Meet Garrett Jones | Music Director/Guitarist & Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Garrett Jones and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Garrett, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Risk taking is a constant challenge, even in things you feel confident in. There is always a chance of failure and you won’t know the outcome until the result. Personally, risk taking has always been the biggest leveraging tactic in my career. I feel there is much more at stake when not taking risks because you wouldn’t know what it’s like on the other side if you did. The biggest risk I have ever taken was my first trip to Los Angeles. Risk in a sense of…near emptying my bank account to chase an opportunity in a 24-hour window of time. Thankfully it panned out the way I had hoped for, but I can’t help but look back and wonder how far behind would I be if I hadn’t. Weighing risk to reality is what the gamble really is. For every time you bet on myself, you also have to manage expectations on what either outcome could yield. So far in my career in the music industry I have learned that risk takers can be rewarded. If you are hard-working and talented others take notice of the risks you take. I know plenty of talented individuals that don’t have the drive to focus on what it is they’re after, much less take risks for it. Especially in a place like Los Angeles where pretty much everyone chasing after a dream career is taking all sorts of risks to achieve their goals. I strongly encourage anyone I meet to weigh their options and take that big chance on themselves. Risk taking gives you a chance to prove it to yourself.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a music director, guitarist, and producer. Three different jobs that have different mentalities behind them, though the passion behind it is all the same. I love working with artists and arranging/composing their live performances. Sometimes it’s fun to just be a guitarist and share the stage with artists without any additional responsibilities. I certainly love living in the studio and letting creativity flow in any direction it wants to. It’s always great to see creativity manifest into a real tangible feeling, whether thats on stage or in the studio.

I’m passionate about the music industry, and I feel that diversification in my skill set is the only way that I can experience a certain level of freedom and gratification out of what I do. I consider myself an entrepreneur first before being a creative. The mindset to work very hard and care deeply about “fine-printed details” gives me peace of mind knowing that everything I do will enable more freedom to continue this profession. My work-ethic is what sets me apart from others. When I am passionate about something I tend to obsess over it, and being in the work field that I love only pushes me to work my hardest. Even when challenges arise, I’ve learned to be in love with the struggle. I can confidently say that I am where I am today because of the wonderful people I’ve met along the way. Relationships and hard-work can take you anywhere you want to go no matter the profession. There’s a great deal of mutual respect when you meet others who are also as hard-working as you and also shares the same successes and struggles as you.

I want the world to know my character and work-ethic as my brand. I want people to say that “Underdog” (my production/stage name) is someone you can share great experiences with on stage and in the studio. Someone that you can trust to lead a band and compose amazing arrangements, whether for live performances or chart-breaking records. Overall, I want my work-ethic and professionalism to speak for my name.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Due to traveling so much, I feel like I always have a specific agenda every time I touch back down in LA. Usually, it always starts with food. I am a huge fan of Bossa Nova Brazilian Steakhouse. The menu has a wide-variety of food and it always comes out hot and fresh. Another would be Silver Lake Ramen. I am a huge fan of ramen and they have raised my standards in ramen. Aside from that, I found a new music hangout spot that I wasn’t aware of for a while at the Sofitel hotel. They have a great community established there where musicians and creatives can hang out and enjoy watching each other perform freely.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’ve had a lot of support along the way that contributed to where I am in my career. A few that come to mind are my mentors Justin Alan Brooks and De’Sean Jones. They both are phenomenal Grammy-Award winning producer/ musicians, and have always offered a wealth of knowledge to me about the music industry. It’s always good to have someone who can be brutally honest with you, especially in the formative times in your career. My experiences working with them were just that. Honest yet constructive, and they’ve always shared information that gave me insight to the next step of my career. Justin and De’Sean have served as an examples for me not only musically, but also in how music and business communicate. I respect them because they have always treated me like an equal and kept their word. They both have shared great opportunities with me and overall influenced the way I navigate the industry today.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/underdog.wav/?hl=en

Image Credits
Photographer Creds: IG – @chrisreybasalo