Sean Garrett Talks With American Songwriter Mag

AS: You’re earned the nick name of “The Pen.” Do you actually write with pen and paper?

SG: Generally I don’t. Generally I don’t write with paper, I just go in the booth and start singing and record. It’s very seldom that I’ll write with paper, but Jay-Z named me “the pen,” so sometimes I have to use the paper. [laughs]

AS: What’s your songwriting process is like?

SG: It’s a very emotional type of process, depending on what my mood was like at the time has a whole lot do with where I come from with the music. Most of the time I’m in a loving mood, but if I’m feeling aggressive, if people have been pissing me off, then I’m going to make up tempos and make people dance. I love to make people dance, it’s how I take the energy if somebody gets me a little upset, or if I feel challenged or something like that — then I go in and really take time to find a really incredible up tempo beat and make a really great up tempo club record. I take all the emotions of negativity and turn it into something positive.

AS: When you’re writing, what do you draw inspiration from?

SG: I draw from love, I draw from different people’s relationships, I draw from the things that I see. Sometimes it’s the things that I feel, and sometimes its the things that I think, and my songs are basically a perspective of something that I’ve seen and I give my opinion of it in the song.

AS: For your sophomore release, you’ve got this upcoming album, Courtesy Of.

SG: Courtesy Of is coming later on this year, right now we’re putting out my mixtape album which is called The Ink Well, it comes out and I’m really, really excited about it, it’s got a crazy amount of great features on it– Lil’ Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Yo Gotti, Bun B, Soulja Boy, Fabolous, and it’s hosted by my man DJ Green Lantern, it’s ridiculous, so I’m really excited about that. The Courtesy Of album is on the way as well, coming later this year. I’ve got a lot coming out, I’m doing a lot internationally as well, so I’m really excited.

Read The Full Interview Here

Sean Garrett: Singer, Songwritter & Music Producer Interview

via Blog Critics

Blog Critics: In addition to being a singer and songwriter, you are also a producer. At what particular point did you start playing the keys?

Sean Garrett: You know what’s so ironic about my production — my production was probably the last thing that I started doing. Production was the last thing I did because I was always studying music. And as an artist, I kind of did things backwards. I was an artist first, and then my songwriting started to just really flourish, and then fooling around with being a producer and being an artist was coming along at the same time. So, I think the first thing was definitely my beginning as an artist and knowing that that was my calling — was the point of me knowing that I had a big career as a songwriter, artist, and producer.

Blog Critics: Why do you think that your evolution followed that path?

Sean Garrett: I think because of the passion that I have for music, period. Some of my favorite artists were singers, songwriters and performers — like Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Elton John — they’re people that actually performed the music they wrote. So, that’s definitely the route that I’m taking because that’s what my passion is. I write songs that I feel are great songs, but I feel like only I can perform them and pull them off the way that I feel like they should be performed or written or actually sung. Sometimes it’s a little difficult when you have a song you want to try — you’ve got to try different things. I’m always trying different things. Sometimes it’s a little difficult to push a new artist or an artist that’s been in the game for a long time to do things that they’re not usually used to doing.

Blog Critics: Within the industry, you are known as “The Pen,” which is a nickname that Jay-Z gave you. Was this nickname given in response to a particular accomplishment?

Sean Garrett: Oh, wow! It was a number of things, when I think about it. Yeah, it definitely spoke to my accomplishments, but I’ve also worked really, really close with his wife, Beyoncé, and I’ve written quite a few big hits for her. So, I think it would have a combination of us, our relationship, in each other all the time. I would always look for his approval when I did a job for her that was crazy. The first hit I ever did for Destiny’s Child was “Soldier.” That record was kind of hood, you know what I’m saying? Something that Jay-Z could respect. And overall, I contributed nine songs to Destiny Fulfilled, which was really huge for me. And after that, I wrote six for Beyonce’s B’Day album.

Read the full interview here:
Interview: Sean Garrett – Singer, Songwriter, and Producer

Sean Garrett Runs Through The Hits On Power 98 Radio Interview Charlotte, NC

Sean Garrett's new website:
I Am The Pen

Sean Garrett's MySpace:
Sean Garrett's My Space

Sean Garrett on Wikipedia:
Sean Garrett Wikipedia

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Sean 'The Pen' Garrett has written and produced countless tunes, not enough room here to write.