Suggestions that he was a show-off as a child were not dismissed as that far off-the-mark by singer/songwriter Jack Garratt on day two of Europe’s biggest free music event at Powderham Castle.
‘When I was a kid I loved performing’, he admitted. From amateur dramatics to school plays he was really interested and obsessed with being in the limelight.
‘Whether it was words or music I really enjoyed interpreting an artistic vision. Even at the age of 8, and really tiny I enjoyed doing musicals on stage – I loved it.’
However, as the irrepressible Jack matured he explained ‘for me now it is not just about being on stage and seeing people go crazy for my performance, it’s about performing music that I’m so proud of and to see the affect it has on them’.
A multi-instrumentalist he was encouraged to experiment with different contraptions from a young age, as his music teacher mum often brought home instruments such as ukuleles or djembe drums. This eclectic start has seen him develop and refine his musical style into very catchy lyrics set against folky/electronic mix.
As a previous Junior Eurovision British entry he was disappointed not to be able to watch this year’s contest due to travel and performance commitments, but he was defensive of broadcaster Terry Wogan whose dry, sarcastic commentary was blamed for damaging the event.
‘We love the fact that we are part of Eurovision, we Brits really love it’, pointing out we like to laugh at ourselves and the legacy of Wogan-style banter continues under the guidance of Irish comedian Graham Norton. However, any further talk with Jack about our relationship with Europe was off limits as he was ‘undecided’ and ‘not disclosing’ his opinion on the Brexit debate.
Jack’s plans for the future include refining his craft and giving people music they love. He doesn’t aspire to be glorified after he is dead but observes that legends such as Prince or David Bowie have now gone ‘to the next room’, and he is in awe of the legacy and the impact they leave behind.
‘There are people at today’s event wearing Prince t-shirts, people are proud to show how much they love these musicians, your art defines you.’