Gryffin

Last year, L.A. based producer Gryffin delivered two heavy-hitting singles that showcased his deeply melodic take on dance music with both tracks built on a graceful fusion of indie and electronic elements. Also known for turning out several of the biggest remixes in recent years, Gryffin is now offering up his latest original track and bringing his boundary-shattering artistry to bold new heights…

 

Interview by Canella Rocks

 

Hey Gryffin, where in the world are you at the moment and what have you been up to?

I just got back from Canada to my home in LA for a couple of days and then heading to Miami for Ultra this weekend! I’ve been doing some shows here and there, but mostly working hard on new music and preparing for Coachella and festival season.

Your latest single ‘Feel Good’ is on it’s way to huge success. What inspired the track?

I received a demo from Daya’s team late last year and immediately fell in love with the vibe of the record.  t was so relatable, real, and powerful. From there it was about re-imagining the song into my style and vision. I wanted to make a song that felt very emotional but intense and beautiful at the same time.

Featured on the track is Grammy-award winner vocalist Daya – how did the collaboration come about?

I was sent this demo from writer Toby Gad. At the time, it was just an organ piano and Daya’s voice. I told Toby I instantly resonated with it and wanted to work on it. I began re-imagining the record into my style and what I wanted to bring about with the track, and sent my version of to Toby and Daya and they were excited with what I did. We then got into the studio to finish the bridge section and add additional verse lyrics to polish the song out.

What was it like working with Daya? What was it about her style that made her right for ‘Feel Good’?

Daya is a superstar. She’s such a talent and a hardworker, but also super down to Earth and cool. It was an awesome experience working with her. I think what makes her style so perfect for the record is that she’s got that relatable modern youth sound to her voice, and her delivery is so raw and pure. I couldn’t imagine anyone else singing the record.

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Having previously collaborated with several different artists, what is the most important factor to consider before working with someone?

I honestly wouldn’t rule out working with anyone.  But I think when working with another artist, it’s just important to be on the same page creatively with what is trying to be achieved on the record.  Once that happens, there is good synergy and things happen quite smoothly and quickly.Do you go out looking for new and interesting artists to feature or is it a pretty natural process where you happen to be in contact with someone at the right time?

I do both of those things. Sometimes it’s very effortless and happens right away, but other times it’s quite difficult to find the right artist or feature for a track. I’m going through the process of finding new features for upcoming singles right now, and it can be challenging and frustrating at times but I have a very high standard for my music so want to make sure it’s as good as possible before releasing.‘Whole Heart’ featuring Bipolar Sunshine has hit over 39 million plays on Spotify alone – what was your reaction when you found out how successful the track had been?

I always felt the song was special and it was so meaningful and relevant to the current world climate today.  I could never have imagined it would get this many plays though, so I’m just happy that people are enjoying this tune that means so much to me personally.You have recently remixed Snakehips’ ‘Don’t Leave’ – how did the relationship with the duo come about?

Honestly I just got hit up by their management asking if I wanted to remix the song. I am a huge Snakehips fan and MØ has been on my radar for a long time. I think the tune is an absolute smash and it was very easy to say yes to remix the song.

The Gryffin project is about bringing together acoustic and electronic sounds together. Having been classical trained on the piano and a longtime guitarist, what drew you to electronic sounds?

I think it was just that electronic sounds felt so fresh and new to my ears.  For instance, when Skrillex were first started out, the sound palettes he was using were jaw-dropping I had never heard sounds like that before and he made them so musical. It just felt so new and inspiring that I gravitated towards that direction. I make very different music from him, but it was artists like Skrillex that showed me you can make really cool music with a lot of electronic elements.

Who are your favourite producers / artists? Is there anyone in particular that influenced your sound?

Currently some of my favorites are Mura Masa, Whethan. Some of my all times are Disclosure, Calvin Harris, Avicii, Skrillex. I don’t know if there is a specific person that influenced my sound I think it was more a combination of all these inspiring artists that helped me create the Gryffin project.

What is your main goal to achieve as Gryffin?

I just want to make music that makes people feel happy and uplifted. I love making music that inspires people, and if I’m doing that with Gryffin then I’m very happy with how things are going.

What else do you have in store for 2017 – do you have any gigs lined up that you can tell us about?

I have several new originals that will be coming out throughout the next few months. I will be doing a lot of big North America festivals this summer and hopefully will be announcing some new dates soon. Looking forward to doing some international touring as well!

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