Gavin Creel: “ladies and gentlemen: i would like to introduce to you, gavin creel...speaking his mind through some hot new music”

Gavin Creel is a singer, songwriter, actor and advocate whose Broadway credits include the roles of Claude in the recent revival of HAIR, Jimmy in THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE (for both roles he received a Tony nomination) and Jean Michel in LA CAGE AUX FOLLES. He reprised Claude in the West End transfer of HAIR, and he also starred as Bert in the West End production of MARY POPPINS.

In line with his work in musical theatre, Creel has developed a career as a musician, releasing his first solo album ‘Goodtimenation’ in 2006, followed up by an intimate acoustic EP ‘Quite’ in 2010. Now Gavin Creel presents his third solo album, ‘Get Out’ in which he has collaborated closely with songwriter and producer Ben Cullum.

Gavin Creel tells us about his intense career and about this brand new album which release was celebrated with a concert at Joe’s Pub last 19th March.

HOW WOULD YOU INTRODUCE YOUR NEW SOLO ALBUM ‘GET OUT’?
ladies and gentlemen: i would like to introduce to you, gavin creel... speaking his mind through some hot new music. this record has pleasure and pain all wrapped in a big pop styled bow. i keep trying to dig in deeper as a writer, and i’m really happy with the way GET OUT represents that without abandoning that feel good vibe.

THIS IS YOUR FIRST EVER COLLABORATION WITH SONGWRITER AND PRODUCER BEN CULLUM. WHAT WOULD YOU HIGHLIGHT OF HIS WORK? HOW HAS IT BEEN WORKING WITH HIM?
ben has a great talent for crafting rise and fall within a song. i think that comes a lot from his brilliant dj’ing skills, but also, he’s a storyteller through music production. i loved ben’s willingness and fearlessness while we collaborated. i always feel like an idea is worth exploring with him, and it makes writing so much fun.

THE ALBUM INCLUDES A SONG WHICH PAYS HOMAGE TO WHITNEY HOUSTON. HOW DID THIS SONG COME UP?
we didn’t set out to make a song about her or certainly titled WHITNEY HOUSTON. ben started playing a really great bass groove while we were screwing around, we both liked it and recorded it. then we started layering in other instruments and i put pen to paper to see what the music was saying to me. the image of little 80’s me walking down the street to that beat was where it began. then i started thinking about what i would have been listening to, and naturally... for me... it was my girl Whitney. the lyrics then just built into a little autobiographical homage to young men who might be made fun of for liking ‘girl’ music. i say, turn it up, and DANCE. that’s whitney.

IN DECEMBER 2011 YOU RELEASED THE SINGLE “NOISE” TO RAISE FUNDS AND SUPPORT FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY ACROSS THE COUNTRY. HOW WOULD YOU ASSESS THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THIS RELEASE?
the reaction we got and continue to get from NOISE (written with Robbie Roth) is astounding. so many people out there want to help the fight for marriage equality and gay rights in general, but they don’t know how or don’t know if they will be effective. i wanted to have a song that motivated us specifically for the LBGT movement that was a call out to people of all sexual orientations. the more we can spread this song around, the more i feel we will get people fired up and LOUD for the cause. we are right... we just have to know that we are not alone in that fight.

WHEN DID YOU BEGIN TO WRITE SONGS? AND WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST OF THE PROCESS OF CREATING A SONG?
i wrote my first song when i was like 7, i think. it was a piano solo called "cat and mouse." but i wrote my first song with lyrics my junior year of college. each time i write the process is different. sometimes it starts with beat or an idea for a melody. other times, i can see something and be driven to write a paragraph down about it and then work a song from that. i don’t know... each time it is different for me.

THE ALBUM WAS LAUNCHED AT JOE’S PUB LAST 19TH MARCH. HOW WAS THAT NIGHT?
it was an incredible night with an audience filled with loads of fans and friends. i am really lucky to be an unsigned artist with such an amazing following. i hope people keep coming because i will keep singing if they do :)

YOU STARRED AS CLAUDE IN THE RECENT BROADWAY REVIVAL OF ‘HAIR’. WHAT DID THIS CHARACTER MEAN TO YOU? AND THAT YOU PERFORMED IT BOTH ON BROADWAY AND IN THE WEST END?
HAIR was a life changing experience. on and off stage. claude’s conflict resonated with me i think because i realized that up to that point, i was stuck like he was. getting to play that every night further affirmed for me that i did not want to exist in that manner anymore. getting to be a part of that tribe and go through that catharsis, in a safe space... lifted me higher as a human being. (and now...i sound like a total hippie...ah well) :)

YOU HAVE ALSO STARRED IN OTHER BROADWAY SHOWS SUCH AS ‘THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE’, ‘MARY POPPINS’ AND ‘LA CAGE AUX FOLLES’. IS THERE ANY ONE OF THEM THAT YOU ENJOYED MOST OR THAT HAS BEEN MOST IMPORTANT FOR YOUR CAREER?
besides HAIR, MARY POPPINS was my favorite because i really got to dance. i loved playing that character. and i loved london. being in that space with those people changed my life too. sheesh... it all changed my life didn’t it. ha.

YOU ARE CO-FOUNDER OF BROADWAY IMPACT AN ORGANIZATION OF THE THEATRE COMMUNITY AND ITS FANS MOBILIZING IN SUPPORT OF MARRIAGE EQUALITY. WHICH ARE THE MAIN AIMS OF THIS ORGANIZATION? HOW DID IT CAME ABOUT THE IDEA OF CREATING IT AND HOW HAVE BEEN YOUR MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS SO FAR?
we will not rest until we have full federal marriage equality in this country. BROADWAY IMPACT is dedicated to keeping our theatre community mobilized, active, and aware in the struggle to make sure all citizens are treated equally under that law. i am so proud to work with this organization and so proud to be a theatre professional, surrounded by so many generous people.

COULD YOU COMMENT ON YOUR FUTURE PROJECTS?
keep an eye out for a press release. should be coming out this week... i am VERY VERY excited about it. that’s all i can say. (Gavin Creel will lead the First National Tour of THE BOOK OF MORMON).