Shooting in his New York City bar and music venue, the National Underground in the Lower East Side (which he owns with his brother Joey), Gavin Degraw sat down for a pre-tour interview and performance this past June. It's admittedly a bit strange to see him talking about his new album and summer tour knowing that just a few months later he'll be assaulted, then hit by a taxi in his own neighborhood--but don't worry, he's okay. Degraw will be returning to his tour following recovery. Meanwhile, let's focus on the good: The music!
The perma-behatted pop singer hit mainstream ears when his song "I Don't Want To Be" being chosen as the theme song for popular teen drama TV show "One Tree Hill". A soulful vocalist whose music is driven by piano melodies and narrative lyrics, he's a performer whose undeniably contagious pop sound only gets richer and more rounded with each album. He teamed up with OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder to write his latest single "Not Over You," which moved Degraw past his more rock singles of the past few years, revitalizing the effusive sound of his 2003 album "Chariot".
Watch the interview with Gavin Degraw that we were lucky to get our hands on:
Some interview highlights:
-Used to live on the same block as Maroon 5's drummer Matt Flynnin NYC.., above a funeral home and a transvestite cabaret.
-Met Ryan Tedder (who co-wrote "Not Over You") backstage.
-More interested in lo-fi, mono recordings, old soul recordsand old beatnik country music lately than new music, but likes OneRepublic,Colbie Caillat, Muse.
-Some Sweeterinfluences: Degraw says country music influences lyrics; soul, R&B helps hisvocal performance.
Want more? See Gavin Degraw in an intimate performance of his first single "Not Over You" off of his latest album Sweeter that will be released on September 20. And if you asked him / How he's doin' / He would say that he's doin' just fine... but he's not lying. Degraw will be out of recovery and onstage by August 25th for the last three dates on his tour.
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