Pop star on the rise, Jack Garratt leads the charge for the next frontier of the one man band. His new ‘Remnants’ EP is a spectacular display of songwriting and nimble musicianship, with a soulful ethos that crosses genre and holds a candle to any of today’s best new talent. B3 staffer Brian Litwin recently had the chance to catch up with Garratt to discuss the new ‘Remnants’ EP, his passions for tech-gear, and (of course) his beard. Have a look at their chat below.

B3SCI: Please introduce yourself to our readers…

JG: Hi everyone, I’m songwriter/producer/Muppets enthusiast and beard representative Jack Garratt.

B3SCI: Your single “Worry” is a stunner. What is the story behind this track?

JG: Thanks very much! I’m glad you’ve enjoyed it. It’s a pretty long story, so bare with me.

Worry came about VERY unexpectedly. I was writing with my really good mate of mine, Bastian, and we’d set ourselves the challenge of writing anything we could (i think we were trying to write something J-pop-esque). As it turned out, we ended up creating this Flute loop on a great little synth, which I then started to write some chords around. After about an hour, we’d come up with a rough demo of the chorus (no lyrics) and proceeded to write the the rest of the track over the following 2 days.

Interestingly, “Worry” was written in the same week that I wrote/produced “I Couldn’t Want You Anyway”, “Water” and “Remnants” (the other three tracks on the ‘Remnants’ EP). Though i didn’t notice it at the time, the lyrics I wrote for “Worry” ended up becoming a kind of answer to one of the other tracks on the EP. I won’t explain it too much or say which one, as it should be up to people to make their own connection between the two songs, if they even think there is one. I’ve already said too much!

B3SCI: Your remix on “Worry” is also just as refreshing as the original track. I have not typically seen new artists remix their own material. Do you have any other remixes in the bank? Is there a chance that you will do side gigs as DJ?

JG: Thanks again! The remix was a lot of fun to work on. It was just a great excuse for me to try and create a different perspective of a song that people had started to listen to. There’s a couple of remixes that are going through the same process at the moment, but i’m keeping quiet about them. Remixes, for me, are a great opportunity to better myself and hone in my production and ideas. If they end up becoming available to the public, then great! But I mostly use them as an exercise.

No plans to DJ anywhere just yet, unless I’m drunk and at a Communion Club night and nobody is listening.

B3SCI: Any plans on touring the States?

JG: Not yet no, there are possible dates here and there depending on when I’m back in the USA but for now, nothing official.

B3SCI: What was the catalyst for the ‘Remenants’ EP and how was the recording process?

JG: Well, in that week where I wrote the whole EP I still didn’t know it was going to be an EP. I was just writing, exploring ideas and trying to get my production up to scratch. It was only later on that I realized these songs all had a consistent theme. They all talk about unhealthy obsessions and self-proclaimed necessities. It’s a very self-depricating EP actually. Each song comes from a different stand point about self-loathing, or self-degredation for sake of somebody else’s needs. Selfless selfishness. Essentially, each song tells the story of someone who will try (and sometimes succeed) in destroying themselves for good of somebody else that possibly doesn’t need or ever even wanted them.

So you know, the real happy stuff. Puppies and rainbows and shit.

B3SCI: Great work on the beard sir! What is the single best thing about having something that impressive growing off your face?

JG: The fact nobody ever asks me about it.

Oh no wait… The best thing about having a beard is having a neck pillow wherever you go. It also doubles up as a scarf that protects me up to Scandinavian levels of cold wind.

B3SCI: What is one essential piece of gear that you must have for your live shows?

JG: It’s impossible to write this without sounding arrogant and I PROMISE I don’t mean to! The gear I’m using at the moment is incredible, but a good workman never blames/or congratulates his tools(?). If anything goes wrong, or if anything goes well it’s because I’ve spent a large amount of time working and rehearsing and teaching myself to become the best that I can possibly be at this very moment. I have such a long way to go, and I have so much more to improve on and I will do so for as long as I’m doing this but the gear doesn’t play itself.

I mean, the Roland SPD-SX does actually play itself if you tell it, so I guess that’s the most essential piece of gear. Yeah, my drum machine.

B3SCI: Your dream co-writer (dead or alive) – who would it be and why?

JG: This is VERY difficult. There’s too many! I was raised on Stevie Wonder so he would have to be one. I think Dave Grohl is one of the most underrated melody writers alive so he’d be another. Lianne La Havas, I think, is the most interesting vocalist/songwriter/performer around at the moment so she’d be another. The list goes on and on and on and on…

Jack Garratt (Soundcloud)