Griffin McIntyre | Interview with Lyndsey Parker (LPTV)

Hey, this is Lindsey Parker for LP TV here at Licorice Pizza Records for the music and actually think single debut of Griffin McIntyre's first single for publicly released song risk it all. Yeah. You decided to risk it all at Licorice Pizza. I decided to risk it all.

[laughter]

I have to. I appreciate your attitude. I think it's going to pay off. I think the risk was going to pay off.

Thank you. Hopefully. Thank you for celebrating here. I mean obviously this is a long time coming for you cuz you've done television before and you're only 18 years old but you're not new to this game. Pardon the pun. You are not a new kid Hey. on the block.

go. No, you grew up in music. I actually read I mean obviously you have it in your blood and you grew up around it because of who your father is but I read that you actually were humming when you were an infant. Like before you could talk or do anything else you were humming. Think so. I can't remember but my

[laughter]

dad told me. Was it a song? Yeah, I think I was just in their bed humming uh but like to a pitch which was cool so. Did I mean obviously like I said you grew up in an environment where people would maybe be more inclined to notice these things but were there people whether it was your father or other people around you who were like Yeah.

This is his destiny basically.

I think I always just loved to like perform and like and just dance.

And sing and especially when I was younger but obviously when I got older musical theater and doing plays and in singing lessons and dancing a bunch and so that was I was always doing that stuff.

Did the dancing come first like I know it's kind of probably a cliché chicken or egg question but what came first the dancing the acting the singing the playing? I think the dancing came first but maybe it was just I think it was just singing obviously and then I think they came kind of came over at the same time I I started uh dance with Debbie Allen. Do you know Debbie Allen? Of course.

You want fame? I can't Fame costs and this is how you or you start paying at Licorice Pizza in sweat. Yeah, I know who Debbie Allen is. Debbie Allen is the Yeah, she's the best.

Wait, you studied with Debbie Allen? So I I danced at her academy when I was younger. Cool.

And uh I owe a lot of my you know, performance vibe to her. She's very just a a role model to me and definitely a a teacher and a mentor so

She is tough as she was on in the movie?

Yeah, she's real life. It's it's it's not fake. She's the sweetest person um and all the other teachers are amazing there but yeah, I I think it started at dance uh Debbie Allen and that that mindset I feel like it's still in me. You know, she's yeah, she's she's incredible. What type of dance did you start in? Was it ballet tap?

All of it. Ballet tap I did African hip hop like all all of that stuff. Modern

Did you ever audition for So You Think You Can Dance?

I didn't. I I Well, I guess you have to be actually 18 to be on the Yeah, I used to watch that.

Tate McRae was on the juniors. Tate McRae, yes. I'm definitely not a Tate McRae dance wise. Um but you know, when

I need to I can. So yeah. So when was your first like big professional gig um like you were born to do it you were probably performing in living rooms when you were

Yes.

a toddler but when when did it become real for you?

When I was 12 uh I lived in LA for 10 years and we moved to New York just cuz we wanted a change and right when we get to New York I got an agent and like the second audition I I got a Netflix show. Was that Country Comfort?

Yes.

McPhee? With Katharine McPhee yeah. Yeah, so I did that and I came out to LA and did a a little Netflix sitcom

and uh it was incredible. So the reason I keep looking at these notes the way I was cuz I had specific things written down. One of them was that yes, you were literally humming according to my research at a checkup with a doctor at 1 month old. Wow. Wow.

but according to that

That is good research. I don't know that. The other thing I read was again showing that music was in your blood that your first musical love was Prince so you had good taste in your younger

Prince, yes I do.

Darling Nikki when you were three. I don't know

Who's Darling Nikki?

Darling Nikki the song. This is what the what in the Prince song that's not appropriate

What's the Daily Beloved song? Daily Beloved

Go Crazy.

Okay.

Darling Nikki is the not safe for work song. I like that one too I think but I like

Obviously that thing when I found it I was like

Yeah, and Gene Kelly was a big thing for me. Gene Kelly. I've talked about Gene Kelly with Paula Abdul actually. He was a big fan of him.

yeah, she she's awesome too. I um yeah, Gene Kelly was a a thing for me. I asked like a a balloon guy. Everyone like asked a balloon guy say, "Can you make Spider-Man?" And I asked him to make Gene Kelly. How did that turn out?

Did it look like him? Uh No, what you would have I don't know but yeah, he made a dude in like a suit and I carried it around yeah. So musical theater was Have you done a lot of musical theater or have you done Broadway? Do you aspire to do Broadway?

Uh when I was younger I love all the musicals and stuff and watching it and What's your favorite one?

[snorts]

Uh I saw I I love Dear Evan Hansen. I'm

not like a musical theater like die hard but I do love all like the classic ones Wicked Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen. Did you watch Drag the Musical with your dad?

yes. At the Bourbon Room. I saw you sing at the Bourbon Room on another occasion but Drag the Musical with your dad playing the straight man. Yeah.

That was a good time. Yeah, that was fun. Yeah, very cool. Would you ever do something like that like a modern musical like that?

Hopefully. I think in the future for sure. Um yeah, for sure acting too of course. So you know, obviously we're talking a little bit about your heritage and your father and you were born in 2007 so um I'm wondering if by the time you got old enough Were you able to grasp the how how big New Kids on the Block was? You know, I know you grew up like watching the tours and the the reunion tours and stuff. Still huge tours. Mixtape tour happened at the Hollywood Bowl. But he was just your dad. Like did you grasp the fact that actually around the age where you started your career he was doing that on a huge scale. Like when did it hit you like oh my dad is this heartthrob?

Well, I was kind of I he he brought me on stage a bunch and so that was kind of you know, where it you know, I saw an audience for the first time and I think it was like I was super young and then I started doing it more and more and going out and

[snorts]

just yeah. So doing that um

but I don't I don't know when I first kind of found out. I never really thought about that. I just always kind of knew oh, he's a singer but he's a very normal guy. He's not he's not like you know, he's just my dad so. So I've asked this of other second generation musicians. I've asked this of like Rufus Wainwright, Maya Hawke Ethan Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman's daughter etc. How did your family feel? It seems like you had no other destiny but I've talked to some people in your position whose parents if their parents were celebrities or entertainers musicians who have been like no kid, this is a rough life. Go be a doctor. Go be an accountant. Do not do this. And other ones have been like yeah, this is of course your destiny but a lot of people they know how to especially someone like your dad who started so young.

He knows what the pitfalls of this business I think um one thing I respect um about my parents is they kind of let me figure a lot of stuff out on my own. Um obviously I made the music on my own and you know, I got um introduced to the

industry before that um but the industry side is is wild. I try to like stay on the on the you know, music let's do this with like a couple people helping me. Um but it was we're we're

we we work hard. I I I work hard so anything that I I do my parents are just like let's go. Um my mom used to drive me everywhere so and now I drive but they're always telling me hey, just go to dance class, do this, hey try to make a song, you know, hey let's it's if I was playing soccer it'd be the same thing. Hey, you got to go to practice. You got to like shoot your shots, kick the ball so yeah. I mean I hate to use the term but the term nepo baby. I don't like the term.

It's okay. But here's the reason why is like while it's a given that having connections or a famous last name might get you some opportunities might get your you an audition or get you in the door in the room. If you're not good Yeah. it's not going to matter and I and sometimes I think maybe even have to work a little bit harder to prove that you didn't shortcut your way to success.

We just talked about working hard. So what uh ups and downs have you navigated where you know, there's [clears throat] there's benefits to having and also just knowing that world growing up in it but there's also drawbacks to it, you know, how have you dealt with that? Well, I'm very grateful. At the end of the day I'm very grateful. This is where I started. My dad is a singer um and I grew up with his fans. He did too so I'm in all I'm I'm very grateful. I think um I do work very very hard and like you said like it's it's about you know, your hard work and what you bring to the table.

Um I did make all my music so that that really helps. Uh Um but yeah, I I was the one in the room making the music um and I used to be like hey, can we do a session? Can we get a it's really hard to to get around especially in LA. Like people are very bougie and they don't want you Hey, how many followers do you have? So Oh man.

I had to I had to do it on my own which I never thought I would do. It was always here and I just flipped the switch and uh got on Pro Tools and made some songs. So, that helped.

have trouble with people not taking you seriously either cuz of your age, because of your your father, or because of what I don't know, just cuz

Yeah, I mean yeah, I I think through all of it I was always constantly going to dance class and being a student and and going to vocal lessons and just turning the wheel and and but I don't know. I think uh What did you say? Sorry. I don't even remember. I was so No, not being taken seriously.

Okay, not being taken seriously. I'm not in front of like a million people. I don't I'm very like I go to I go to class. I like being a student, like I said, but I'm not I think people take me seriously because I see like that I really care and I'm you know I'm going to say this again, a student and I watch so I I think people take me seriously.

Oh, no, of course they do. I just wonder if you ever had Were you ever offered Whoa, hello.

My god. See, look how seriously your reflexes were dancing. Caught that just in time.

Caught it. We'll cut this out in post.

Or maybe we'll keep it as We're keeping it. Anyhow, what we were talking Were you ever offered You're You're 18 now. Yeah. Um there's a lot of teen stars, you know, like Justin Bieber just played Coachella and started super young. There's Yeah. Billie Eilish started super young. Your father started super young. Were you ever offered any opportunities when you were 13, 14, 15 that just would have would not have been good, like where you wouldn't have had the control that you have now and it's like kind of makes more sense to do it now as an adult and adult.

Yeah. Um I had in these past couple years there's like a boy band frenzy right now. Mhm. You know a lot of things, I think. So, there's there's like a boy band frenzy. A companies and record labels putting together boy bands and seeing how it is and it's very bright and shiny. And I I tried to go down that route and and and be like, "Oh, I'm going to do I'm going to do this." But no, I'm not doing it.

Got to risk it all. Got to risk it all. Did you actually join a boy band? I just thought you did.

It was a thought. It was a "Hey, if you do this, we can get you blah blah blah." And it's a lot of that stuff. So, I saw the industry on that side and I I am so grateful for that journey.

It taught me a lot and it taught me what I don't want. But yeah, hey, I'm a solo artist. No. No boy band. I have no no problem with boy bands. I always said like whether people like that kind of music or not, they they sing and dance live. Of course.

That's not easy to do. A lot of people don't do that. A lot of people lip sync. But as a solo artist, obviously makes more sense for you talking about doing stuff on your own. Do you Tell me about the process of writing? Do you produce stuff at home? Do you play all the instruments?

Who do you work with? I work I work by myself. I in my in my room, which I never thought I would do. Um And yeah, I I worked with Linda Perry for a little bit.

No way. She's so awesome. She doesn't work with just anyone. She is very choosy.

Yeah, she's the best.

So, who she works with.

Yeah, I have to give, you know, credit where credit's due. I'll give her her flowers. She's she's incredible and she she I've kind of known her for my whole life. Um And I went in with her and I wrote a bunch of songs and songs that I didn't really like, to be honest. And she knows that. She knows that. Probably respect that.

Yeah, she respected that. And so she was like, "You need to do this on your own." And I was like, "Get out of here." Like, "No way." Like, "I'm not but okay." That's cool that she did that.

Yes, and she said, "You need to produce your stuff on your own." And I went home and I did my stuff and um I I like proving myself to people. I also like doing it for myself. But I I I do well when like I have a coach. And so for a little bit Linda was my coach and I brought these songs to her and uh I liked them. Thank god. You what what but the early experiences where you said the stuff you were doing kind of didn't fit for you. What was up? It was just It was just different. I think I had to really step up in the writing process and I wasn't as you know, good of a writer as I as I am now. I definitely was, you know not the best. Now I am all right. But uh

I think um Yeah, it was just It was just a different vibe and I had to step up and I had to get what I want and I'm a picky person and it helps that I can do it myself now, too. So, yeah. So, even though those that music's not going to come out, I I guess

No, I'm yeah, kind of. I like We wrote a couple songs that I like.

Okay. Maybe one that I'm playing today. Shout out. We're having a little thing today. Yeah. But in general, what she's to go she's She's incredible, yeah. She's great and she's can she can also be tough, like Debbie Allen. Very. Yes.

But she's she's We have a special relationship. Yes.

Tell her I said hello. I I I I love Linda. She's Um what did you learn from just her mentorship? I think it's just it's just if you want something to sound a certain way you are the person who knows what it what it should sound like. And you also have to trust people, which I love doing also. But if it's just you and another person in a room, the other person is not going to read your mind, especially especially Linda, who's different than me. You know, I'm a young guy and she's, you know, doing her thing. So, uh yeah.

You have to You have to step up. That's a lot of stuff she taught me and also just to like get over these bumps and get over the writing blocks and write random stuff. You can change it later. Just get it out. So, that really helped me. You are performing one of the songs today, which is the What is the title of it? Oh.

We'll all know by the time this comes out. It's going to

All right, all right. It's called Shadows. Shadows, yeah.

When you will that be? I assume an album. An album one, yeah. We're already leaking song titles, which I'm I'm I don't care. I mean there are people are going to see you perform Shadows. Shadows. Shout out. Shout out.

Go on Instagram and talk about it, so you know. Yeah. It will not be news by the time that comes out. That's so awesome. Have you worked with anyone else of note that you have worked with? Not really. Um No, I think shout out to the people who I who I did a bunch of sessions with and kind of got that vibe from and and I think all the songs are important. All of the songs that you create are super important. Um all the good stuff is important. All the bad stuff is important. So, shout out to them. But not too many like crazy famous. Really nobody who's famous.

Well, I love your humble attitude and since I was talking about, you know, advice and I was talking about your father. You were saying he was just dad to you.

Yes. It seems like you grew up despite the fact you grew up around celebrity and raised by someone who had been in the business for a long time and some people who are in the business for a long time, especially young, they go through their travails and their scandals. Never heard that about your dad and in general seems like you led a pretty low-key and grounded and normal family life, which is not always the case for someone in your position. Was that something that your parents consciously made sure you had that foundation?

I don't know what their decisions were. Maybe when they had me, they were like, "We're going to But I don't know." You know, I think that's just the way it is. You know, if I was him, I'd do the same thing. So. What advice the last thing I'm going to ask about that is just in general as your father being someone who grew up started young in the business has had ups and downs in the business. Just when he realized this was going to be your career path and that you were going to go it alone, especially as opposed to having like friends in a group.

Just in terms of perseverance, or anything he said to you. What was like his number one piece of advice for, "Kid, if you're going to do this, make sure Yeah.

you know, what's up?" He's always a practice guy. Just practice. Um Practice. Practice, practice and um don't limit yourself. There's a lot of cool stuff. I feel like we look at a lot of artists who who have been around for a long time and they've earned the the swag to be cool and hide themselves in being in hoodies and I like that stuff. Um but also like I I can't do that yet. You know, I need to I need to wait my turn and and and put myself out there in a different way and and and not limit myself.

Don't don't Just don't limit yourself and be yourself, basically. Be yourself and practice and keep it simple. So, the title Risk It All. Risk It All.

What are you risking What what's the meaning? Risk It All. So, yeah. First song. Made it in my room. Um How many instruments do you play, by the way? Two. Guitar and piano. Those are the two. If you're going to

You can count bass, but like I'll I'll allow it. Just two. Just two. Guitar and piano.

Made Risk It All in your bedroom. Yes, made Risk It All in my bedroom. It's It's It's about a It's about a experienced relationship that I had, but I also think sometimes when you write something like you don't know what other things it could mean. So, Risk It All means a lot of things for me. I think it means whether you're in a relationship, how you treat that person or how you're willing to risk it all. Or if you're in a job, how you might want to risk it all. And I think um like I said, I had to say no to a lot of cool things and I think that's also a cool meaning, risking it all, you know, to make your mark, I guess, and be confident and do your thing. So, Risk It All means a lot of things. It connect It It resonates and connects with me. So, I hope it connects with other people, too.

When you said no to things, whatever those things were, were there other people in your camp? Manager, whatever, people at record labels who were like, "Kid, you're blowing it. Like, you should say yes to this."

Yeah, of course.

to listen to your gut.

that's what keeps you up at night, you know? That's what they're made to do, you know? Um but I knew. You got to know, "Hey, does this feel right?" And if you can't go to bed many nights in a row, maybe you should just do the thing that you want to do. So, you feel like you've made like

I've made the decision. I've made the decision. I'm in the right place, yeah.

So, we have that song coming out, and we're going to watch the video uh Soon, yes. It's coming out on April 23rd as as the 24th, 24th.

Okay. Yes.

some dancing in that one. I did. You saw it. You watched it.

I watched it before.

Did you like it? I did. I liked the dancing. I was trying to figure out where you shot it. It looked like LA.

Yes.

couldn't tell. You were dancing on the beach, and I was very impressed that you were It's hard to walk on sand. Yeah. I was dancing in the LA River. No, I was Yeah, I was dancing in the LA River.

That seems like unsanitary. [laughter] No, no, no, no. It's not. Like, what part of the LA River? Uh whatever part was not over flooded. That makes sense.

Yeah, I wasn't like licking the ground.

I feel like you were on the beach.

No. Okay. What what what what part

shot.

[gasps]

Yeah, that is the LA River. Oh, it looked like a beach.

Looks cool, right?

beach. I've lived in LA my whole life, and I know nothing.

Shout out. Thanks to uh whoever shot it. Yeah. So, you shot it all around LA? Yes. And um was the dancing choreographed by you? Yeah. No, not not by me, by this guy named Tobias Tobias Elle Hammer. All right. He is a He's a god. He's really incredible.

Has he worked on anything else of note? Yum Yeah. Uh he's done a bunch of people. Justin Timberlake, BTS. Just them. I I dance with them. I dance with them a lot in dance class. Not not BTS or Justin Timberlake, but I I see them uh I dance with a lot of these awesome incredible teachers, and I I like Millennium Dance Complex.

Shh. Yes, yes. And so

to go there. It's like where Britney used to Yeah, it's super cool. So, I I take a lot of dance classes there, and I build relationships with these guys, and I was like, "Hey, bro, do you want to be involved with this?" And he was like, "Yes." And I was like, "Oh, wow, thank you, bro." And this was your first music video, so you must have had a very specific vision for it. This is for a lot

First time. first time you see Yes, yes.

Um it's definitely a it's definitely a first first video vibe. It's super sick, and I'm I'm excited for people to see it. Yeah. Is there going to be a sequel cuz it ends with you knocking on a door, but we don't know who opens the door. You like the story line? I did. Who's on the other side of the door?

Exactly. That's why you got to

[laughter]

Oh, that might be a good idea. You can take that idea.

Okay. I'll give you a credit.

idea of it being a trilogy. Okay, cool, cool, cool. I I'll do that. Maybe. Hopefully. So, before what's the album plans? And obviously, this is just a single

The album plans? That's going to That'll be a little bit. I still got a few more singles to release, I think, and you know, do that stuff.

So, so yeah, risk it all right now, and then we'll see what comes next. What's going to happen next is we're going to have all the song the three songs You have a third song you're doing tonight.

Exactly, exactly. Little a little acoustic a little acoustic vibe.

How much do you play out live in general? Wha- what are you talking about? Like Like you tour on your No, uh Like just uh do you regularly gig out? Or do you have do you tour? When you do it, do you normally do it acoustic with a band? I uh I adapt to whatever location I'm performing in. So, here, I'm not going to do like a head spin, you know? I'm not going to like dance and break dance.

I mean, we could clear some of the record bins. Well, if we do that, I'll start head spinning. I don't know how to do that, by the way. Uh but uh yeah, I play guitar. I'll do whatever, you know? I I'm a big I've seen arenas my whole life, which is a blessing and a curse. But uh hopefully when I get there, it'll be more of a Why is it a blessing and a curse? I got to ask.

Because I have high standards, and I want to get there, you know?

You will. Thank you. You will. In the meantime, though, we're happy to have you here.

Thank you. I'm grateful. Thank you for doing You can do a head spin by all means.

Okay. Yeah. And uh thanks for coming by and celebrating here. It's an honor, and thanks everybody for watching. Peace.