Some readers may have caught your set at ArtPrize this past summer, or some of your recent gigs around West Michigan, but for those who are unfamiliar with your music, how would you describe it to them? Garrett Borns: I would describe my music as a cocktail of many genres. There are so many different flavors of music I find myself overwhelmed with inspiration sometimes. It’s hard to describe my style in any one way. It can be stripped down singer/songwriter, folk stuff, or get-up-and-shake-that-ass funk. A mixture of r&b, old jazz, pop and soul seems fairly accurate. I love exploring different sounds.
As a young performer, even one as experienced as yourself, is there someone in the industry whose career you admire, or someone in particular that you look up to or feel has done it the right way? The musicians I admire the most are artists who are in it for the journey, rather than hit singles. I admire the ones who treat touring like a workout and prepare their material, chops, mind and body as if they were running a marathon. Eating healthy, exercise and yoga are essential for me to keep my creative process flowing. As a singer, my instrument is inside me, so it’s important to stay health.
How would you explain your relationship to music? My relationship to music is both close and distant. I spend most of my waking hours discovering it, and most of my dreaming hours floating in it. I’m constantly nitpicking the nuances of a song I’m writing or reading about different musicians and techniques. But there are times when I’m too close to it and I need to step back and let the sound travel to me. Like anything, if you get too close, you may start to miss the subtleties that made it beautiful in the first place. Sometimes it helps to walk away, get some fresh air, stretch, read a book, whatever, and come back to the board with fresh ears.
You recently traveled to Paris for a video shoot. I’ hear a lot of European sensibility in your writing and playing. What was that experience like for you? I spent a few days this past spring in Montmartre, northern Paris. I had an unreal connection with the people, the ancient structures, the cobblestone roads – just sitting outside a café at night and breathing was an inspiration. My manager also works as a cinematographer and we were able to shoot some amazing film while we were there. I spoke at the TEDx conference in Grand Rapids a few weeks afterward and played a song, “Mademoiselle.” that was inspired by that trip. I’m really intrigued by French music from the 1920s-‘50s. Django Reinhardt, Edith Piaf, etc. It's such rich, pure music. I really love that old French, jazzy style and try to incorporate some of that into my writing.
Your song ‘Beyond the Coal’ deals with the controversial clean coal debate and was featured on a prominent activist website – how did you become involved with that? I’ve been “green” my whole life. I was raised in a low-impact household and continue to live as eco-concious and earth friendly as possible. ‘Beyond the Coal’ started as a project with a high school friend of mine. I had been learning a lot about pollution and found a video contest online to make a video about moving Michigan beyond coal energy. I thought it was a great idea because I want our ‘mitten’ to be a clean one, and thought it would inspire others to believe the same. Luckily, the video received a substantial amount of hits on youtube. I gained many followers because of that song, and had the opportunity to work with 1Sky.org, a national sustainability organization, and make the song part of their campaign.
Rumor has it you recently completed work in studio and are nearing completion on your first LP. How did the recording process go? It’s definitely a process. Personally, I prefer the spontaneity of performing in someone's living room or an intimate evening show at a jazz bar [as opposed] to recording in studio. I’ve had to learn how to let go, to relax, and that it's all about how prepared you are. I was always writing and recording rough drafts of songs on my own. For example, all the background vocals were recorded first on my laptop beforehand. This made it much easier to listen to the track with open ears and come up with the exact parts I wanted.
I've found that nearly every musician I meet has a different writing process that works for them. You compose many of your songs on ukelele. How did that come about? I picked up the uke a few summers ago because I needed a grab and go instrument. I was always at the beach, or at campfires, or night sailing somewhere and I needed something portable and easy to stash. I was writing all my music on piano and the baby grand is less than portable. I found I really enjoyed writing music on the ukulele. It helps me as a singer to have an instrument in my lap and under my control. It’s a very honest instrument. It has really helped my lyrics, I think. I’ve been composing the new material mostly on guitar and piano, but I still use the ukulele as a creation tool.