Courtesy Grant Knoxlyn
Knoxlyn
Though the Thursday, Oct. 23 edition of Santa Fe-based singer-songwriter Grant Knoxlyn’s Songwriter Series event at The Mystic boutique hotel (2810 Cerrillos Road, (505) 471-7663) has been tragically postponed, we’d already put an interview into motion—and Knoxlyn is an interesting guy. Hailing from Pennsylvania, Knoxlyn studied acting in London, made a go of it for a time in Los Angeles and ultimately spent his most recent days in Tennessee. He’s has called Santa Fe home since May, however, and has already gotten to work trying to build out a curated series of intimate singer-songwriter events alongside his own covers and originals. We wanted to learn a little more, so we lobbed some Qs his way. And don’t worry—the series returns Thursday, Nov. 20, plus you can always check him out at grantknoxlyn.bandcamp.com. This interview has been edited for clarity and concision. (Alex De Vore)
I understand you’re from Nashville. What makes Santa Fe your chosen city as a musician?
Well, I moved from Nashville, but I’m from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Where the battle was. I grew up about a mile from very much hallowed ground. When it comes to Santa Fe, the best way I can describe it is that I’ve done so many things, and my life has been nothing short of eclectic, so one of the reasons I fell in love with Santa Fe is because of that eclecticism. I can live a very well-rounded existence here, and the creative energy is a constant wellspring. I’m always writing and looking for new and interesting ways to get music out there.
Also, I had some unique opportunities to do things in other hubs of music that didn’t feel right. I mean, I’m an independent musician and someone who wants to stay independent and hold firm in the control of what I do in any capacity; it seems like people have gone out and created that world [in Santa Fe] in a way that wasn’t on the main path. I don’t want to categorize Santa Fe as unorthodox, because for the type of music I want to do, at least in my headspace, we talk about scenes and where you find a community and where you find prospects and new and interesting opportunities to get yourself out there—it’s less of a banging-on-doors situation and has become more nebulous with the internet. Santa Fe seemed to be the world where I could do that. There’s a beautiful aesthetic here, and there’s a genuine spirit here that I think goes deeper than a vibe. I see it less and less in other places. I want to help realize another aspect of this incredible land and community. I throw the word ‘community’ around a lot, and I just mean I love the people here and I enjoy playing for them. I have an opportunity to bring some old and new stuff to the scene.
Being here has an impact on your songwriting, then?
Yeah. Yes. I was doing so much traveling, then I got here, and…the first couple months I was only writing a little bit, but it wasn’t as prolific as I’m used to—you go through these streaks, or all of a sudden you get a burst, and you don’t choose when it happens. Everything happens in its time, and that was my establishing period. Now that I’m here, there’s a more consistent outpouring of things. I don’t think about my process that much, though, it’s more like a puzzle that needs solving. I’m learning that formulas work less and less as I get older. There’s a spontaneity to songwriting.
What are you hoping to build during the Songwriter’s Series?
Knowing the chips are going to fall the way they’re going to fall and you take your control out of it, the initial thesis was…there is a lot of music here, and there are tons of places to play and tons of people who are playing, and there’s a lot of local talent I feel should be showcased. People come here for sculpture and paintings and art, why would we not build more on the musical aspect of the community? There are people I’ve met in my brief time here who are talented songwriters and who come from all walks of life. We have a lot of artists who pass through New Mexico and find it inspiring and they want to come here and work and play. This is giving them an opportunity, as this thing builds, to come and do a Nashville-style round in Santa Fe. It gives us a chance to help people discover the all-around beauty of this place, and maybe some of my initial goal was to get people passing through on tour, have them perform a stripped-down thing then put it up [online]. Since I’ve decided to make this place my home, how do I bring other talented people into that community? Building on those principles, it has been electric to get up there and hear songs from artists I didn’t know about, but now I do. What I’m trying to do is curate each night so it’s music that flows cohesively together. It’s a new baby, but the outpouring and support has been tremendous.
