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Charming: Gavin Degraw gets drawn in

Multi-talented: The platinum selling artist writes, sings and plays

Must-see live: he is renouned for impressive performances

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How charming it is to listen to Gavin Degraw. Not just when he sings but also in conversation. He is the sort of person that takes the time to get drawn in and, in turn, gives you a thorough response; a great talker. He, unlike many males, isn't deterred by the phone either. From the word 'hello' the musician is ready to chat be it on an international call or face to face. In short, Gavin has a lot to say and it's a pleasure to speak to him.

An added appeal is that he doesn't take himself too seriously and so the conversation floats seamlessly between more intense topics and lighter moments of banter. His reference to a London bus tour being one of them: 'I took what you would call an annoying tourist bus to explore the city,' he says. 'I learned a lot. But I'm afraid the tour guide was making up false information. He could have been saying ridiculous stuff. He was probably like, 'stupid Americans, they'll fall for anything' and we were fascinated.'

Either way, the guide did his job well and left the singer from South Fallsburg, America impressed with the capital's history. 'I particularly liked the information he would give you about buildings you wouldn't necessarily look twice at. For example, that is the bar the term "one for the road" comes from.'

With fans across the world eager to see the 31-year-old perform live, Gavin spends much of his time away from home. Two hours outside central New York, South Fallsburg is a rural community, smaller than a typical village and miles from the more demanding lifestyle that comes with big city status.

'I get homesick just a very little,' says Gavin. 'I am not on the road pining over being there but every once in a while I think, oh man, I sure would like to be walking around the woods in my home town.'

One of the things he misses most is riding dirt bikes with his brother. 'We are really into motocross,' he explains. 'You are so deep into the woods, there is no body around at all. You get to turn your machines off and just sit there. It's really, really great. It's hard to find places to be able to do that when you don't know where you are. I don't want to get lost, run out of gas and be walking around with my helmet on, miles away from civiliazation.' Best not take the bikes on the road then.

Growing up, Gavin describes himself as a 'normal kid' who liked playing football more than the piano and got into fights. He aspired to be a doctor (an opthamologist to be precise) because he wanted to do something 'socially helpful.'

So how does a boy who was raised in a hamlet and loved the great outdoors become a best-selling artist with sell-out shows?

'When I was in my teens I went to an awesome concert that changed my perspective on music. Until then, I didn't think it could offer the type of career that would be helpful to others. But when I noticed how much joy came over the people at this show I realised music was medicine. It wasn't going to cure anything but it certainly would alleviate the pain for a little while. Then I thought ok, I can pursue this because it's not totally selfish.'

And so the ball started to roll. Gavin packed his bags and played just about anywhere that would have him. He also began studying opera at Ithaca but quit because he was less concerned with the technical aspects of the art and more so with how it made him feel. 'My passion wasn't in studying scales, it was in writing the songs. I wasn't concerned with the scientific approach.'

It has been reported that he was in the same year as John Mayer at Berklee College of Music but he isn't sure whether this is true. 'It is possible though,' he says. 'Actually, the other night I was hanging out with Maroon 5. The guitarist James Valentine brought up the school, saying he thinks John was there the same time as him and me. I didn't have any recollection. I wasn't much of a class-goer.'

It was during his time in college that Gavin started penning the tracks for what would be his debut album, Chariot. 'When I put the record together I didn't just want to focus on new material as that wouldn't present everything that I was. Some of the songs I had for years, others I had had only a year or two prior to recording it.'

His inspiration for music comes from personal experience. 'Relationships are a good subject to draw ideas from. I also like listening in to conversations on tubes or in cafes.'

It seems appropriate at this stage to mention my yet unfulfilled ambition to write a decent song. The musician interrupts 'anyone can do so' before proceeding a generous song-writing lesson. He is passionate about this subject. 'Compare music to art. Da Vinci was a 'what it is' guy. Don't approach it from that angle. Van Gogh was the 'how it makes me feel' type. Draw from a topic but be concerned with how it affects you emotionally.' A platinum-selling musician seems like a good one from which to take advice.

Gavin thinks that the test of great song is whether it works acoustically. So committed he is to this theory that he recorded Chariot Unstripped; an acoustic version of the album. 'My instincts with my fan base was that they really love music. I wanted to make a recording that was conceptually reminiscent of Donny Hathaway's Everything is Everything – that live feeling in the studio. I kept the things that are messed up on the recording. They add character. We did it in one take.'

This work filled the gap between his debut and the album of new material that is to be released in July. 'The latest is self-titled because I want people to remember my name. But there is a lot of pressure for success or failure on your second offering.'

Only time will reveal whether this one is to be as successful as the last but after already reaching number seven in the US charts and with great musicians joining his wealth of fans things are looking positive.

One of the biggest compliments Gavin has received is from Kris Kristofferson who said, 'Gavin I'm a new fan' when bumping into him at the songwriter's hall of fame. But the highlight of his career came backstage at one of his concerts. 'Sam Cooke's brother and Solomon Burke heard me perform one of Sam Cooke's songs and congratulated me on doing it justice. That was amazing.'

He appreciates that there is always more to learn though. 'If I could just sit in a room with some of the older musicians and watch their hands, necks and mouths move I could learn a lot.' Practise may not make perfect but it will help you get to the top of your game and Gavin Degraw is not one to shy away from rehearsal.

*Gavin will play Shepherds Bush on May 28. His album, Gavin Degraw, is released on July 28.

 

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