Gavin DeGraw Describes “Anti-Pop” Next Album, Due In 6 Months
One year ago, Gavin DeGraw surprised fans when he revealed that his next album will sound a bit more country. More specifically, he’s cited Bob Seger and Tom Petty as inspirations for the new music, and has said he’s writing the songs alone. But indeed, Gavin moved deep into the country realm in the last year. In 2018 he toured with Phillip Phillips and collaborated with Brett Young on a new song called “Chapters.” So how is Gavin’s new album coming along? When will we get to hear it? In a few new interviews, Gavin describes his “anti-pop” new album in more detail. He also predicts that it will be released in about six months!
In an interview with Mario Lopez last month, Gavin explained more specifics about his upcoming record. He reiterated the “anti-pop,” country rock style, and expressed his distancing from mainstream pop production. Gavin explained:
I’m taking my time, man. I think, the way the music’s going right now, I have a couple ideas. Some stuff that I feel is radio playable. But I’m sort of feeling like I need to go another direction musically. I’m feeling almost the Bob Seger vibe, I’m feeling the Tom Petty vibe, and I’m just feeling another direction. More that raw, that freedom-centric sort of material, you know? Under-produced, zero autotune, no fake drums. You know what I’m saying? Just kind of the anti-pop.
Listen to the full interview here. Gavin talks about his new music at about 4:50.
Album In 6 Months
In an interview with TheBaynet.com that came out yesterday, Gavin revealed that his album is still in process, but should be released in about 6 months. It sounds like we’ll have a new record by the beginning of 2020!
Gavin also went into more detail about writing alone, the anti-pop Americana and 1970s rock sound he’s going for, and the personal content the lyrics will touch on. As he explained in the interview:
Sometimes you go off and you write a lot… just the responsibility of writing alone feels more important and there’s always a certain amount of more pride when you’re writing by yourself. Maybe just because you feel like it’s 100 percent just you. And you know, when it works, you just feel [more] gratification I suppose.
But like this album that I’m making right now, it’s more along the lines of [what] I would call more like a like a Bob Seger type record — Bob Seger, Springsteen, a Rascal record, something much more Americana, almost like a 1970s songwriter, rock record. Just heartfelt, pure, and an album that’s really tailored for songwriting, period. Just songwriting, you know? Not tailored necessarily for radio, but really just from the heart, really pure, all that musicianship and performance and rawness. [Being] about a blue-collar background and upbringing and being from a small town, so, a lot of that content is there. To me, this is this will be my, it’ll be my baby. It’s a long time coming, a record like this for me.
Gavin’s Upcoming Album
Gavin’s last album, Something Worth Saving, came out in September 2016. It launched the singles “She Sets The City On Fire” and “Making Love With The Radio On,” plus a live music video for the title track in September 2017.
It was around that time – in September 2017 – when Gavin’s mother passed away after a battle with cancer. In November that year, Gavin spoke about the “gospel” sounding songs he was writing in the aftermath of his mother’s passing. At the time, he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to finish any of those songs or if they’d appear on his next album. We predict that at least some of the songs on his next record will touch on this tragic subject.
We now know his songs will be somewhat “anti-pop,” instead leaning into the country and country-rock genres, similar to music by Tom Petty and Bob Seger. It’s encouraging to know that Gavin is writing the songs alone, and we’re excited that we may have the album by the beginning of 2020!
Let us know how you hope or anticipate Gavin’s new album will sound, and catch up on all we know about it so far here. As always, keep checking back here for all the latest Gavin DeGraw music news.
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