The singer-songwriter is partying at Corktown to celebrate the release of his second EP.
December 20th | Corktown Pub | $10 Door
This Friday, producer and singer-songwriter Garrett Lajoie is hosting his EP Release Party for Morning People, starting at 8:30pm at the Corktown Pub.
"I had been toying with the idea of recording another EP for at least 2 years," said Lajoie. "My first project was a 3-song collection of covers that I made when I was barely eighteen, where I played all the instruments and sang. About a year after that, I started writing my first songs, which would turn into my second EP You Again. I guess it was barely 6 months after that when I got the itch to start recording again."
Morning People had been in the works for months before it's release.
"I have a folder of demos from September 2017 that I thought would make up the next project, but I got so busy with school and I just wasn’t sure about how to make it happen," said Lajoie. "When I finally got a summer off from working full-time this year, I went all in and started fleshing out this EP in June. I recorded all the instruments, vocals, nearly everything in my bedroom. I would have friends over with their trombone or their mandolin, and set them up in this tiny corner in front of my closet, put a microphone in front of them and try to make some magic happen. That process took 9 or 10 weeks because it was up to me to come up with all the ideas, instrumentation, everything. I was learning as I went along."
With a background in music production, Lajoie decided to mix his EP himself.
"I mixed the whole project myself even though I could have hired somebody else to do that, mostly because I’m pretty stubborn," said Lajoie. "It’s hard to put that much time into a passion project and then be convinced to pass it off to somebody else. I was determined to release it before Christmas so I could have some time off."
Lajoie tries to write music that speaks from his own experiences.
"I think my music is pretty genuine. I’ve written songs where I try to fit into a topic or a sound that I’ve heard from another artist, but the songs that resonate with me long afterwards are the ones that come from my own experiences," said Lajoie. "I think my lyrics are generally uplifting, empowering, sometimes triumphant. Most songwriters will tell you that writing music can be almost therapeutic, so the motivational messages I put in my songs for other people to remember are often messages I want myself to remember too."
The title Morning People was inspired by Lajoie's goal to create a positive change within himself.
"I thought the title Morning People was an interesting topic. I think a lot about how we often associate waking up early, doing a workout first thing in the morning and getting to bed early, with responsibility and productivity," said Lajoie. "We think people who do that every morning are living their lives more successfully somehow. But so many people just aren’t wired that way. The EP speaks a lot about making positive change in yourself, and I wanted people to know that you can do that without changing your DNA."
The Hamilton-based musician is hosting his event with other local acts, such as Cassidy Taylor and Joshua Pascua.
"The release party at the Corktown Pub is going to be so much fun. I’ll have some of my closest friends on stage with me, and I still get so excited just to hear them play my songs," said Lajoie. "I hope my excitement comes out through the performance. We’ll be playing the entire EP, and I’ll also be doing some songs with just myself and the guitar in the middle of the show. It’s going to be intimate but also loud and fun. Cassidy Taylor is another singer-songwriter who lies in a similar musical vein as myself, so you can look forward to hearing her. My friend Joshua Pascua is going to be closing out the night with some groovy, danceable songs so this show really has something for everyone."