Latest / Arroe Collins Like It's Live / He Delivers Bread By Day Plays NBC's The Voice By Night JW Griffin
Transcript
- 0:00Speaker 1: About you. But when I drive into work, I don't
- 0:01Speaker 1: want to listen to the same podcast over and over again.
- 0:03Speaker 1: I'll get back to it, but right now I just
- 0:05Speaker 1: need a break. So that was the reason why we
- 0:07Speaker 1: created ero dot net A r r oe dot net.
- 0:11Speaker 1: When you're seeking a break, then go get something else
- 0:13Speaker 1: that you can check out without leaving the actual platform itself.
- 0:17Speaker 1: For instance, one of our biggest ones is called CTCs.
- 0:20Speaker 1: We all think we know the lifestyle of those that
- 0:23Speaker 1: work in our favorite grocery store, but are you living it?
- 0:26Speaker 1: And would you want to live it? Ct CS It's
- 0:30Speaker 1: an experience you're going to really take a look at
- 0:33Speaker 1: only on ero dot net A r r oe dot Net.
- 0:37Speaker 1: Enjoy your exploration. JW. How are you doing today?
- 0:41Speaker 2: I'm doing great. It's say early morning, feeling good.
- 0:45Speaker 1: Man when but see for a vocalist when it comes
- 0:47Speaker 1: to early morning, don't you get up?
- 0:48Speaker 2: Though?
- 0:48Speaker 1: And it's like it's like I can't just sit here
- 0:50Speaker 1: and clear my throat because I could do damage. And
- 0:52Speaker 1: if I do damage, I've got a show to perform on.
- 0:54Speaker 1: How are you even getting your body adjusted to what's
- 0:57Speaker 1: happening today? By talking so much.
- 1:01Speaker 2: I'm just making a lot of tea and you know,
- 1:05Speaker 2: you know, going from there, honey. And see that's the key.
- 1:09Speaker 1: Especially with you living right there in Nashville, because oh
- 1:11Speaker 1: my god, you talk about one of the most energetic
- 1:14Speaker 1: places on the planet.
- 1:16Speaker 2: Oh yeah, always busy, always gone.
- 1:19Speaker 1: It's one of those scenes and it's so funny that
- 1:22Speaker 1: you bring that up. It's always going, it's always busy,
- 1:24Speaker 1: and that really drives me into a position of just,
- 1:27Speaker 1: my god, I would love to just be there to
- 1:29Speaker 1: experience it, because so many artists of every music genre
- 1:33Speaker 1: is going to Nashville, and you, sir, are in the
- 1:35Speaker 1: center of all of that.
- 1:37Speaker 2: Yeah, that's absolutely right. That is you know, it's competition,
- 1:41Speaker 2: but it's also people to collab with. I think it
- 1:44Speaker 2: makes you better as an artist to be around other artists.
- 1:47Speaker 1: Speaking of that collaboration with so many new artists that
- 1:50Speaker 1: are out there, do you get to work with others
- 1:52Speaker 1: because Abby Kay is a bassist from Charlotte and we've
- 1:55Speaker 1: been watching her now for a couple of years out
- 1:56Speaker 1: there in Nashville, just hooting and hollering and having a
- 1:59Speaker 1: great time out there. Do you cross lines with people
- 2:02Speaker 1: like Abby?
- 2:04Speaker 2: Absolutely. My roommates are both musicians. One's a guitar player.
- 2:09Speaker 2: The other one is a songwriter. I'm a songwriter. I
- 2:12Speaker 2: write with countless people multiple times a week, So it's
- 2:15Speaker 2: always a collaborative effort pretty much on everything you do.
- 2:19Speaker 1: Speaking of collaborating, look at who's on your team. Man,
- 2:22Speaker 1: You've got gospel on your inside, your soul. I mean,
- 2:24Speaker 1: you couldn't ask for a better team player right there.
- 2:28Speaker 2: Oh yeah, it's a great team. Great team.
- 2:32Speaker 1: What are you learning from an experience like this, because
- 2:35Speaker 1: in all in all honesty, it's if you were a
- 2:37Speaker 1: martial artist. You've gone from white belt to black belt
- 2:40Speaker 1: or even a second don black belt. I mean, it's
- 2:42Speaker 1: all of a sudden, you're in forward motion. Dude.
- 2:46Speaker 2: Oh yeah, it's It's been crazy just being able to
- 2:49Speaker 2: work with Kelly and the people that have come in.
- 2:53Speaker 2: It's each easy. How to stay level headed in a
- 2:55Speaker 2: high pressure environment, that's for sure, because I don't think
- 2:59Speaker 2: I'll ever have this much pressure again.
- 3:01Speaker 1: Yeah. Speaking of level headed, I mean she comes from
- 3:04Speaker 1: the world in Texas where she was a waitress in
- 3:06Speaker 1: a restaurant. I mean, does she still carry that with
- 3:08Speaker 1: her in the way of saying, all right, you know, JW,
- 3:10Speaker 1: you're great at what you do, but don't you forget
- 3:12Speaker 1: what you've done to get here.
- 3:15Speaker 2: Absolutely, I think that that's one of the reasons I
- 3:17Speaker 2: chose her, just because she has that level head and
- 3:21Speaker 2: we come from a similar place, I would say, and
- 3:25Speaker 2: she's she's nurturing, but she gets the job done and
- 3:28Speaker 2: she makes happen what she wants to happen.
- 3:30Speaker 1: And does she ever just sit there and look at
- 3:32Speaker 1: you and say, do not ever lose that Southern accent.
- 3:34Speaker 1: And the reason why I bring that up, JW is
- 3:36Speaker 1: because I'm over here in Charlotte. Don't ever lose that
- 3:38Speaker 1: Southern accent. This city is being bombarded by a bunch
- 3:41Speaker 1: of Northerners, and that Southern accent is losing its sweetness.
- 3:45Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't. I don't think I could lose Toronto.
- 3:48Speaker 2: I've been been working on it my whole life.
- 3:53Speaker 1: So what is it like to be in this moment
- 3:56Speaker 1: of now knowing you've still got a whole, entire future
- 3:59Speaker 1: sitting right there in front of you.
- 4:02Speaker 2: I mean, I think that's the most exciting part. You
- 4:06Speaker 2: know what's to come next. It's it's fun to look
- 4:10Speaker 2: on what's happening right now, but you got to stay
- 4:13Speaker 2: head to the ground, keep moving forward, or you'll just
- 4:16Speaker 2: stay stuck in the past.
- 4:17Speaker 1: Is it like Artemis, who's going to blast off toward
- 4:20Speaker 1: the moon tonight? Are you do you feel like that
- 4:21Speaker 1: you blasted off into space and you're on your way
- 4:24Speaker 1: to Mars or even some other planet.
- 4:28Speaker 2: Yeah, that's the goal. Blast off and keep going. I
- 4:30Speaker 2: don't have an investination right now. I'm just want to
- 4:33Speaker 2: keep going forward.
- 4:34Speaker 1: But see, I love that attitude because if you put
- 4:36Speaker 1: up the walls of expectation all of a sudden, then
- 4:39Speaker 1: you're going, oh, I didn't do it. Oh I didn't
- 4:41Speaker 1: do it. And that's what I love about you is
- 4:43Speaker 1: that you are open to play the game.
- 4:46Speaker 2: Yes, absolutely, whatever dout, I'll do what I need to
- 4:51Speaker 2: do with that.
- 4:53Speaker 1: One of the things that really inspires me most about
- 4:55Speaker 1: you is is the fact that you are very down
- 4:58Speaker 1: to earth. You are very common man, because I mean,
- 5:01Speaker 1: anybody who can deliver bread early in the morning. I
- 5:03Speaker 1: work for a grocery store. I know how important you
- 5:07Speaker 1: are to those people coming into my store.
- 5:11Speaker 2: Yeah, I think you know. I'm just kind of a
- 5:14Speaker 2: chill guy. I like to get done with my work
- 5:18Speaker 2: and do my job, and you know that's calming to
- 5:21Speaker 2: other people and brings other people piece. That's all I
- 5:24Speaker 2: can do.
- 5:25Speaker 1: So are you like me in the way that you
- 5:27Speaker 1: have pretend rock concerts inside your head when you're doing
- 5:30Speaker 1: something is bringing in the bread and stocking it? Because
- 5:32Speaker 1: I'm always in concert as far as I'm concerned, Yeah, I.
- 5:36Speaker 2: Would say so, either in my head or bring my
- 5:39Speaker 2: headphones and have those in as well.
- 5:41Speaker 1: Yeah, do you study your craft because radio people, we've
- 5:44Speaker 1: got to do air checks all the time. We've got
- 5:46Speaker 1: to sit there and see and basically are we playing
- 5:48Speaker 1: the game right? Are we connecting? What about you as
- 5:50Speaker 1: a musician, do you have to have that one on
- 5:53Speaker 1: one experience of I don't think that reached them.
- 5:56Speaker 2: Oh. Absolutely. The one of the main things I do
- 5:59Speaker 2: in Nashville. I'm a songwriter. So they do these writers
- 6:03Speaker 2: rounds and it's kind of like an open mic night
- 6:06Speaker 2: for a comedian. I'd say it's the closest you know, compare.
- 6:09Speaker 2: Soon you go bring a new song you've written and
- 6:12Speaker 2: quite live and that's how you gauge the audience and
- 6:15Speaker 2: if that song's gonna hit with anybody, or if it's
- 6:18Speaker 2: just something you put back in the notes and never
- 6:20Speaker 2: think about again.
- 6:21Speaker 1: So is that your way of saying that you, just
- 6:23Speaker 1: like that comedian, you are crafting your art.
- 6:28Speaker 2: I would say so. Every day I try to write,
- 6:31Speaker 2: and it's different every day too. I mean, whatever I'm feeling.
- 6:35Speaker 2: It could be a sad day, a happy day, up
- 6:39Speaker 2: be slow tempo. It just depends on the day. But
- 6:42Speaker 2: definitely all of that combined is me working on my
- 6:46Speaker 2: craft as an artist. And you know what's to come now.
- 6:50Speaker 1: I don't know what grocery stores you've got there in Nashville,
- 6:52Speaker 1: but I know that here in Charlotte what we do.
- 6:54Speaker 1: Our grocery stores actually feature live music. Dude. You should
- 6:59Speaker 1: see those pillars and songwriters that come in to do
- 7:01Speaker 1: their live music. I mean, at a grocery store.
- 7:05Speaker 2: That's awesome. I would expect Nashville to do something like that,
- 7:08Speaker 2: but I've not been in any of those grocery stores.
- 7:13Speaker 1: What is it about people that can get into such
- 7:15Speaker 1: a complicated world such as a grocery store, and the
- 7:18Speaker 1: moment they see a live musician, their entire life and
- 7:22Speaker 1: persona changes.
- 7:25Speaker 2: I really don't know how. I don't know what that
- 7:27Speaker 2: would be. I just know everybody, well, everybody I know
- 7:30Speaker 2: loves live music. I guess it's a calming thing seeing
- 7:34Speaker 2: somebody perform in general. I don't know. I don't know,
- 7:39Speaker 2: but I know I love live music.
- 7:42Speaker 1: Well, writing music. That's good. I'm glad you went there
- 7:44Speaker 1: because that's the one thing that a lot of people
- 7:46Speaker 1: need to understand. You can be recognized to win a
- 7:49Speaker 1: vocal competition, but man, you won a writing challenge. That
- 7:53Speaker 1: says a lot about how you've got control and you've
- 7:57Speaker 1: got discipline over your writing on.
- 7:59Speaker 2: The same own songs. So I hope that's what connects
- 8:02Speaker 2: with people afterwards.
- 8:03Speaker 1: And yet Darius Rutger says, you got to have that
- 8:06Speaker 1: cover song, and I'm sitting there going, ah, Darius, come on, dude.
- 8:11Speaker 2: I do love Darius Rutgery. He's one of my favorites.
- 8:15Speaker 2: But yeah, just you know, it's always good to throw
- 8:18Speaker 2: a cover song in there, because you know it's something
- 8:20Speaker 2: people already.
- 8:20Speaker 1: Like Darius used to come into our radio station all
- 8:23Speaker 1: the time with this with this unknown band called Hoody
- 8:26Speaker 1: and the Blowfish. But they they would come in there,
- 8:29Speaker 1: shake hands, kiss babies, promote their music and stuff, and
- 8:32Speaker 1: you really just got to know them as a human being.
- 8:34Speaker 1: And then all of a sudden he takes off and
- 8:35Speaker 1: It's like, you gotta be kidding me. This is just
- 8:37Speaker 1: that dude that wore that dang baseball cap into my studio.
- 8:41Speaker 2: I love Hoody and I loved I love that he's
- 8:44Speaker 2: kind of lived two lives.
- 8:46Speaker 1: You too, are leading two different lives now what you
- 8:49Speaker 1: once did in the success that you had versus now
- 8:51Speaker 1: where the entire world is watching you.
- 8:55Speaker 2: Yeah, I see what you're saying. I think definitely this
- 8:59Speaker 2: is this is a great springboard, and it's definitely gonna
- 9:04Speaker 2: push me in a certain direction. I've been more traditional
- 9:07Speaker 2: on the show for sure, and I love singing that music,
- 9:11Speaker 2: but I don't typically write in that style. But I'm
- 9:14Speaker 2: going to bring that into my artistry for sure after
- 9:18Speaker 2: this and the next few song releases I have and
- 9:21Speaker 2: kind of follow that path. And you know, like I
- 9:25Speaker 2: said earlier, with my songwriting, it's all it just depends
- 9:28Speaker 2: on the day. And I guess that's what recording music too.
- 9:31Speaker 2: If I'm feeling traditional, I do a lot of beachy
- 9:33Speaker 2: kind of music, a little bit like Darius Rupper, like Coastal,
- 9:38Speaker 2: and then have your contemporary slash traditional music as well.
- 9:43Speaker 1: Okay, now now you're getting my attention here in the Carolinas.
- 9:46Speaker 1: You said beachi, you said coastal. Would you ever do
- 9:49Speaker 1: a beach songer because you, being from Nashville, you know
- 9:51Speaker 1: what beach music is compared to the rest of the world.
- 9:55Speaker 2: Yeah, actually, I'm in I went to school in Florida.
- 10:00Speaker 2: That's kind of I bring that with me. I've put
- 10:03Speaker 2: out a few beachi songs already, so I definitely have
- 10:07Speaker 2: plans to do some more of that, especially once summer
- 10:10Speaker 2: starts rolling around.
- 10:11Speaker 1: Please don't Move. There's more with JW. Griffin coming up next.
- 10:16Speaker 1: Innbc's the Voice. We are back with singer songwriter JW. Griffin.
- 10:20Speaker 1: There's so many different styles of music out there. Do
- 10:23Speaker 1: you want to put yourself in a genre or is
- 10:25Speaker 1: it just okay to just be you doing you.
- 10:30Speaker 2: I think you kind of have to have a little
- 10:32Speaker 2: bit of boundaries or you can't resonate with the broad audience.
- 10:37Speaker 2: But I don't want that to restrict me either. I
- 10:40Speaker 2: want to be able to do multiple things. So that's
- 10:42Speaker 2: just kind of what I got to figure out. It's
- 10:44Speaker 2: kind of like Kenny Chesney. He has his regular country
- 10:47Speaker 2: music and his beachie songs, and he's done pretty well
- 10:51Speaker 2: for himself.
- 10:51Speaker 1: I would say you know you dig into the roots
- 10:53Speaker 1: of country music because you've done some stuff with Charlie Daniels.
- 10:56Speaker 1: Oh my god, that's another Carolina guy here. I mean
- 10:59Speaker 1: that just shows you what happens to the musicians here
- 11:03Speaker 1: in the South. There are no borders. We all love
- 11:05Speaker 1: each other and we collaborate together.
- 11:09Speaker 2: Absolutely. Yeah, that's the key collaboration.
- 11:13Speaker 1: Well, isn't that like one of the tricks of music,
- 11:16Speaker 1: Because I remember Mickey Gilly sitting down with me telling me,
- 11:18Speaker 1: if you don't work with other people, then do not
- 11:20Speaker 1: even expect to try in this game. You've got to
- 11:23Speaker 1: learn to be open with all people, even Reba McIntyre.
- 11:26Speaker 1: I sit at the edge of the stage of every
- 11:27Speaker 1: show because I want to thank every guest that comes in.
- 11:30Speaker 1: Oh my god, dude, they know where the people really are.
- 11:34Speaker 2: Yeah. Absolutely, you got to know how to connect with people,
- 11:37Speaker 2: and you gotta know how to talk and work with people, because,
- 11:41Speaker 2: especially in an industry like this, you're not gonna make
- 11:44Speaker 2: friends or move along in your career you don't have connection.
- 11:50Speaker 1: Do you ever crank up the Southern accent when you
- 11:52Speaker 1: need it, because there are times, dude, I'm gonna tell you,
- 11:54Speaker 1: I will step into that actor mode and crank up
- 11:57Speaker 1: the southern charm because I know that somebody from Gaston
- 11:59Speaker 1: County or is gonna come by, and I got to
- 12:02Speaker 1: treat him with a little bit of southern charm.
- 12:05Speaker 2: I don't know if I turn it up, but it
- 12:07Speaker 2: may be an unintentional thing. If I'm back home, like
- 12:10Speaker 2: with my cousins or family. I think it does get
- 12:14Speaker 2: kicked up a notch, I would say, but I don't
- 12:16Speaker 2: think I do it on purpose, but it does happen.
- 12:19Speaker 1: How close were you to leaning on John Legend, because man,
- 12:22Speaker 1: I'll tell you what I was. So did you make
- 12:25Speaker 1: it so easy?
- 12:27Speaker 2: Yeah? I would. I would have loved to work with
- 12:30Speaker 2: John and Adam both. It's just I wish, I don't
- 12:34Speaker 2: you know. I had to make one decision and I
- 12:37Speaker 2: picked Kelly, but the other two have been so great
- 12:40Speaker 2: to me, so kind, and I wish there was a
- 12:44Speaker 2: chance I could have worked with all.
- 12:46Speaker 1: Oh my god, because Adam Levine, man, I mean he
- 12:48Speaker 1: was all over that. I mean he wanted to work
- 12:50Speaker 1: with you. He made that very clear. But he also said,
- 12:53Speaker 1: I know I'm not going to get you. I just
- 12:54Speaker 1: know I'm not going to get you.
- 12:56Speaker 2: Yeah, that was that was crazy watching back because that's
- 12:59Speaker 2: some of the stuff you don't hear when you're on stage,
- 13:02Speaker 2: like them talking to each other. But yeah, it's it's
- 13:06Speaker 2: it was just tough. They all three led their case
- 13:09Speaker 2: and they're all three amazing and I don't think I
- 13:11Speaker 2: could have gone wrong with any choice I made, but uh,
- 13:17Speaker 2: you know, I had to pick one, and Kelly was
- 13:19Speaker 2: just kind of who I had in mind right from
- 13:21Speaker 2: the beginning, especially with my mom and aunt there telling
- 13:25Speaker 2: me to pick Kelly, so they had a little influence.
- 13:29Speaker 2: But I'm not disappointed in my pick at all.
- 13:32Speaker 1: Dude. I'm still crying real tears because when I sat
- 13:35Speaker 1: there and watched your family react to those chairs journey,
- 13:38Speaker 1: Oh my god, I cried like a little baby when
- 13:41Speaker 1: that stuff happens.
- 13:44Speaker 2: Yeah, it was great having them there, and I think
- 13:46Speaker 2: that was I know it. It's my first time in LA.
- 13:49Speaker 2: I believe they they'd never been in LA either, But
- 13:52Speaker 2: it was just great to have that opportunity to to
- 13:56Speaker 2: bring them out with me and for them to experience,
- 13:58Speaker 2: you know, my biggest career moment so far.
- 14:03Speaker 1: What is it that you like about LA? Because my
- 14:05Speaker 1: daughter graduated from UCLA, so we spent a lot of
- 14:07Speaker 1: time in Los Angeles when you stop being the tourist
- 14:10Speaker 1: and you get to be you. What is one thing
- 14:13Speaker 1: that you like to do when you're in that LA area.
- 14:16Speaker 2: I like just walking around and the weather's so nice,
- 14:20Speaker 2: Like it's always gonna be sunny, it's always going to
- 14:24Speaker 2: be like seventy five degrees, and it just feels good
- 14:28Speaker 2: to be outside. I mean, from the South, like Georgia
- 14:31Speaker 2: and Florida, it's all humidity, but out in LA it's
- 14:35Speaker 2: just nice. And that's my favorite part of just walking
- 14:38Speaker 2: around and people watching a little bit, maybe going to
- 14:41Speaker 2: the movies. They appreciate movies a lot more out there.
- 14:45Speaker 2: It feels like, you know, a lot more claps and
- 14:48Speaker 2: cheers in the movie theater than you would get at
- 14:51Speaker 2: least what I'm used to. Stuff like that. It's fun
- 14:55Speaker 2: just to be out there and experience a different group
- 14:58Speaker 2: of people that I'm not normally around.
- 15:00Speaker 1: Well, they make you feel like you're welcome. You can
- 15:02Speaker 1: be as weird as possible, and you could have the
- 15:05Speaker 1: craziest art form and they're gonna go, yeah, that's cool.
- 15:08Speaker 1: You're in man, You're here's your dad. I hope you
- 15:10Speaker 1: have a good time with us.
- 15:12Speaker 2: Absolutely. They are very welcoming and it's just a good
- 15:15Speaker 2: group of people out there.
- 15:17Speaker 1: Wow, where can people go to find out more about you?
- 15:20Speaker 1: Because I want them to really dive into your journey.
- 15:23Speaker 1: You are paying your dues in the biggest and best way.
- 15:27Speaker 1: You are an authentic musician on this journey.
- 15:30Speaker 2: Well, I appreciate it. Yeah, I've got all social media.
- 15:34Speaker 2: It's just JW. Griffin music one word, and then on Spotify, Apple, whatever.
- 15:40Speaker 2: You listen to your stuff on YouTube, it's just JW.
- 15:43Speaker 2: Griffin and I like ten or twelve songs already out,
- 15:47Speaker 2: putting out more and we're gonna keep rolling.
- 15:51Speaker 1: Are we going to see you at Kyote Joe's here
- 15:53Speaker 1: in town here in Charlotte.
- 15:55Speaker 2: Oh, I'd love to book a gig there. I think
- 15:57Speaker 2: we can make that happen later in the year too.
- 16:00Speaker 1: We gotta get together and have some some Carolina barbecue.
- 16:03Speaker 1: Mister Nashville. You guys in Nashville. Oh yeah, you think
- 16:06Speaker 1: you can do barbecue over there?
- 16:07Speaker 2: No?
- 16:07Speaker 1: No, no, no, no, it's here, it's here.
- 16:10Speaker 2: Yeah. I need I need to get over there and
- 16:12Speaker 2: get some. I was in Charleston the other weekend, and
- 16:14Speaker 2: I will say they had they had good barbecue.
- 16:17Speaker 1: Too, they do they do? Do you get some other
- 16:19Speaker 1: Southern food down there? Because I mean you go down
- 16:20Speaker 1: there on King Street or even down there on East
- 16:22Speaker 1: Bay Street and it's like, oh my god, I'm in food.
- 16:25Speaker 2: Hell oh yeah, it was amazing. It was amazing. That
- 16:28Speaker 2: was my first time, and yeah, the food that was
- 16:32Speaker 2: the key stood it out. Well.
- 16:34Speaker 1: I don't know if anybody else in the world's gonna
- 16:35Speaker 1: understand this, but I think you will because you're here
- 16:37Speaker 1: in the South. Y'all come back, all right, y'all come back?
- 16:44Speaker 2: Wow?
- 16:45Speaker 1: Well, absolutely, you would be brilliant today, Okay, sir, and
- 16:49Speaker 1: thank you for giving yourself permission to be so damn creative.
- 16:53Speaker 2: Yeah, sir, Well, it was great talking with you, and
- 16:56Speaker 2: thanks for having me