Interview With Jack Garratt

Jack Garratt is set to return with his new album Love, Death and Dancing due to be released 12th June on Island Records. The record is Jack’s first new music since 2016 and his album The Phase. I spoke to Jack about the new album and how he felt about success the first time round.

Your new album out in June - Love, Death and Dancing is quite a title, what is it all about?
It is my favourite title so far, the best that I've ever done. The songs on the album are about love and death and some of the tracks people can dance to. Really though is a great collection of words and they are all the things I'm afraid to do such as afraid to love myself, I'm afraid of death and I'm not a very good dancer so that is another thing I'm afraid of.

It is nearly 4 years since your last album, did you feel you needed a break?
Yes, it was important for me to have time to reflect from the success of the first album. It was a turbulent time for me; a very strange and insecure time so the time I took off I took it very seriously, I got to the point where I couldn't see the point, I knew that I wanted to write about my struggle so I channelled it into writing a fully fledged album.

I would not describe it as a new beginning more a step up from what went before.

You have worked with Jacknife Lee (U2, The Killers, R.E.M.) on the new album, was it a good experience?
Yes it was as Jacknife has worked with such so many diverse artists from Taylor Swift to Bloc Party and I respected the work he had done with them. Working with him unlocked my confidence and it was like a mentorship through my insecurity and helped me see greatness in the songs. It was like holding up a mirror to me and showing me someone talented. I also worked with British songwriter and producer James Flannigan on the album too and that was another rewarding experience.

Did you feel comfortable with success the first time round?
I never really thought that the album would be as successful as it was. I'm not thinking about success now, the issue of the first album was how to deal with the lack of success if it didn't do well. With the new album I made it for me. I love the album and if anyone else likes it then it's fine.

Do you think your music fits in to what is in the charts right now?
I do but the difference between the singles and albums charts is huge. There are different avenues now for different styles of music. If you look at the singles chart it is mostly Hip Hop and R&B so I think there are album artists and singles artists. In the pop world you can have bedroom produced singles but for me I would say that I'm an album artist.

Have you missed going out on tour?
I missed it greatly. I was fortunate in that we were able to tour at the beginning of the year before the Lockdown came in. Touring is awesome but it has an effect on me too so I have a bittersweet feeling towards it and reminded me of things I didn't like about it too, such as the late nights.

Touring in the past has hurt me physically and emotionally so now I do 3 shows in a row and a break between the next ones as I like to give 100%. Musicians make most of their money these days out on the road touring, but it's a big price to pay if you have more than a day or too off between a row of 3 shows as everything such as the road crew etc still have to be paid. Having said that I'm looking forward to coming back to Yorkshire and the north again.