![\"M-32-gavin-degraw\"](\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/M-32-gavin-degraw.jpg\")
<\/h1>\n<\/h1>\nThe platinum pop-rocker learns to enjoy the art of collaboration <\/b>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/b>Since his million-selling debut album, Chariot<\/i>\u2014which spawned three hits, \u201cI Don\u2019t Want to Be,\u201d \u201cFollow Through,\u201d and the title track\u2014Gavin DeGraw has served up a steady balance of radio-friendly hits with darker, more introspective material. On his new album, Make a Move<\/i>, he steps even further outside his comfort zone, with a diverse collection of songs designed to suit longtime fans while seeking new terrain. \u201cEven with the elements of the early work, there are parts that are experimental,\u201d he says. \u201cBut this time I felt more sure-footed about these decisions, having my audience there to support me.\u201d<\/p>\n
A New York native who splits his time between L.A. and Nashville, DeGraw returned to the studio re-energized by the success of his 2011 album, Sweeter<\/i>. It was his first to feature collaborations with outside writers. Once leery of relinquishing artistic control, DeGraw learned to expand his creative horizons by working with ace hit-makers like Ryan Tedder and Busbee. \u201cOn my first few albums, I was adamant about being the only writer,\u201d says DeGraw, 36. \u201cBut I was fortunate to have success with co-writing on Sweeter<\/i>. It opened my mind and made me more comfortable with the concept, as opposed to being this hermit singer-songwriter. Co-writing is something not to be feared, but to be celebrated.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even DeGraw\u2019s stint competing on ABC\u2019s Dancing With the Stars<\/i> last year reinforced the concept of teamwork. He credits his recent partnerships for \u201cgetting more and more out of me, like a magician taking a hat and pulling out a never-ending rope. There are all of these different colors that appear.\u201d Working with other artists encouraged him to share a kaleidoscope of emotions. \u201cIn some ways I feel like it became more personal,\u201d he says. \u201cThese collaborators forced me to go that deep. The feeling is that they held me accountable and brought out this reflection of me. I could be more audacious and confess certain things.\u201d<\/p>\n
While his work in the recording studio is important, DeGraw always keeps an eye on his live show. After hitting the road with Train in early 2013, he\u2019s now embarking on a run of solo dates. \u201cWhen you\u2019re building your repertoire, you always visualize what kind of live show it\u2019ll be,\u201d he says. \u201cHaving a diverse collection of songs allows you to put on different shows. You can take each audience and change the vibe.\u201d Some songs lend themselves to acting out and having this whole stage delivery. It\u2019s all about what\u2019s right for the song.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2013Blake Boldt<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
GAVIN DEGRAW The platinum pop-rocker learns to enjoy the art of collaboration \u00a0 \u00a0Since his million-selling debut album, Chariot\u2014which spawned three hits, \u201cI Don\u2019t Want to Be,\u201d \u201cFollow Through,\u201d and the title track\u2014Gavin DeGraw has served up a steady balance of radio-friendly hits with darker, more introspective material. On his new album, Make a Move, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[1686,7403],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12329"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12329"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12329\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12331,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12329\/revisions\/12331"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12329"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12329"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12329"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}