Gregg Garvey honed his self-taught musical skills in the rural Moose Lakes area of Minnesota. A stint as the co-founder of the garage band The Brutes after relocating to Minneapolis led to a heady brush with success landing several tracks on MTV, E! Entertainment and Disney shows. And that was all he needed to pack his bags and explore his true muses in Los Angeles. For the past six years, he’s taken a deep dive into his particular brand of dreamy, meditative pop and vintage rock soul, that brings together a wide swathe of influences—from Scott Walker to David Sylvian, Pink Floyd to Nick Drake. Bolstered by being picked up by Lolipop Records, Garvey released his debut solo album in 2016. He continues to grow his local fanbase with gigs at local clubs including The Echo, The Resident, Harvard and Stone, Hotel Café and more.
Today Glide is excited to premiere the video for “Minot,” Garvey’s first new material in four years that will be part of a forthcoming full-length album. Co-produced by John Rogers who also performed piano on the track, “Minot” is a carefully crafted slice of darkly romantic baroque Americana that tells a tale of love and pursuing dreams while ever evolving through failures and ultimate courage. Garvey works in his soft acoustic strumming alongside subtle electric guitars as he balances a rich pop sound with his folk sensibilities. The video, shot by noted DP William Christensen and produced and directed by Vanessa Elliot, is both sun-dappled and shadowy, and places the viewer into a dreamlike memory.
Garvey describes the inspiration behind the song and the video:
“Titled after a town in North Dakota, the song is an inward reflection on first loves, first pursuits of dreams, and finding one’s own bravery. For me at the heart of the song is the idea that even if a person fails at first, they have now become someone who made that voyage, and so may make more of them. The valuing of one’s own courage, even in failure, can allow for further personal growth.
I met Vanessa Elliot through a keyboardist I collaborated with, and she lived next door to John Rogers. I played her a phone recording of “Minot” and asked for a referral for the video. Thankfully she expressed interest in producing and directing it herself. It was a lot of fun working with her, and her creative energy was infectious. I learned a lot from the experience. Being very green to acting in front of a camera, I found Vanessa to be a great guide and director.
William was great to work with—I was really drawn to his professional aesthetic and the creativity he brought to the table went above and beyond our humble means.”
WATCH:
Visit Gregg Garvey’s BandCamp page for more music and info.
