Arguably one of the biggest attractions for Cal Poly Pomona’s 75th Homecoming Celebration was musician Andy Grammer’s concert on the Homecoming stage set up at the soccer fields. Many of the CPP’s current and former students had the chance to meet Grammer, who was more than willing to sign autographs and take pictures with spectators after his performance.
But yours truly had the chance to get close and personal with him prior to the performance. I interviewed Grammer in his trailer (where I was attempting to stay calm and collected, while sitting mere inches from him) and discussed his past experiences as a busker, his musical influences, advice for aspiring musicians and his upcoming album among other things.
1. You’ve performed at a lot of other schools, such as University of Texas, and now at Cal Poly Pomona. How is performing on a college campus different than playing general concerts?
I think it’s a little broader when you play at your own show, people come to see you specifically play. They know the lyrics. This one is a little more win the crowd over with something. A lot of them are always, ‘I kinda know him’ or ‘who is that guy?’ It’s a fun challenge to win over everyone.
2. Your songs are very positive and upbeat, they tend to have a feel good vibe, especially your most popular song “Keep Your Head Up.” Not even your love songs talk about heartbreak. Why is that?
I’m writing my second album and it is not exactly the same. For the first album, it was just where I was at. You just write what you know, so that’s what I knew at that time.
3. You were a busker (a street performer) for a while before you made a record deal. Could you tell us a little bit about that experience and what you learned from it?
It’s very much like [the setting here]. You’re outside; you’re trying to get people to come. It’s about entertaining and great songs. If you have a song and you’re playing a show, it’s about getting across the song. When you’re at an outdoor venue, some people know who you are, some people don’t; there’s a little more performing involved. I would beat box a lot; I would do interesting covers that wouldn’t seem like they would work with a guy in a guitar. I used to do a Snow Patrol beat box cover that I really like and I’ll probably do a ‘Thrift Shop’ cover later tonight.
4. When did you realize that you had made it?
I don’t think you ever realize that. You realize that you’ve done something. I just got a plaque for “Keep Your Head Up.” I reached a milestone for it, because it got played on the radio a lot and it sold so many tracks. So okay, I’ve done something good at one point. At one point in my life, something that a lot of people liked has happened. But the process of writing a second album is going back into the grind and finding the magic again. I think that if ‘you’ve made it,’ the ‘made it’ is very time specific. You always have to continue to make it.
5. Favorite fan encounter?
Honestly, my answer to this is so cheesy. Anytime someone comes to me about my music, or comes to the show, or likes a picture on Instagram (link to Instagram).
6. Who or what inspires you to write music?
I’m at the end of writing my second album, pretty much. This year has been mostly writing. What inspires you to write; it is very different each day. When you’re writing so much, you pull from yourself a lot, anything that resonates.
7. If you weren’t a performer, what would you be and why? Besides music, what are your other hobbies?
I think I would probably be some sort of writer. Writing is such a love/hate relationship. When you get something amazing that wasn’t in the world before, it’s the most incredible burst of inspiration. I’d be just as happy and miserable as I am now. It’s the same thing, just in different form. I’d write a book or a screenplay.
8. You’ve lived in New York and LA, which do you prefer and why?
I think that New York [City] is probably the coolest city there is. In LA there is more space, you can get an apartment with a decent amount of space, but the energy is not as intense.
9. You play instruments and use them in your music. Why do you think it is important to keep doing that even in this age of digitalized music?
It’s important to have live instruments. If you don’t have a little bit of both, to me it sounds inauthentic. To me it’s kind of like a rubber band, you have something organic that you stretch more with interesting beats and sound, but it’s got to be tied with something real.
10. Many Cal Poly Pomona students create their own music and have aspirations to make it into the music industry one day. What advice would you give them?
This is such a loaded question. I don’t want to just give the standard, ‘don’t stop trying.’ If you want to do it for a career, it’s basically like being an entrepreneur; you don’t get paid or recognized until you create something that is of value. Like if you work at a bank, you show up, you do your job, you work a certain amount of time and you will get a paycheck at the end of that. In art, you don’t get paid until you’ve done something unbelievable; that’s hard to do. Especially in the early years, until you get something incredible, deemed worthy, you just don’t get anything: recognition, money, satisfaction–zero until something happens and then you have to do it again and again. If you can hang in during those periods, then go after this, but if you can’t, then do it as a hobby.
11. You mentioned a new album in the works. Can you tell us a bit about it?
I think the first album was written mostly on guitar, street performing. That was all I had. This album was written with all the touring that I did – in mind, performing in front of a crowd, writing with my influences a little more. I’ve been listening a lot to the new OneRepublic album, Macklemore and Drake. It’s those influences that stuck with me, a little more mature sound, I think.
12. Do you have a special routine or lucky charm that you bring with you before performing?
There was one tour where everyone had to say something with the word ‘Bro” in it. It was interesting so, it would be like “Oh, look, it’s A-Bro-ham Lincoln.” Usually, there’s something on each tour where we do something ridiculous.
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