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Live Virtual Session: Jack Garratt performs songs from new album, talks importance of mental health

Jack Garratt performs a Live Virtual Session for The Current.
Jack Garratt performs a Live Virtual Session for The Current.Erik Stromstad | MPR

by Jill Riley

April 30, 2020

It has been four years since the release of Jack Garratt's last full length record, Phase, and he is now in the process of releasing his latest, Love, Death & Dancing. Garratt has always been focused on making his music the best that it can be, but in the process of creating his new record, he has been not only focused on fine-tuning his musical abilities, but also prioritizing his personal emotional growth.

"When it came to releasing this album, the one thing that has been so important to me has been honesty," Garratt says. "Honesty between me and the people listening, honesty between me and journalists, honesty between me and you. I don't ever want to feel like I am hiding from anything."

Garratt notes that his emotional strengthening was a necessity that stemmed from the fact that he felt like he was hiding many parts of himself, including feelings of self-hatred, depression, and a lack of confidence. In his conversation with host Jill Riley, Garratt discusses the vulnerability involved in getting in touch with himself, specifically noting honesty, and how having honesty with yourself leads to acceptance of yourself. He emphasizes the importance of embracing not only confidence and other positive emotions, but also those emotions that are more uncomfortable, such as sadness, anger, and disappointment. "I realized I'll never be perfect, and that is not only fine, but worth celebrating," Garratt says. "Encourage sadness, just as long as it doesn't take over your life. It's about balance."

Garratt is releasing his newest record, Love, Death & Dancing, in four separate segments, and the album will be released in its entirety this June. He notes how proud he is of these songs, and how much he loves those songs. In releasing them in smaller batches, he hopes to provide audiences with an opportunity to really get to know each song.

Garratt says, "The only thing I know I can do, the only thing I know that might possibly help someone somewhere, is making music, and that's what I'm going to continue to do."

Use the video player above to watch the complete session with Jack Garratt.

Songs Performed


02:23 "Better"
07:25 "Weathered"
29:05 "Time"
Songs 1 and 3 are from Jack Garratt's 2020 release, Love, Death & Dancing; song 2 is from Garratt's 2016 album, Phase. Both are available on Island Records.

Hosted by Jill Riley
Produced by Jesse Wiza
Engineered by Erik Stromstad
Article by Sylvia Jennings
Web production by Luke Taylor

Jack Garratt - official site