Album cover courtesy of Josh Welch

Free food, internships and late night study sessions comprise the genetic make-up of many college students’ lives. But singer Graham Colton, who will be playing Oct. 1 at Jammin’ Java in Vienna, pursued a decidedly different college legacy.

“I went to college for about a minute,” Colton joked in an interview with NOVA Fortnightly. “I felt very separated from college life. Some people really thrive in that atmosphere, and I just felt overwhelmed.”

Prior to college, Colton spent most of his time doing what any young male from Oklahoma would do: playing football. But after high school, he decided to dedicate himself to music, a passion he’d had since childhood. Instead of socializing at fraternity parties, most weekends he could be found in a corner of a bar, singing and playing guitar for anyone who stayed late enough to hear him.

But Colton’s honest lyrics and straightforward melodies soon rocketed him out of the open mic scene. In 2002, his demo found its way into the hands of Adam Duritz, the singer of the band Counting Crows. Colton joined them as the opener for their tour, and later signed a record deal as the Graham Colton Band with Universal.

In 2004, he released “Drive.” 2007 brought “Here Right Now,” which featured the hit single “Best Days.” In what Colton called a “huge milestone,” that song became the iTunes download of the week, as well as the exit song for the television show American Idol for several weeks.

He continued to tour relentlessly, playing with John Mayer, Kelly Clarkson, Dave Matthews Band and Maroon 5.

Some might attribute such success to the support and marketing only a major record label could give. But Colton noted that while the music industry is thriving, the record business is in a state of transition. While grateful for the time he spent on a label, Colton decided to part ways with Universal and began working independently on his most recent release, “Pacific Coast Eyes.”

“It was such an amazing experience,” Colton said. “It reminded me of those first initial days making my first demo in college. Everybody involved in the process just cared so much about it. I think you can kind of hear that in the music.”

“Pacific Coast Eyes” traverses through the musical landscapes of heartache, love and hope that many songwriters tackle and fall short of saying anything remotely profound. Thankfully, almost a decade of songwriting and performing makes “Pacific Coast Eyes” being one of Colton’s most interesting and symphonic efforts yet. His signature, aching vocals are in full force on “Our Story” and “Graceland,” tracks that examine broken relationships and the hope for restoration. Sing-a-long choruses don’t leave the ear, and simple rhythmic beats keep the songs structured while still allowing room for melodic exploration.

This album pushed Colton into the realization that honesty in songwriting didn’t necessarily mean he had to put himself into a song to connect. Instead, he began writing songs about people he’d never met, characters whose stories he felt compelled to tell.

The title track from the album is one such song, where he tells the story of a girl finding her way out to the West Coast. “Say your goodbyes, your pacific coast eyes start to close, and I’m on the outside,” he sings. The subtle sarcasm in his songs has been a trend in Colton’s songwriting and provides a reward for those sharp enough to catch it.

Despite his success in the industry, Colton is going back to basics. He called touring the “number one focus” to get fresh experiences to translate into songs.

“It’s funny to me. I’ve almost been doing this 10 years,” Colton added, “and I just now feel like I’m sort of remotely figuring it out.”

Starting Sept. 22, Graham Colton and Ben Rector will hit the road on “The Good Time Tour.” For more information, visit grahamcolton.com.

TBJ

By: NOVA Fortnightly Staff

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