Mixing The Paint: Interview With Grant Dawson
Musical powerhouse, Atlanta-based and Milford, Delaware-born, Grant Dawson, has been creating music since age 7. It’s obvious and apparent to anyone who listens to his creations and collaborations that Dawson is no stranger to all parts of the music creation process. With over 7 million streams in the last year and counting in his “Spotify Wrapped”, we sit down and chat with this musical prodigy to get a first hand account of what keeps him ticking.
How did you get your start in music?
I got into music when I was 7 and my mom bought me a "First Act" guitar. I think before that I was pretty obsessed with guitars and would've done just about anything to play one.
What motivates you to keep making music when you feel like you’re in a slump?
I think making it my full time job has taught me how to separate the need for perfection. Sometimes the action of sitting down and powering through it without letting my ego get in the way is how I usually manage. I will say I have a massively different mental process when approaching making background music for tv, producing an artist, and creating my own art. They all call for different versions of myself.
What influenced you to get back into performing music live?
I think my love for the craft and knowing that it's the one place I truly belong in this world will inevitably always bring me back.
“...learning how to hold the paintbrush and mix the paint gave my vision a proper representation”
- Grant Dawson
How has being a producer/engineer helped your writing/performing and how has being an artist helped in being a producer/engineer?
Learning how to produce and engineer taught me everything technical that I would later need to be able to create my vision. I don't think anyone was ever able to fully capture my vision with their paintbrush. Although I do love collaborating with other producers, learning how to hold the paintbrush and mix the paint gave my vision a proper representation. Being an artist has taught me that all the technical stuff in the world can not create an emotional response. I'm in the game of chasing butterflies and curating vibes.
What one piece of advice would you give to an upcoming musician or artist who feels "stuck"?
Go outside. Work out. Pet an animal. Kiss your lover. Eat healthy. Do something that scares you. All these things have never failed me. Some have even changed my life when I was most "stuck".
“...no matter where you come from in life we are all connected on a visceral level”
- Grant Dawson
What do you hope an audience will take away from your music or performances?
That no matter where you come from in life we are all connected on a visceral level. We all are much more similar than the media would like us to believe and in the most divided of times we can still connect through shared love and expression. Music fans are the most blatant example of unspoken connection through art.
What can people look forward to from you in the future?
I'm working on something really special that is going to properly represent who I am as an artist. As of now all of my released music has been collabs but you can look forward to me finally releasing my solo music in 2024. Stay tuned!
