Interview: Gavin DeGraw Discusses His New Album, Sweeter

On Tuesday, September 20, Gavin DeGraw will release his fourth studio album, Sweeter, on RCA Records.

Mixing it up for this latest effort, the talented singer-songwriter collaborated with other songwriters for the first time, including OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder. Together they co-wrote DeGraw’s current hit, “Not Over You,” as well as the album's title track.

Last week, DeGraw took the time to speak with me about his latest music endeavor, and we covered everything from his attack in New York City last month to his upcoming Fall tour with David Cook.

I know you’re probably over being asked about the incident in NYC from last month, but how are you doing?

I’m doing good, thank you. I’m mostly all healed up. Everything’s kind of settled; the bruising and the swelling’s all down. I think I’m basically back to normal.

Were you worried that your voice could be affected after what happened?

Oh yeah, of course. That’s all connected, you know? Being that there was an injury to the nose that affects the sound of your voice. But, I think I got that all squared away. It could have been a lot worse than what it was.

You returned to your tour with Maroon 5 and Train on August 24 in Columbia, Maryland. How was that first show back?

It was amazing. The crowd was incredibly supportive, really receptive, and I felt like they really showed up for me, you know? They were definitely, like encouraging me, so I felt like people were rooting for me. It was a great feeling.

Something terrible happens and people can really make you feel good, lending their support, and being genuinely concerned. There’s always that silver lining.

Well, let’s talk about this new album. Did you have an overall concept in mind when you first started working on it?

Absolutely not. [laughs] No, definitely not a concept record. Some people can make concept records; I’m not that guy. It was definitely me wanting to do two things: One, kind of reach new ground, musically. And of course at the same time, number two, which is first rule of medicine, do no harm. I didn’t want to do damage to the career I had already established, and I wanted to make sure that the music that I made paid some homage to what I’ve already done, while it moved forward and evolved, and continued to experiment with a few dozen things. Whether they be sound-wise or subject matter.

So by working with other songwriters for the first time, it was a conscious decision to mix it up and bring something new to the table on this record?

Article Author: Kirsten Coachman

Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Coachman covers the latest in music, TV, and DVDs for Blogcritics. She has interviewed various people from across the entertainment spectrum, including Blue Valentine director Derek Cianfrance and recording artist Gavin DeGraw.
…

Visit Kirsten Coachman's author page — Kirsten Coachman's Blog