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Garrin Benfield
(? - living) U.S.A.

Benfield Garrin

Singer

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Garrin has been surrounded by music for as long as he can remember. Growing up the youngest in a family of nine kids, Garrin's earliest musical memory is hearing his brothers and sisters play guitar and sing at his parent's parties. For hours, his siblings and their friends would call out tunes and jam around the kitchen counter. Although Garrin was young and shy, he was a sharp observer. This early musical education seeped in: a mixture of timeless rock, folk, blues, and country songs that were instantly familiar and singable. "One of my greatest aspirations is to write a song that someone else might want to sing, that they can relate to enough to learn and play."

Benfield GarrinAt the age of 10, his family gave him his first Rock n' Roll record, "The Beatles Second Album". He couldn't have asked for a better starting point in learning about melody, harmony, and raw emotion in pop music. Garrin awkwardly formed his first guitar chords on a hand-me-down acoustic. He was on his way to becoming a versatile musician who eventually played electric guitar in musical theater productions, high school jam bands, and even enjoyed a long stint as a fretless bass player in the psychedelic funk band, "Maya". These experiences were invaluable to his next focus: the art of songwriting. "I had to stretch out and improvise to really understand the beauty of a concise composition. And I'm so thankful that I ended up as a bass player for a few years. Not only can I write and play my own bass lines now, I know how to support a song".

Benfield GarrinOn his debut recording for eighth note records, "Living a Dream" Garrin showcases his varied talents as a songwriter, singer, guitarist, and bassist. This collection of thirteen songs while stylistically eclectic, is held together by the ever present warmth of Garrin's acoustic guitar and voice. The guitar, at times percussive and driving, is also evocative of American folk, country and blues. Garrin's plaintive and present voice wraps around the listener as the lyrics journey through a full range of emotions-love, jealousy, alienation, and finally, independence and self-determination. These songs are also an excellent vehicle for his live performance skills. Whether with a full band or solo, he enjoys reinterpreting his own material on stage. Garrin continues to explore new musical ground as he brings together his love of pop, folk, funk, and blues in his writing.

He wrote and sung What you're hiding for Matthew Shepard (in "Living A Dream," 1999).

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