“I knew one chord, so I was like, ‘I’m going to write the coolest song with one chord ever’,” Grammer laughs. In 9th grade, Grammer picked up his dad’s guitar and taught himself to write songs. I saw the work it takes to cultivate an artist’s career.” I saw him take days off where he wouldn’t talk to rest his voice. I saw his respect for his audience, respect for himself. “He worked really hard, he traveled all across the country. “The most important thing I learned from my father about being a musician was the work ethic,” Grammer says. His dad gave Grammer an insider’s insight into what happens off stage as well. I can see it in their eyes, they want more of me.’ I was six or seven and he just laughed and laughed.” “Afterwards, I’d say, ‘Dad, I think I’m going to need a bigger part in your show because I nailed that. I’d just have a couple of lines,” Grammer remembers. “My dad would bring me up to sing with him. His father, Red Grammer, is a Grammy-nominated children’s performer who gladly indulged his son’s desire to get on stage.to a point. The video has gotten so much more exposure because of him coming and hanging out.” “He gave me tips on how to look in the camera. “He’s such a gracious, amazing guy,” says Grammer, who met Wilson through a former roommate. “It was crazy.” The clip stars “The Office’s” Rainn Wilson. The video, which features groundbreaking interactive technology in a partnership between VEVO, Interlude and S-Curve, won an MTV O Award for Most Innovative Video, topping entries from Arcade Fire, Robyn and OK Go! “The most challenging part about the video was the sheer amount of times we’d have to tape each cut so people can go through the video thousands of different ways,” Grammer says. In fact, Grammer wrote “Keep Your Head Up” as a letter of encouragement to himself after he’d spent an exhausting day street performing and had little to money to show for it. I’m not intentionally trying to be positive, I’m just trying to be real.” While much of his music is upbeat, Grammer is quick to add he’s hardly “pink and fluffy. I like to be far enough away to see the whole scope of what’s occurring.” It may be about a break-up, it may be about a good relationship, it may be what we’re doing on this planet here. “My favorite thing is to pop up above everybody and write from a bird’s eye view. “We got some really great stuff that I wouldn’t have gotten if I just worked with one producer.”Įvery song that Grammer wrote on the album had one goal in mind: “I’m just trying to track down the truth,” says Grammer, who was born in Los Angeles and grew up in New York. “Basically, it was show up somewhere, really dig in with someone who’s going to help you get your creative vision across and then go somewhere else and do it again,” he says. Named one of Billboard’s 2011 Artists to Watch, the singer recorded the album in New York and Los Angeles with a collection of top producers, including Matt Wallace (Faith No More, Maroon 5), S*A*M & Sluggo (Train, Neon Trees) and Barrett Yeretsian (Christina Perri). So I just went out there and started playing.” His desire to be heard led him to the streets, “I didn’t know what else to do. He played any corner that would have him-using every experience to hone not only his songwriting craft but to learn how to understand his audience. Think the relaxed vibe of Jason Mraz crossed with the rock soul of Maroon 5.Įven though he knew music would be his path, Grammer never assumed it would be an easy road or that he could take any success for granted. From the buoyant Top 10 hit, “Keep Your Head Up” to the breezy “Fine By Me,” jubilant, horn-laced “The Pocket,” and emotionally-charged “You Should Know Better,” his irresistible pop songs blend heartfelt, compelling lyrics with instantly unforgettable melodies. One listen to Grammer’s self-titled S-Curve Records debut and it is clear that this young man became an expert. From the buoyant Top 10 hit, “Keep Your Head Up” to the breezy “Fine By Me,” jubilant, horn-laced “The Pocket,” and emotionally-charged “You Should With his car battery powered amplifier and acoustic guitar in tow, Grammer managed to sing his way from the streets to the center of the music industry. Andy Grammer logged his 10,000 hours of practice on the streets of Los Angeles. It’s widely known that it takes 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to become an expert at anything.
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