Check Out Grant Petty’s Story

Hi Grant, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I was born in Dallas, Texas but at a very young age moved up to Olympia Washington with my family. The Pacific Northwest was a beautiful, but dreary area at times and grunge music dominated the airwaves in the early ’90s, which definitely had an influence on me. At 12 years old my father decided it was time to go back home to the Dallas area. We didn’t quite land as close as we originally would have liked so we found our home in the small town of Teague, Texas about an hour east of Waco. I started playing in several different style bands from Grunge to Southern Rock with hints of Country. As I got older, I moved back to the Dallas area and attended school at UNT. This is where I  was really able to focus and polish my musical skills, as well as, my production and recording abilities. When I turned 27, I decided it was time to give it a shot and I moved out to L.A. I spent 12 years in and out of bands touring the U.S. and Europe and gaining more knowledge of the music industry. It was there that I met my now wife and once we had children we decided it was time to go back to Dallas. We landed in a small town called Krum, Texas right outside of Denton, a very kind and hospitable place. I currently operate a construction business, NT Home Remodeling. Once I got the business up and running, some of my old music buddies ended up being guys that work for me and I began writing music again.  What came out of the writing sessions were songs about everyday life and my experiences.  Now 3 years later, we are getting this music out to the world and we are excited to see how it is received.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Throughout the years many things have stood in my way from financial hardships to losing several friends to self-inflicted vices among other things; either way it was heartbreaking. Many times I told my father, “Dad it’s just a trick, I just learned a trick, but it does not matter. There’s nothing unique about it.” His response was, “It’s not a trick, it’s a gift if you’re able to relate to people throughout music. You are able to connect to them and relate to them, that is unique.” After some time, I realized that what he was saying to me was that music is part of life and happiness that people find within it. At that point I decided to make it my goal to give people happiness or at least just to let them know that someone else feels what they feel.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
By day I’m a General Contractor, father of four, and husband. By night, a singer/songwriter in North Point Drive, a band that I am very proud to be a part of. I truly believe the album we just recorded, “Midlife” is the best musical piece of art I have ever been a part of. I’m so thankful to the guys playing with me and helping me hold this whole thing together. It really is not a one-man show in any way. It takes a team, no matter what you do.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
The music business is a tough game, sometimes you’re hot, sometimes you’re not. When it comes to being able to make a living at it, the music business has a poor reputation for taking advantage of artists. Now with online distribution and streaming services, record labels do not have quite as much pull on the artist as they once did. At the same time, would you rather take 20% of a large amount or 100% of a very small amount? Everyone has a different opinion of what their goals are, but the fact is the major labels are definitely the key holders to being able to take an artist from local or regional, to national or international and there’s really nothing wrong with that. They put in the decades of work to get those systems and build those relationships and that must be respected. There are several artists who are completely independent and very successful and financially stable. However, if you are, in my opinion, a true artist, sometimes it’s not about the money, you just want your art to get out there. Sometimes, especially in the beginning, that means you’re going to have to give some of your art away. The people who are investing in you are taking a huge risk, and if the world doesn’t receive it well then they are the ones holding the bag.  On the flip side, if you become a household name the labels will want their piece as well.  In the end, that main thing for me is being authentic and true in my writing and performances.