Dan Griffith, known as Gryffin, is a DJ, producer and musician from America. He first achieved recognition in the music industry after releasing remixes of famous songs from Years and Years, Maroon 5 and Tove Lo.
His debut single ‘Heading Home’ featuring Josef Salvat, was released in 2016 and reached over 34 million streams on Spotify. As well as this, the song hit number one on Spotify’s ‘Global Viral Chart’. Gryffin then went on to collaborate with Bipolar Sunshine on his second single ‘Whole Heart’. The song reached number two on Spotify’s ‘New Music Friday’ playlist.
For his latest single ‘Feel Good’, he has teamed up with DJ Illenium and vocalist Daya. ‘Feel Good’ has already had five million plays on Spotify and is set to be a massive hit.
Gryffin recently took time out of his busy schedule to chat with us about his latest music, some of his biggest collaborations and what the rest of 2017 has in store.
1. Firstly, what made you decide to follow a career as a DJ and producer?
I had always been into music since I was a kid. Growing up I played classical piano, and in grade school, I played guitar and jammed around with friends, but it wasn’t until I got to college that I really began to fall in love with dance music. While in school, I downloaded Ableton and just messed around trying to make electronic music for fun as a hobby. After putting out a few remixes online for free the project started to gain traction and that was when I decided I could maybe do this for a career.
2. Growing up, who were your musical inspirations?
I had a lost of different inspirations when I was a kid. My favorite band was Sublime, but I was also super into classic rock like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones type of stuff. I also listened to a lot of pop music growing up too. As far as dance music producers go I would say Avicii and Skrillex were some of the names that really wow’ed me when I first got into the music.
3. Your new single ‘Feel Good’ features Illenium and Daya. How did this collaboration come about?
I first got this demo from Daya last Fall, and it immediately resonated with the vocal and what she was speaking about lyrically. I was finishing up my tour and had a day off in Denver and decided to meet up with my friend Illenium. We started working on the track at his studio and then finished it by passing the song back and forth between LA and Denver over the next month. I re-wrote the bridge and additional verses with Daya and Toby Gad back in LA around that time as well.
4. The track is giving us plenty of summer vibes, what was the inspiration behind the song?
I think the primary inspiration was to create a song that was filled with love and heart. I don’t necessarily mean a relationship/intimate kind of love. Just the idea of a relationship making someone feel better and picking them up when they need it, and just being there for someone. With that in mind, I wanted the production to reflect that sort of beauty but in an intense, euphoric type of way.
5. You have also worked with Bipolar Sunshine and Josef Salvat in the past. Are there any other artists you would like to collaborate with?
There are so many artists I’d love to collaborate with. Florence Welch, Jamie XX, Ed Sheeran, and Lorde are a few I’d love to collaborate with someday.
6. We know you play piano and guitar. Are there any other instruments you would like to learn?
I would love to be able to play brass. That would be super cool because it’s so fundamentally different from a piano and guitar. I’d love to be a drummer too.
7. You’ve remixed songs for artists including Years and Years and Tove Lo in the past. If you could choose three songs to remix right now, what would they be?
Wow good question. That’s a tough one but I really enjoyed Ed Sheeran’s “Castle on the Hill.” There’s another song I would say, but I got the opportunity to remix it and it’s coming out soon!
8. What has been the highlight of your career so far?
There have been several highlights over the past year or so. The first shows in 2016 were really big for me. Anytime I release a new single it feels like a highlight for me. Coachella coming up is a big one.
9. Can we expect an album from you anytime soon?
I’m not sure about an album, but an EP yes. I’m very particular about my music so it takes a while for me sometimes but I would love to do an album soon.
10. With summer coming up, what are your favourite songs to get you in the party mood?
Post Malone’s “Congratulations” is like a summer nights jam. Marshmello’s “Chasing Colors” is a guilty pleasure. The XX’s “On Hold” has been a favorite of mine for several months.
11. Finally, what plans do you have for the rest of 2017?
I’ll be doing a lot of festival shows this summer and going back on a big tour this Fall. I’m looking to put out my EP this summer as well. And hopefully doing some more international touring later this year!
Thank you so much to Gryffin for taking the time to chat with us. You can listen to his latest single ‘Feel Good’ HERE.
Also, don’t forget to follow Gryffin on social media. You can follow him on Twitter or give his Facebook page a like.
Finally, don’t forget to share your thoughts on our interview with Gryffin by tweeting us at @CelebMix.
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