Last week I announced my "Local Artist Feature" music project and it was a bigger success then I could have ever imagined. Not only did I hear so much excitement from my readers about the project and video but my little blog that gets maybe 40 readers a post reached over 100!!! I know for most bloggers that is nothing but to me it means so much! You better believe I squealed and did a little dance in my seat! Thank you all for the views and more importantly (if your reading this) thank you for returning to get to know another local musician!
I am so excited to introduce you to another artist who I have personally known since I was 15 years old! Grover has been working on music since I have known him and throughout that time I have been able to see him grow so much! A couple months ago when I thought up the project I knew right away that he was somebody I had to feature! He lives in the Bay Area now but grew up in Murphys and is around frequently for different gigs.
Meet Grover:
What do you feel is your biggest accomplishment thus far in the music world?
This falls somewhere between a "music world accomplishment" and a "personal life" accomplishment, but I am very proud of the tour I went on in Winter of 2014. I've been telling myself I need to do something big for a long time but always found excuses not to. Taking that step was huge for me, and the forward momentum it created within myself is something that makes me regret not doing it sooner. I don't really judge progress by accomplishments; every success is another baby step on the path.
Who writes the songs and what is the main topic of yours songs?
With two exceptions, I've written every song I've released on an album. ("Moonshine" & "Pick Up Your Horn" are collaborations.) I do have a small circle that I run stuff by from time to time (for example: my dad sometimes makes suggestions in regard to song structure.) The topic of my songs tends to be relationships, but I'm a little hesitant to word it that way because not all of my songs are love songs or sad songs. I mostly write about the impact a relationship can have on another's life. For example, "Philip Marshall Cates" is a song about a man tearing apart his family because he fears he will never live up to the legacy of the generation before him, and the deleterious effect it then has on his son.
Out in the world at live shows! All the writing and recording I do is in service of the performance. But, since that's not an option for everyone, the music is also available through digital distributors like iTunes and my website, http://groveranderson.com.
What do the moments look like right before your about to perform?
Pretty much like all the other moments in my life. I've been accused of being a bit of a letdown in that I don't really have a lot of nervous energy pre-show. People expect some rush to happen, but that doesn't really hit me until I start playing.
Is there any funny/awkward situations between you and fans that really stick out to you?
For the longest time I had awkward conversations regarding my song "Boulder". People who were familiar with the city would ask me about it, and I would dejectedly admit I'd never been there before. Fortunately I was able to rectify that this year.
It's been exceedingly difficult and exceedingly rewarding. I've learned some lessons that help:
- Nobody is going to work harder for you than you.
- The best way to get something done is to stop talking about it and do it.
- The most successful artists I've met are unpretentious and unselfish; follow their lead.
Tell us about your next shows and why we should be there.
I keep a list of all my gigs at groveranderson.com/shows. You should come to one because I guarantee you'll leave feeling better than you did when you arrived. Music is a celebration of life, and I never leave that energy out of my performances.
I use, almost exclusively, the acoustic guitar I was given for my 15th birthday. I have other, fancier and more expensive guitars that I'll occasionally use, but I really love the sound and feel of my black Samick acoustic. The first instrument I learned to play was piano, when I was in elementary school. I'm so grateful that I learned piano before guitar; I'm not particularly good at it, but it helps me immensely with theory and visualization. (It's also very fun to write songs on.)
Have you been in any competitions?
When I lived in Santa Barbara my band entered a county-wide battle of the bands. We placed second, which was a disappointment because the first prize was playing a big-name music festival in the area, but I learned a lot. When I first started out I wanted to pursue everything and kick down every door, but I soon realized that there are some avenues I'm well-suited for, and some I'm not. I'm not a "battle of the bands" kind of artist; my music and performance style isn't made for that environment. Would I like to someday win such a competition? Yes, of course! But I'm not going to do it by playing "Moonshine" :)
What are your fondest musical memories?
When I was a kid, my dad brought home a professional PA system with two microphones a CD player (a very big deal to a kid in the early 1990s). Most Saturday mornings I woke up to him blasting some album or another through the house (Hotel California stands out prominently.) I'd come down, grab a microphone, and sing along at the top of my lungs through the speakers. I'm sure I sounded terrible, but it was so much fun, and was undoubtedly vital to my continued love of music.
More recently—being at Rick Moore's house to record the chorus at the end of "Grindstone." Having a bunch of friends standing around a microphone to simultaneously contribute to something that started as just a little idea in my notebook was a magical experience.
What bands are currently inspiring you and your music?
it's probably safe to say the bands that inspire you most are the ones that you are around the most, so first I'd have to give a lot of credit to Jimbo Scott, The Hot Dark, and other band/artists that I'm friends with. I'm just diving headfirst back into writing, and while I've been staying true to my singer/songwriter style, I've been trying to pull in influences of bands from other genres that I enjoy like Vampire Weekend, Gardens & Villa, Kanye West & Haim. I'm always seeking out Americana bands too though, and lately have been loving stuff from Ranger, The Oh Hellos, Jamestown Revival and The Apache Relay.
The gratitude and appreciation I feel towards those who support my pursuit of music in any way is impossible to convey via words, but I hope people know that my thanks run deep.
I hope you enjoyed getting to know a little about Grover and his music! You should head on over to iTunes and purchase his album because its ridiculously good! My favorites on his new album The Optimist are "Dancing" & "Little Spoon" Go check it out and make sure to like his Facebook Profile HERE to stay up to date with his music!
Have a great weekend everyone!
-Angel
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