“I view myself as ‘everyman.’ I just happen to write songs,” 26-year-old Gavin DeGraw says.
But any artist handpicked to be the latest protégé of RCA Music Group chairman Clive Davis is hardly ordinary.
The New York-based singer/songwriter, who signed a multi-album deal with Davis’ J Records in spring 2002, was discovered by J VP of A&R/marketing James Diener while playing at Wilson’s, a club on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
Not long after, a showcase was set up for Davis at label headquarters. The head man’s verdict? “We must do this.”
Davis punctuated his confidence in DeGraw by introducing him at his annual pre-Grammy Awards party in New York — an entree to the music biz that most artists would kill for.
Fan and media interest have been burgeoning since, with coverage in The New York Times, Esquire and Interview and such TV outlets as CNN, VH1, “Access Hollywood” and “Extra.”
DeGraw’s first album, “Chariot,” was released July 22. Recorded at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles and produced by Mark Endert (Fiona Apple, Tonic), the set offers a potent blend of soul-tinged balladry and slightly rockier fare, underlaid with an acute pop sensibility. The first single is the album’s hooky opening track “Follow Through.”
Four songs from “Chariot” were streamed at Premium Services section.
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