Today we’d like to introduce you to Garrett Wheeler.
Hi Garrett, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I am a singer/songwriter based out of Kennesaw/Marietta, GA. I’ve been doing music full time outside of school (KSU) for roughly the past 4-5 years now. I got the bug to start doing music when I was about 13. I’d been going to concerts and been around music my whole life, but it was around this time I found smaller bands that were active and touring. I got the opportunity to see Lucero, one of my biggest influences to this day, play a festival at Candler park and it was the first concert I had been to where it was standing room only, and the band was close enough to banter and joke with the audience in a genuine way. By the second or third song of their set, I already knew that’s what I wanted to do.
After that, I picked up guitar and started singing, and once I had learned about an hour’s worth of songs, I went to the American Legion in Acworth and asked if they would let me play for tips, and just like that, I was playing music and singing songs in front of people. Singing covers turned into writing songs, and pretty quickly I was booking shows all across Georgia north of the perimeter. Between 2018-2019 I was playing around 90-120 shows per year. In 2019 I was awarded “teen artist of the year” at the Georgia Country awards in Macon, GA and in July 2020 when I was 18, I released my debut full-length record.
At the start of 2021, I began recording a new EP produced by my good friend Daniel Lieving. The songs on the EP are some of my favorites I have written this far and features performances from Shane Boeker of American Aquarium (lead guitar), a big influence and inspiration of mine, as well as Austin Harper (pedal steel). While I haven’t announced the official release date for the EP, I can say to expect a release before the end of the year.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely. The biggest hurdle that I’ve had so far was my voice. During the time when I was first starting to play guitar and seriously start trying to sing, I was experiencing chronic throat infections and problems. After many doctor visits they found out I had a cyst growing in my hyoid bone, a U-shaped bone that supports muscles in your neck and protects your voice box. They got me into surgery within a week or two to not only remove the cyst but they also removed the center section of the bone. After the surgery, I noticed an immediate change in my voice’s tone and pitch, and as I was recovering I quickly found out I was going to have to start from square one when it came to figuring out my voice, it was as if I had just gotten a brand new one. It took a long time to get used to the changes and get comfortable with my own voice again, but five years of use and some vocal coaching from Diane Sharp and I’m pretty content with how I sound now.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Especially at my live shows, one thing I’m proud of is being able to write songs and perform them in a way that genuinely makes people emotional. With music especially, I’ve always thought the emotional side of it, making people feel something, was more important than being a phenomenal singer or a virtuoso on an instrument. Tom Waits is a great example of someone who, while not an objectively great singer, never fails to hit home with his songs and what he writes. Especially in today’s musical climate, I feel like that phenomenon has become less prevalent in the mainstream, but that hasn’t stopped me from still leaning on the emotional side of music instead of the theatrics. Thankfully most of the North GA artists I play alongside think and perform the same way, so there’s plenty of sad songs to go around and make us happy.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I have many mentors and folks I look up to and take advice from when it comes to music, and I’ve been lucky as far as finding a lot of really good ones. A big part of it is the stereotypical stuff like “surround yourself with people who are better than you” and “ask questions, don’t pretend you know the answer,” but to me the most important thing to do is be active. Don’t be afraid to approach people, approach as many as you can, and try and learn something, big or small, from every interaction.
Contact Info:
- Website: garrettwheelermusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garrettwheelerofficial/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gwheelermusic/?pnref=lhc
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUCfKZz3bbFaWDGadJguxIw
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/album/1h8SE49gD8q454aAMTV7YX?si=m0J1LyDKRz-ti-j19MEIdg
Image Credits:
Adam Smith
