Meet Austin Garrett

Hot New Male Country Singing Sensation

Artist. What a funny title for a profession in the music industry. By definition, an artist is someone who draws or paints. I’m a singer, a songwriter, and a musician. But I’m called a country music artist. My manager refers to me as “his artist.” My record label refers to me as “our artist.” My tour manager refers to me as, “my pain in the ass.” But that’s another story. He loves me. I just sometimes make it difficult for him to like me. For the record, I can’t paint or draw. My stick figures don’t look like stick figures. But I can sing my ass off, and I’m a pretty good songwriter. I’m not conceited. I just know my talents. Okay, maybe I’m a bit cocky, and it’s a fine line between that and conceited. But to be a successful entertainer, you must have a certain amount of swagger, or you won’t make it. And maybe a touch of narcissism. How else would we assume millions of people care about what we do?

I always knew I’d follow a music career. I didn’t know what that looked like, as I don’t think we can ever know how well we’ll do in the crazy entertainment world. So many want it. Few achieve it. There are plenty of outstanding vocalists, musicians, and songwriters. But that's not enough. It takes hard work, energy, and constant networking. You’ll get turned down a hundred times before someone says yes. It’s like winning the lottery, though. You keep playing to win. You can’t give up. You can’t give in. It’s a long game, and you commit to being in it for the long haul. I outlasted many other new artists who showed up in Nashville when I did. Year after year I saw them drift away. Some went back home, some took day jobs, and some just disappeared. A handful of us stuck it out, and we’re still in the game. We support each other as best we can. Only those of us doing it truly get it.

Another funny thing about being an entertainer is people call me by my first and last name. Like all the time. Unless they are really, really, really close friends or family, I’m never Austin. I’m Austin Garrett. And my songs aren’t referred to with their titles, but they’re called, “the Austin Garrett song.” When my record promoters talk to a radio programmer, they’ll say, “Are you playing the current Austin Garrett single?” It’s like, if they don’t say my last name, nobody knows who they’re talking about.

Speaking of singles, I recently had the biggest hit of my career with “Promises To Me.” It went to #1 in Billboard thanks to radio stations playing it and was a big song on streaming platforms. I remember the meeting when the song was pitched to me. Walking into a song-pitching session with my manager and producer is always interesting. The people in the room are from publishing companies, and their job is to convince me to record the songs written by their songwriters. My biggest success before Promises To Me was with party songs. I’m known as the party guy, the lady's man. Being successful, young, and admittedly not bad to look at has advantages on the fun meter. That day in the meeting, that part of my personality was pandered to. I heard song after song about beer, tailgating, keggers and hot girls. But then, this soft-spoken young woman raised her hand and asked to play a song. I nodded and she started it. I could sense people squirming. It was soulful, with deep meaning lyrics, and nothing related to a “good time Charley” theme. It spoke to me. In my head, I could hear myself singing it. I envisioned reaching a bigger audience by showing that I have more depth in my personality and music. I sat still when the song finished, and my manager later told me he took that as a sign that I wasn’t interested. He stood up to stop the meeting when I said, “I want it. Put it on hold for me.” I barely learned the name of the young woman who pitched it to me. I remember she was tall ‘cause when she stood up to shake my hand, she wasn’t much shorter than I am. She had beautiful, thick, wavy hair. And a firm handshake. When she asked if she could play the song, she appeared shy. But her handshake showed another side of her. I think her name was Kristy or something. All I could think was, “she gets me.”

“Promises To Me” is now the biggest song of my career.