One-man production powerhouse Jack Garratt is going to be absolutely huge. The multi-instrumentalist has been getting some serious airplay with his new single Weathered, and we think that he’s brilliant. We caught up with Jack at Barn On The Farm festival to chat about being terrified of playing the Shepherd’s Bush Empire, his new single Weathered and the brilliance of David Bowie:
Your new single Weathered is out now – how would you describe it?
‘I’m not sure that I can! It’s kinda indescribable, for exactly that reason. I won’t say too much about it – I think that it’s more interesting for someone who hasn’t listened to it to just go and check out the song. It’d be a lot better for them to go and feel the music and form their own opinion on it. I have the same opinion with a lot of my songs, to be honest. The entire basis of my music is that I’m not sure what genre it is, and that I just do what I want to do – that’s why it gets so many different comparisons. One person might think it sounds like dance music, while another person might think that it sounds like something completely different – well, you’re both right, and yet you’re both wrong. I can’t define it, so I’m not sure how you’re supposed to!
Radio 1 have been giving you a lot of support recently – how do you feel about that?
‘They’ve been hugely supportive. Everything really kicked off earlier this year when I played the Future Festival for them at Maida Vale Studios. That was a turning point – there were turning points before, and there have been turning points since then, but that was quite a significant moment for this year. Their support has been really admirable, and a huge honour. I’m interested to see where that relationship goes from here, because I’m a big fan of what they do.
You’re heading off on tour in October, and you’re headlining the Shepherds Bush Empire – are you excited?
‘I’ve gone past the point of being terrified. I mean, it’s happening, and I think that tickets are going well, so I know that there’s going to be a good crowd there. The next thing for me is to be terrified about actually playing the show. It’s absolutely huge! I currently live within a couple of minutes’ walk from the venue, so it’s a real home gig. I saw my first-ever gig there, too, so it’s going to be a special one.
You’ve just played Glastonbury – how was it?
‘It was great! I love festivals. I actually did two sets – one on the Park Stage and another one on Williams Green, and they were both good fun. Both sets were totally different though, which is really interesting. The crowds were completely different, and they were both there for totally different reasons. You had two different kinds of people there, which meant that I got to play two totally different sets. One group of people were into the quieter stuff, and for the other set I just went all out and played a set full of bangers!
Is it nice to be back at Barn On The Farm?
‘Yeah! I’m really looking forward to playing here again. Last year was a bit of a surprise, so tonight is going to be good fun.
What’s your favourite song from your Synesthesiac EP?
‘Probably either the opening track, Synesthesia Part 1, or the last track, Lonesome Valley, just because those were the ones where I let myself have a bit of a laugh. I just thought ‘well, what I can do to push and challenge myself as a musician and a producer?’, and these two really interesting pieces of music came out of it. They’ve been influencing a lot of the stuff that I’ve been writing since then, too.
Any firm plans for an album?
‘Currently, as it stands, I’m just writing and recording stuff, and putting pieces of the puzzle together… I’m planning for one, but that’s all I know for sure. It’ll happen.
Out of every song you’ve ever written, which one are you most proud of?
‘Ah, that’s hard! That’s like picking your favourite child! It’s too difficult, because I love all of them for different reasons. My theory, especially with songwriting, has always been that I will only put out a piece of music if I, as a member of the public, would listen to it. That’s set in stone. If, for example, someone came along and said ‘Oh, I can make that song better!’ and completely ruined it, then I wouldn’t let that song go anywhere. I don’t want my name to be associated with something that I don’t think is good. For that reason, I listen to a lot of my own music, because I like it. However, it also means that it’s impossible to choose my favourite.
Can you talk us through your songwriting process?
‘It depends on the song. I’ll usually start with a beat, chord sequence or melody and just work with that, before putting lyrics over the top afterwards. On other rare occasions, I start with the lyrics and go in reverse… I usually find a feeling or atmosphere, and then try to engorge myself in it. From that, a song will come. I like to think that the songs fly around my head already written, and it’s my job to try and pick them out and put them together. It’s a lot of being in the right place at the right time.
Out of every song ever recorded, which do you wish you’d written?
‘Which do I wish I’d written? Impossible! To take credit for somebody else’s work, that would be… No, actually, I’d gladly do it – there are some great songs out there! I don’t know… There are a lot of good songs for a lot of different reasons. I was recently listening to a podcast about films, and they were talking about this scene where a group of teenagers in the Eighties knew about all this obscure music, but they didn’t know Heroes by David Bowie. I just sat there and remembered how good Heroes is, so I wish I’d written that. I wish I’d written anything that Stevie Wonder touched, too. Actually, no, I don’t wish that I’d written any of that, because all of those songs have inspired me to make the songs that I’m writing now. I guess that I don’t wish I’d written any of it, because those songs have enabled me to write new songs.
Have you got any advice for aspiring musicians?
‘Try anything. It’s not even a matter of ‘keep doing what you’re doing’ – don’t keep doing what you’re doing. Change it. Do something completely different, and see what happens. I used to be an acoustic singer-songwriter, and then one day I woke up and decided to try making electronic music. I’m currently doing that, but I won’t be doing electronic music forever.
‘My whole attitude is that I’ll take what people love now and try to challenge myself by doing that.
‘Electronic music is currently really popular, so I want to try and challenge myself in that genre. If introvert acoustic folk singer-songwriters suddenly became popular again, I’d grab my guitar and try to challenge myself by doing that. Just try anything and everything, and don’t be close-minded. If you like something, it’s because it’s good. It doesn’t matter what genre it is, or who’s singing it – if it’s good songwriting, or if the production is good, then it’s good in your opinion. Oh, and don’t tell other people that they’re wrong – I learnt the hard way…
Can you describe yourself in three words?
‘No, I can’t.
