? What are some goals that you have for yourself this year? How are those New Years Resolutions going?
This is circumstantially a very loaded question, so I am going to say it’s been full of surprises. Does anybody do well with their New Years Resolutions?
Growing up, how important was music in your life? Can you recall the moment when you decided that you wanted to be a musician? Was it an easy or difficult choice to make?
Photo Credit- Shervin Lainez
I’ve been around music my whole life. My dad taught me everything he could about his favorite bands in the car rides to and from my violin lessons. I think I knew I could hang when Rockwood Music Hall asked me to come back and play my second ever show in New York and it was an opening slot for Norah Jones. Pursuing music as a career, especially as an independent artist, is a very difficult but fulfilling journey. I haven’t had any doubts yet.
Was there ever a time when you thought about doing something else? If you weren’t a musician today, what else could you see yourself doing? Would you be as fulfilled in life?
Short answer to this question is no, I wouldn’t be fulfilled. Music for me is the way I confront myself about things in my life. I did get a good grade on an anatomy test once in high school and thought about med school for a week.
What has been the biggest surprise so far about making music your career? What has been an unexpected or welcome challenge to it all?
I think the fact that people keep listening has been the most surprising. And I mean that wholeheartedly. It’s crazy to see the numbers people are putting up.
Let’s talk about your debut full-length album, “HOAX” that was recently released. What was it like putting this collection together?
This album was a real struggle for me. I’ve been living with these songs and these experiences for so long, so to have it done and out for everyone else feels like a weight lifted off of my shoulders.
Did anything surprise you about the overall process? How did you celebrate the release of the album?
I wasn’t sure how much these songs would impact me again after all this time. I guess that’s a positive in all of this. I did my job enough to make everything resonate with me all over again. To that end, I spent midnight on March 22 in my car sort of crying alone. My manager called me from London to say congratulations and as soon as we hung up I lost it. But like I said, a weight was taken off my shoulders when this record was finished.
How do you think your lead single, “It Don’t Bother Me At All” prepared listeners for more music from you? What was the inspiration for that track?
I think this entire album was a step outside of the box for me. I chased a very organic and cinematic landscape, all the while staying true to my core influences. I think that song is one that can tap into a lot of different audiences and styles, and leaves a lot of doors open for me to explore in terms of what’s next.
How do you think you have grown as a musician since you first started singing and writing songs?
Well I feel like overall, I’ve been able to be more and more honest with myself, and that’s translated into more thoughtful songwriting. As a musician, I’m always learning, usually from my peers or what I’m listening to. But I think I’ve certainly explored what I’m capable of, and I plan on continuing to do that.
What has it been like keeping up with your social media accounts and all of the different platforms? Is it hard to stay up to date on it all? What would you say is your favorite way to connect with your fans now?
Funny you ask this, it actually has been a challenge to keep up with promotion on all the platforms. I want so badly to keep in touch with everyone who reaches out. It’s a privilege to have this platform, and I hope as it grows that more and more people will continue to reach out. I treat social media like I treat the road. I want to talk to everyone I can.
Who are some of your favorite artists or rather, what musicians have continued to inspire you and your music? Who would you absolutely still love to work with in the future?
There’s not a day that goes by where I don’t listen to a Big Thief song. I’m listening to Cautious Clay a lot right now. Phoebe Bridgers is very cool. Refs, Foxwarren/Andy Schauf, Emily King. The list is too long. I’d love to work with all of them.
How excited are you to be heading on tour at the end of this month? What are some venues that you are particularly excited to perform at?
I’m anxious to perform again. It’s been a little while since I was on tour, and we’ve been putting a lot of thought into rehearsals. This album is very hard for me to play emotionally as well so I’m nervous about that too. I’m looking forward to getting back to each city. If people bought tickets to see me sing I’m excited to play anywhere they are.
If you had an unlimited budget and your schedule was free, what would your dream music video look like?
It would be a long form video that would go through an entire album’s worth of work, or better yet, a movie itself
Photo Credit- Shervin Lainez
that would feature my songs as a soundtrack. I’ve always wanted to blend both worlds more and make something very visual because I think you can create a more immersive story. I also think we watch music a lot more than we listen to it, so I think being creative amidst paradigm shifts is important.
If your music was going to be featured on any TV show that is currently on right now, which would you love it to be on? Or if you prefer, what is a movie that you love that you wish your music was featured in?
I think it’s probably a spot on look for “This Is Us.” I’d love to write an album for a movie specifically one day.
At the end of the day, what do you hope people take away from your music?
I just want people to feel connected to what they listen to. It doesn’t even have to be my music, but if they manage to relate to my songs and confront or realize things in their life while listening to my music then that’s the ultimate honor.
