Gavin DeGraw Wants Everyone to Know His Name

“Move out of your mom and dad’s house and stop collecting your allowance.” That’s all Gavin DeGraw has to say about people accusing him of “selling out” by letting the TV drama One Tree Hill use his single I Don’t Want To Be as its theme song since its premiere in 2003. Gavin has come a long way since then, and has recently released his self-titled second album. When asked why he went with his name for the title, Gavin laughs, “I wanted everyone to know my name.”

Gavin draws his inspiration from what he sees around him. Paying attention to his surroundings allows him to develop “funny little opinions” of the people around him, which help the songwriting process. “I like to notice little things,” he says. “I like to pay attention to the people around me, and I like to give my take on it.” Gavin comments on what has been catching his eye lately: “You notice that not just fashion is fashion; not just clothing is fashion. Music is fashion; even political views are fashion. You’ll notice a lot of people with the same political views dress the same; a lot of people with the same musical opinions dress the same.”

Gavin has always remained on the outer reaches of the musical mainstream because of his unique but accessible sound, which often combines pop, rock, soul and even a hint of country. So where does the man himself think he fits in? “Singer-songwriter seems to be some sort of an identity… the floppy hair, cute boys, t-shirts from Hot Topic. I’m not sure where exactly I fit in,” he admits. “Honestly, so much of your musical quality depends on your haircut and the production of your record… we’re just marketing people in a way that just doesn’t seem musical anymore.”

So where does Gavin DeGraw see himself fitting in 10 years down the road? “I want to buy a farm someday,” he says. “It would be kind of cool just to shift gears, at some point. I think you need to do that, you know? They say you should do everything in moderation. I think that that’s kind of true. I think moderation comes when you have a couple of extremes: complete city-living or complete travelling, and then you have this quietness… this rural thing.” He continues, “So maybe that’s where moderation really exists… when you’ve been through different types of lifestyles: that hectic, crazy, party lifestyle in the city – and then down to sitting by the river on the weekend, having a picnic.”

At this rate of success, it’s doubtful that Gavin will be sitting down by that river anytime soon.