I invite you to join me on my journey of discovery and sit-down interview with international J Records recording artist Gavin Degraw.  Over the next few issues of the Revolution, we’ll learn some interesting things about faith, love and, most importantly, music.

My name is Janlatae Mullins and a few months ago I didn’t know the full extent of the power of God. I had been a girl who always knew exactly where life was leading me, but now for the first time in my life, I was at a loss of where I was going. Six years ago, I believed in a dream. I believed that at eighteen-years old, I could do anything. I could scale the highest mountain. I could run faster than the speed of light. I could achieve what many teenagers can only imagine; I could fulfill dream. What was my dream? I was going to become a professional writer. And the first place that that was going to take me was Capeside, Massachusetts (known to you fellow creekers as Dawson’s Creek).

With only passion and a dream, I took a bus to Wilmington, NC and set out to change the world… or at least my fate. I stepped onto that production set for the first time and was overwhelmed. I was taken aback from just one wish, one flutter in my heart, as to what God could do. I had never been outside of my hometown. I had never even been on a bus, yet here I was talking to a mega producer of a phenomenally successful television series about my writing - my writing!

Though I was only 18, I believed at that moment that I could write for that show, that nothing could stop me - not education, not money, not even never having stepped foot on a production set. What drove me was God, was that passion to fulfill what I knew He had been calling me to do since birth. But sometimes, life doesn’t go as you plan. Yes, I got the opportunity to present my ideas to some big wigs on a television show, but deep down, when the true opportunity opened itself up to me, I got scared and ran. So for six years, I’ve been running from myself- from my dreams, from my talent, from all that God had for me. Honestly, I was afraid to dream again, because I didn’t believe that God would actually catch me this time. I instantly and automatically thought that He would drop me the moment I began to trust Him.

But I was wrong. You see, God will always uphold us  - even if we don't realize it - because God loves us very much. He loves us enough to willingly give us things that only He can see, things that are so deep inside of us, but already at His fingertips if we'll just trust him. And that is what I had to face - that when I was running from what God had called me to do, all I was really running from was myself. I had to trust that I could put my dreams in God and He would take care of me, that I could give God the pen to my life and He would write the story. Let me state for the record that I didn’t ask for this, at least not outwardly. I didn’t sit down with God and ask that the following events would occur. He just did it. Well... here goes.

A year ago, I was flipping through the TV channels, when I stumbled across Last Call with Carson Daly. He uttered these few words that would completely change the way that I thought and how I saw my world. He said, "Please welcome, Gavin Degraw. You will not forget his name." Then this amazingly talented, attractive young fellow quietly came on screen and began belting the lyrics to an old tune by Leonard Cohen called "Hallelujah".

I WAS FLOORED! There it was! The passion! The power! The excitement! He closed his eyes, leaned back and began to feel the music, feel the emotion of what was gong on inside the song. To me, he began to exemplify how God can use you. He sang with such effortless power, with such amazing heart, that every other singer that I had heard up to that point paled in comparison (except LMC, of course). Through him reflecting those emotions on screen, through his music, I was taken to another place, to a singer’s world of love and loss and God. I didn’t realize it as I cut the TV off, with the images and sounds of this new discovery ringing in my ears, but God was setting a stage; He was writing the story.

Talented artist… Humble musician... Passionate performer... These phrases and many more filled my mind as I did search after search to learn more about this artist.  Born in the Catskills of New York state, with a father who is a prison guard and a mother who is a detox specialist, Gavin is the youngest of three (he has an older brother and sister) in a very musically inclined home. Both his parents were traveling musicians, exposing him and his siblings to a variety of different musical styles and genres. At times, they would even perform as a family in the living room. At that point, in a very poignant way, God was setting the stage for Gavin as well. He gave Gavin’s parents the power to realize their influence and to show their children the appreciation of music at an early age. Proverbs 22:6 (Amplified)) says "Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it." And clearly from Gavin’s headstrong jaunt into music, his parents were hearing correctly.

Starting out, Gavin was just like every one of us. From what I gathered, his parents weren’t rich; they had no connection to incredibly famous singers or recording studios or agents. All Gavin had was a dream - his dream, his family’s dream, and the hope for a better tomorrow. It reminds me of an interview that Gavin once did with VH1 (which is still available for download on VH1.com) where he stated that he accompanied his family to a Billy Joel concert and was ultimately changed. From that concert, he realized that music was something he wanted to do. Just shy of his 16th birthday, he saw Billy Joel - a man who was accomplished in so many ways, singing to thousands of people - and somewhere in Gavin’s heart he decided in that moment, "Hey, I can do that." 

And, with his parents supporting his dream, Gavin eventually packed up his truck with all of his belongings and moved to New York City (Manhattan to be exact) to do just that. A A small town boy who was opening his eyes for the first time to the big city that held all his dreams in the palm of its hands. There he worked odd jobs while sharpening his songwriting and piano playing skills in random open mic competitions.

He worked hard and pounded the pavement for a number of years before he faked his way into an open mic night at an R-&-B bar called Wilson’s. Just imagine, if you will, that you are a skinny white kid stepping onto the stage in what is known as a predominantly black R-&-B bar singing "soul music"?  Pretty hefty stuff, huh?  But he went after it anyway and won the heart of the owner of the place, who later became his manager. Debbie, as we like to call her (which is actually her name) invited Gavin to play at Wilson’s for the next two years. Guess what night she asked him to play? Monday night. Coincidence? I think not - God and his pen.

Later in July of 2003, Gavin released his first studio CD with J Records called Chariot. J Records, the same record company that house such eclectic and soulful artists as Maroon 5 and Alicia Keys. Chariot, an 11-track CD of soulful pop tunes ranging from love and faith to a rousing rock song about staying true to your roots and what you believe in. That song is called "I Don't Want To Be" and can now be heard as the theme song on the popular WB show "One Tree Hill".

In Gavin's music, I became perplexed by a new discovery, a nudging in my heart that told that me there’s something different about this artist. I scan the lyrics of the title track, "Chariot".

Oh chariot, Your golden waves Are walking down Upon this face. Oh chariot, I'm singing out loud To guide me, Give me your strength… …There is a living promise land, Even over fields of sand… …Holding that cup that’s pouring over the sides, You make me want to spread my arms and fly

Lyrics that allude to faith and God from a mainstream pop artist? How intriguing.

Now to say a thing and to actually do it in this world is something far more priceless than rubies. Rarely will you find a person who will follow through with what they say they will do. That is why I was so impressed with Gavin - to go after his dreams like that. And that is why I had to stay true to my word.

Over the next few months, many opportunities arose for me to see Gavin Degraw in person, but because of commitments that I had previously made - not only to my church and to Full Turn, but to God - I had to decline. At the time, I just thought it was dumb luck, ‘I’ll get him next time’. But somewhere inside me, I knew that whatever I was doing for God, that commitment would not be in vain.

OK, fast forward to January 2004. By this point, everyone around me knew about my newfound imaginary friend, Gavin Degraw. I would include him in every conversation.

"Hey Jan, you going out to eat with us?"

 "Yeah, just let me grab Gavin!" I yell as I’d  grab my Chariot CD and jump into the car.

"So, I’ll see you at Full Turn tonight Jan?"

"Yeah, and I’ll let you know when Gavin gets here."

I cock a halfhearted smile as most of my friends rolled their eyes and snickered while walking away. It was soon becoming a running joke. But what’s so funny is that God was taking me seriously.

One day I get an email from the Gavin Degraw Street team stating that they were holding a contest to that would allow a fan to attend the sound check a Gavin Degraw’s show in Atlanta. I reach for the mouse to delete the e-mail (I had already entered a contest like this, but again, circumstances didn’t work out), when I felt a nudge not to delete it. I stopped and stared at the e-mail, weighing the pros and cons of how it was so ridiculous and just another joke that I could add to my running list, but then I thought… what if?  So I sat down and begin to write the essay about why I should win the contest. But I don’t end up writing about me. I begin to pour my heart out as to what Gavin Degraw means not only to music but also to the world in general. I feel as if this is what I’m supposed to write. I close my eyes and hit "Send." It’s in God’s hands now….

For the next 24 hours, I kind of push the contest out of my head. I believed that I wrote what I was supposed to write. "I don’t think I’ll really win the contest," I tell God as I sit on my bed and begin to pray for His will, not mine to be done. Either way, I’ll be happy.

 You want to see God’s sense of humor? Five minutes later I receive this e-mail:

Congratulations!! You have been chosen to promote Gavin in Atlanta for the show on February 7th!!!

We want to say congratulations on being chosen! Now get out there and spread the Gavin love and have a great time at the show!!!

Gavin DeGraw's

Street Team

Sitting back in my chair, gasping for breath, my little sister squeezed tightly in my arms, I smile. And the journey begins...

 "I’m going to meet Gavin Degraw!”"

 "No way, really?" -  "Yeah, right." -  "Sure Jan - and monkeys are falling from the ceiling." These are just a few of the responses that I get when I tell my friends. Once they really know I’m serious, they (with mouths agape) congratulate me and ask me the most important question of all when contemplating  such an event as this, "What are you going to wear?"

 With these and other mind boggling things to think about, I sit in front of my computer and suddenly get a brilliant idea. I email Debbie, Gavin’s manager, and tell her that I’m with Full Turn’s The Revolution magazine. My heart racing, I ask the first question that comes to mind.

  "Debbie, may I interview Gavin for The Revolution Magazine when he comes to Atlanta?"

 Five spine-tingling minutes pass and I receive the very exuberant reply, "SURE! But, of course, only a few minutes."

 Five more spine tingling minutes are spent on the floor as I pass out.

 I’M INTERVIEWING GAVIN DEGRAW!! I’M INTERVIEWING GAVIN DEGRAW!!! What is going on?!  During all of this, I sense my faith beginning to grow. I mean, if I can interview Gavin Degraw, what else can God do? At this point, God could have told me that monkeys were going to fall from the ceiling and I would have said, "OK, God - what time and when?"

Finally, the day arrives….

REVOLUTION: The first question is… Do you believe in God?  Because a lot of your lyrics are religiously, spiritually based - at least I think so.  I’m kind of curious…what is your stand on that?

GAVIN DEGRAW: (with a slight grin) Yes, I do. I try to stay away from religious standpoints in music; try not to be too blatant with it. It’s not my position just yet to be a political or religious {figure}…you know what I mean?

R: Yeah.

GAVIN: Cause I just try to play music and I guess I do have religion.  I believe in God.

R: O.K.  (I roll my eyes playfully to go on to the next question.  He chuckles.)  Well, there’s this quote in the Bible  that says a man cannot force a place in this world for himself, but his gift will make him a place, which I think is so evident in your case because…

GAVIN: (humbly) Thank you.

R: (not even noticing) You’re just amazing and I think that only God can…

GAVIN: (again very humble) Thank you.

R: (a little distracted now from the words that are coming out of his mouth) …can only give you that so…

GAVIN: (smiling now at my being flustered) Thank you very much.

R: (laughing lightly because I’m finally getting the point) You’re welcome. I wanted to know, for me, winning this contest and interviewing you is so awesome and just above and beyond anything that I could ever ask or think, ya know.  So, I wanted to know for you, what was it that you dreamed, and is it wild living the dream now? Do you know what I mean? Does it blow your mind?

GAVIN: Well, when I thought about playing music for a living, I didn’t think about touring. I thought about playing in  places that you would tour to, like Madison Square Garden, but I never envisioned like driving in a bus to get to it (chuckle), you know what I mean? I never envisioned the day-to-day activities other than the actual performances and so the only real difference is I had underestimated everything that is involved with actually playing music for a living. It’s not just the actual music.  There’s a lot of ins and outs, like showing up, getting there, you know what I mean? Getting ready and doing interviews and being on and uh…y’know always being around, being able to make time to talk to audience members and do the right thing with  people.

R: Yeah.

GAVIN: So it becomes… (clears throat).  It’s much less of a job and becomes more of a lifestyle than I had imagined.

R: Do you think that it might become increasingly harder for you to do that? Connect with your audience because…ya know….

GAVIN: I don’t think it should get any harder to connect with the audience, it should just…it will become… I’d just become more spread thin, ya know? Ultimately, that’s just what happens.

R: Yeah.

GAVIN: Yeah.

R: What is something that you can’t live without?

GAVIN: (laughter) Music.

R: (slightly embarrassed) OK…OK. Yeah, that’s a good answer.

GAVIN:  (more laughter) Thanks .

R: What do you think music’s place is in the world and what do you think your place is in music?

GAVIN: Well, music’s place is to sort of represent how people feel. To either remind them of what feeling good is or what sadness is or to maintain a certain feeling. It’s sort of… It’s amazing how a song can change the entire mood in a room, y’know, in a second (snapping fingers). First note - immediately the entire vibe changes that you’re around. It’s crazy. I think that really is a great effect of music is that you can’t touch it, but you’re immediately affected by it. It’s so subliminal. It’s crazy.

I begin to prep myself. I don’t want to be intrusive, yet I don’t want Degraw to get the wrong idea.

R: OK The next question…

He sees my hesitation and looks forward, ready for anything.

GAVIN: OK.

I hold my breath and go for it.

R: I want to know, have you ever been in love, because you talk about that kind of love in your music and what are some of the positive experiences that you’ve gotten from it and some negative experiences that you could do without?

GAVIN: (He clears his throat.) Positive experiences?

R: Yeah. (Still holding my breath, about to pass out)

GAVIN: (still thinking about it) Negative experiences…

He sinks deeper in his chair and begins to think for a moment. The room is thick with stillness for the first time that night in the bass-laden club.

Suddenly, he begins to speak very quietly and carefully… 

GAVIN: Um…negative experiences. Let’s start with those. Negative experiences of being in love are when you get to the point (clears his throat) where you’re not sure if you can take it any further but you know you’re in love… and then you hit a wall. Like "Wow, what do I do now?" Cause I live like a gypsy so it doesn’t matter really if I’m in love because there’s not much I can do about it, {he chuckles, this subject obviously not that funny} because I live on a bus.

I begin to laugh as well.

GAVIN: It can’t develop. Um... the positive aspect of being in love is that you know that there is something that exists for you, no matter what. That would be the most important step is that feeling of being respected and of someone wanting you.

R: So, do you believe that there is one person for every person?

GAVIN:  Sure. At least one.

R:  At least…

GAVIN : I mean, how many times can someone fall in love in her lifetime? You know what I mean? There might be one in every town if they don’t get married without you.

My head cocks to the side. WHAT?

GAVIN: You might go, "Wow! I think I’m in love right now…" (He sits up in his chair, growing more and more animated as he talks.)  You’re like, "Hey, I think I love you!"  And they’re like, "I just got married!" Well, OK. That one’s not going to work out!

He and I laugh loudly at the absurdity and odd brilliance of this comment.

R: That’s a good point. That’s good.

GAVIN:  I think that there’s the possibility of being more than one {person}. If one doesn’t work out, y’know…

R: Like M-&-M’s?

GAVIN: (smiling) I think so. But if that wasn’t the case, then some arranged marriages in the past wouldn’t have worked out. You know what I mean?

R: Yeah…no.

GAVIN  Well, I’m saying like if a parent could pick a spouse for a kid and that lasted, then I guess those people, some of those people fall in love. I guess not all of them do, but…

R: Yeah, good point.

GAVIN: It’s sort of weird. People need to be around each other. That’s part of the human condition… is that they…if there’s nothing, they’ll take something. Even if it’s not the greatest thing that ever came to them, they’ll go, "Wow. It’s just really great to be loved and feeling like I can love something back."

R: OK. This was supposed to be the funny part in my interview, but I don’t know. I feel kind of uncomfortable.

GAVIN: Why?

My fear getting the best of me, I begin to back away from the best part of the interview.

R: Well, because you might not laugh.

GAVIN: That’s OK.

R: OK! (It doesn’t take much to convince me, which I don’t think he noticed)

GAVIN: (smiling) I might say that’s funny.

DEBBIE: (from the corner, supportive) I’ll laugh.

I get up and scoot my chair closer to Gavin as he begins to laugh louder at the beginning of this whole event.

R: OK. Make sure you laugh really loud.

More laughter. Suddenly, Gavin thinks that this whole setup is extremely funny and lets out a loud pop of laughter.

Great! I’m on a roll! Or so I think… 

 R: So, I wanted to give you pointers on…this is what I’ve learned has worked in the past in relationships. Ok, say, "hypothetically" (I raise my fingers in the air and make the universal sign for make believe) we’re on a date. And I’m the guy, so I’m driving and you’re the girl.  I say, "Oh man, Gavin!" I look around the dank room. "It’s such a nice night out…"

 He looks over at me smiling, not believing I’m this crazy but playing along.

 R: And then I give you the ‘I want you and you know you want me look.’

 I look at him and give him my best come hither look. He doesn’t flinch.

 GAVIN:(in his best female voice) What are you looking at?

 R:(me flustered at his actual playing along) I’m looking at you because I want you…

 GAVIN: (chuckling at his own male joke) What are you thinking?

 I put my head to the side. Wait. What?! Where is this interview going? I put my hands up.

 R: Wait, you’re messing it up.

 GAVIN: I am?

 R: Yeah.

 He looks at me confused.

 GAVIN: Wait, I say ‘What are you looking at?’

 R: No, I was saying what are you looking at…and then you were supposed to be wowed by my come hither look.

 GAVIN: OOHHH….

 R: See, you guys are supposed to be laughing now.

 I point to him and Debbie as Gavin smiles at me sympathetically and chuckles.

 GAVIN: It’s getting weirder!

 He lets out a crazy laugh as I grow embarrassed, but determined.

 R: It’s not weird! Alright!

 I scoot closer. He’s going to get this.

 R: Pretend that we’re on a date…

 GAVIN: Right, you’re me, I ‘m you…

 R: Right-

 Suddenly, he smiles and rolls his eyes up to the ceiling  playfully.

 GAVIN: Oh, Gavin, you’re so handsome…

 I look at him.

 R: Let’s not go that far.

 He and I laugh uncontrollably at the goofiness of the moment. Then I grip the imaginary wheel tighter to regain focus.

 R: So, I’m driving and I say let’s turn on the radio because I’m Gavin Degraw, and it’s (I begin to sing in my best Marvin Gaye voice) "Let’s get it on…"

 Suddenly, Gavin doubles over in his chair from the goofiness and absurdity of the comment.

 GAVIN: Oh, nooo….

 And then while he’s weak and vulnerable, I find my chance. I pull my move!

 R: Hey, what is that…

 He looks over as I slip my arm around his neck. He turns to me and explodes in laughter. He’s been had.

 GAVIN: Oh, so you just…

 He explodes in laughter again. Man, I feel like the funniest person in the world!

 I tell him he can use the move, just to make sure that he copyrights me when he does it. cc: Jan