spotlight steve grand
We all have this sort of blindness about our-
selves in different ways. Putting your feelings and thought into words, you actually begin to resolve things on your own.”
You’ve been called a trailblazer at times and as someone who has broken molds. How comfort- able are you with that? I’m so gratified if people see what I’ve done
as blazing a trail in any kind of positive way. I honestly don’t think about it too much. I just try to make good content and pay my bills. (Laughs) It’s like a balance thing and I’m doing this because I love it. I’m a very logical person, but I also have the emotional need to express myself and that can sometimes interfere with my ability to logically assess a situation. Those two things are always fighting because I’m not doing the most logical thing. I know what I’d do, if I wanted to have a comfortable existence and it wouldn’t necessarily be this. There are drawbacks to everything, but I have to be creatively fulfilled. Important and pretty much what we’re all trying to do. It will provide for a far more interesting life, don’t you think? That’s kind of what it comes down to for me. I
want to have good stories to tell and want people to kind of keep me around when I’m older. (Laughs) I want to have something to say. My dad has always told me to hang around people that are older and wiser than you are and that’s what I’ve tried to do.
38 RAGE monthlyRAGE monthly | | JUNE 2016 JUNE 2016
I’m a great admirer of people who have stories to tell and want to be one of those people myself one day. I love that. If you look at it from a purely business standpoint, that’s one of the things suggested to be successful. Surround yourself with people who know more than you do and it will help you grow. Exactly.
Following that thought, we know a part of you through the exposure you’ve had on the web, which can tend to be one-dimensional. What would people be the most surprised to learn about you? I guess in some ways, people might be surprised
to hear me have this kind of conversation with you. Someone who casually runs across me online may see me as shallow and that’s no one’s fault. I’m not complaining or blaming that on anyone, it’s the nature of the way I’ve chosen to present certain aspects of myself. You just can’t Google search someone’s personality. (Laughs) Listen, I have a great life and I’m so lucky to be able to do what I do. Tell me a little about where you’re at with new music. Do you have an album in process now? Yes, I do. I’m writing the whole thing myself,
which I pretty much did on the last one with the exception of the two co-writes. I’m just allowing
this album to be a snapshot in time and then to move on as quickly as possible. I’m recording a song, sometimes as I’m writing it and try to just let it be what it will be. I did like 400 vocal takes of “Stay.” I would do 100 takes and edit all the best lines from those takes and then do the next 100, or because my equipment got better, I would want to change it. Each performance is different and you can’t duplicate anything exactly the same way. You have to make every performance your best and learn to accept each can be very different and give you very different emotions. Now, I try to record at the highest quality I’m capable of and not go back and do it again. There may be things that are pitchy, or I feel I could sing better, but I’ve learned to move on and save it for my next song and recording. What’s your goal for release? That’s still up in the air... I’ve learned to not make promises, but I should have a new song out within the next few months. Can’t wait!
Steve Grand headlines at the Orange County Pride Festival on Saturday, June 25. For more information, go
toprideoc.com. For more information about Grand’s performance schedule or upcoming new music, go
tostevegrand.com.
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