21 Questions with Graham Colton

Please explain what just happened.

I woke up after a long day filled with tornadoes in Oklahoma. Scary stuff.

What is your earliest memory?

My earliest memory is sitting on the living room floor listening to my dad play guitar.

If you weren’t a singer/songwriter, what other profession would you choose?

A professional athlete or psychologist.

Describe a typical work day.

On tour: Drive 3-5 hours to the next city, load in around 4pm, soundcheck at 5pm, maybe go to the hotel for an hour, have some dinner…possibly an alcoholic beverage of some sort, change guitar strings, call home, write a set list on a napkin or leftover paper backstage because I never seem to have blank paper, 9/10pm play the show, 11:30pm hang with fans and meet everyone at the merch booth, load up and go to hotel around 2am, wake up 8/9am and do it all again!

Is there a time you wish you’d lied?

No. 99% of the time the truth is the best…except when a girl asks you if you like or dislike a particular outfit she’s trying on.

What would you say to yourself if you could go back in time and have a conversation with yourself at age thirteen?

Enjoy the next 8 years because they’re some of the best years of your life…and appreciate your parents!

If you could have only one album to get you through a breakup, what would it be?

Gold, by Ryan Adams.

What are three websites—other than your email—that you check on a daily basis?

Earl Glenn Blogspot– My brother Garrett’s blog based in LA.
A Continuous Lean– Another great blog for men’s style.
ESPN.com– I’m a sports fanatic.

From what or whom do you derive your greatest inspiration?

Both of my grandfathers have had a huge impact on my life. They taught me how hard work will pay off.

Name three books that have impacted your life.

On The Road, by Jack Kerouac.
So You Wanna Be a Rock N Roll Star.
Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger.

If you could relive one moment over and over again, what would it be?

Playing the Late Show with David Letterman because it was on the same stage in the same theater that the Beatles performed.

How are you six degrees from Kevin Bacon?

Wow! You guys are tough! Does it have to be 6? Haha!

Kevin Bacon was in the movie Footloose. Footloose featured songs by Kenny Loggins.

Kenny Loggins’ song ‘Celebrate Me Home’ was featured on American Idol after my song, ‘Best Days.’

Does that count?

What makes you feel most guilty?

Eating dessert… at multiple meals.

How do you incorporate the work of other artists into your own?

I think every artist is inspired by other artists and I’m a music fan, so I’m always absorbing everything I can.

Please explain the motivation/inspiration behind your new album Pacific Coast Eyes?

I wanted to make an album that felt lighter and more open. A warmer, sunnier album. I was inspired by Dennis Wilson’s album Pacific Ocean Blue starting with the title and album cover. It was soooo cool!

What is the best advice you’ve ever given to someone else?

The same advice I give myself every day. It’s about quality over quantity if you want to have a long-term career.

List your favorite in the following categories:

Comedian- Jerry Seinfeld.

Musician- Ryan Adams.

Author- Jack Kerouac.

Actor- Robert Redford.

If you had complete creative license and an unlimited budget, what would your next project be?

I would make exactly the same album I would make with no budget and complete creative license. It’s a beautiful thing being independent again!

What do you want to know?

The future.

What would you like your last words to be?

“I love you.”

Please explain what will happen.

I’m gonna get some coffee!

TAGS: American Idol, Graham Colton, Late Night with David Letterman, musician, Oklahoma City, Pacific Coast Eyes, Singer/songwriter, The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Singer-songwriter GRAHAM COLTON combines an uncanny pop sensibility with deep roots in folk and rock-n-roll to produce pop-perfect music that has earned him both critical and mainstream acclaim. His latest album, Pacific Coast Eyes, the follow up to 2008’s Here Right Now, is Colton at his best: singing lyrics about universal themes of love and loss and everything in between. Colton does this in a way that connects him to his audience, enabling them to feel as though they are hearing the story of their own lives through his music.

With sparkling production and vocals he was made to sing, Colton’s Pacific Coast Eyes brims with hummable choruses and sing-a-long verses that is the ideal musical companion to the summer of 2011. It’s a collection of songs that will stand the test of time, with standouts like “1981,” Twenty Something,” and the title track leading the way.

In many ways Colton defines the American dream. Raised in Oklahoma, he quarterbacked his high school to a state championship in 1998, throwing touchdowns to his childhood friend, Wes Welker. While Welker went on to win Super Bowls with the New England Patriots, Colton migrated to his true love: music. In college he began writing and performing songs in Dallas pubs and coffee houses, and soon his fans were finding him on the Internet, asking where they could buy his albums. His self-titled demo CD became a local favorite and eventually fell into the hands of Adam Duritz of the Counting Crows, who asked Colton to support them on their 2002 tour.

In 2004 he and his band signed their first major record deal with Universal, and later that year released their first national album, Drive. Touring with acts such as John Mayer, Maroon 5, and the Dave Mathews Band, Colton found new fans and continued writing new music.

In 2007 Colton released a follow-up, Here Right Now, his first album as a true solo act. The opening single, “Best Days,” a catchy song featuring acoustic guitars and sweeping strings, was an instant sensation. It was chosen as “Song of the Week” on iTunes and was downloaded more than 700,000 times. It also became the exit music for American Idol, was featured by HBO and Oprah Winfrey, and hit #2 on Billboard’s New Artist chart. Colton’s success led to appearances on Ellen, The Tonight Show, Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, The Late Show with David Letterman, Today, and Live! With Regis & Kelly.

Colton is proud to share Pacific Coast Eyes with his fans. He’ll be supporting Pacific Coast Eyes with tour dates all summer and into the fall. He’s a career-oriented artist who continues to grow musically with each new release.