Tristen Gressett has come a long way in his music career; both literally and figuratively. Born and raised in Pell City, Alabama, Grissett began his career playing wherever he could in his home city. In 2022, he became a contestant on American Idol, making it to #11. Following this, he moved to California to continue pursuing his music career, releasing an album inspired by the experience; Hello, California.
After hearing the stand-out track "Moment With You", I got in touch with Grissett to discuss his career and the writing process behind the beautiful single.
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The Indy Review: Hi Tristen, thanks so much for chatting. For those who are unfamiliar with you, can you give a little background on yourself, and what first inspired you to start writing music?
Tristen Gressett: I feel like I've always had a little flame nestled in my heart for performing. Ever since I could remember I was either watching my Moma sing karaoke or I was singing along with her. It just grew & grew as I got older. By the time I hit high school I was blazing. I always looked forward to school. I'd always treat everything (how I talked, acted, dressed) as a little bit of a performance. I'd practice jokes in the mirror before school, or be writing monologues to perform in theatre class. But when music really came into my life, everything changed. It hit me like nothing ever did before. It ate me up- and within my first 4 months of learning the guitar, I was playing gigs. Writing came very naturally for me & I'm extremely grateful for that. I looked up to the greatest writers of our time, and tried to articulate my words in such a way that was as creative as they were. I remember the experience of writing after my first heartbreak in the 9th or 10th grade. After all the mess of feelings was dealt with, it was quite riveting to come out on the other side of a tragedy, not only triumphant, but with a piece of art to share. That made songwriting like a friend to me. A reliable friend. I just honestly like telling good stories, & trying to express a feeling that everyone can relate to.
IR: Who have been some of your major influences over the years?
TG: In the beginning, there was Elvis. Picture me, beardless, smaller, chubbier, with a scouts neckerchief, smiling in front of the gates of Graceland. That was a huge part of my childhood. Every year they had "scout day" at the King of Rock n' Roll's mansion in Memphis, TN. This wasn't a far trip from my hometown of Pell City, Alabama. This meant me & my mom would load up every year to get that discount on the entrance ticket so that we could stroll up & down the lavish hallways, through the magical gardens, all through the kingdom that was Elvis Presley's former home. Now I didn't know I wanted to be a musician at the time (I would have been about age 6-12) but I'll tell you there was something about seeing his hall of gold records every year that I guess made a sort of engraving in my subconscious. My next personal musical renaissance would have came in high school- where I would find my current favorites. Neil Young, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Elton John, Billy Joel, I could honestly go on forever but I am just a sucker for the powerhouses. The ones that did it all- so professionally & gracefully. Talent- spewing out like electricity from their mouths and hands- captivating the world- because that's just what they did. Those were the ones I looked up to the most. I spent years as a teenager studying the greats like a lawyer & learning each influence becoming a human melting pot.
IR: What was the music scene like in Alabama where you grew up? Did you feel like you fit in, or were you an outlier?
TR: I was definitely an outlier by choice. I've always wanted to be different. Sometimes I disliked things just because everyone else liked them. It's just a "hive mind" deal I got (and still get) nervous about. Anyways, I come from the Deep South- so it was all Waylon, Wille, Jennings, Jones, love it or leave it. I was a Rock n' Roll guy. I did the country covers for tips (I really loved to do Chris Stapleton tunes) but aside from that I kinda stayed away from that sort of thing because that's what everyone else did. I really honed in on the singer/songwriter & psychedelic rock feel with what I did. In terms of a scene, it was mainly an array of older gentlemen who played the bar circuit (either as a hobby or for some extra cash). Those guys were heroes to me when I was younger. They still are. I'd sit down to see guys like Kenneth Shirley, Ronnie Melton, Danny & Randy (and so many others) and I'd watch for hours as their weathered hands glided across the fretboard with ease & style. They'd take a break & let me get up and play a few tunes (Most likely a few Elvis songs). That's really how I got started playing shows. And when I did start- people really either loved me or hated me. At 14 I was wearing leopard print bell bottoms, crazy pattern button ups, with wide brim hats- and sunglasses, always sunglasses. I'd walk into a dive with 3 people on a Wednesday night, whip out my guitar, and pretend I was playing Live Aid. I'd close my eyes and imagine thousands of people in front of me- and that's exactly how Ive always treated my audience, no matter how small.
IR: You had your first flirtation with fame being a contestant on American Idol. Can you talk a bit about what you learned and took from that experience, and how it's helped you in your career?
TG: My biggest takeaway from the show was learning what I DIDN'T want to be or become. I definitely felt that towards my final performances on the show I was being shaped into something that I wasn't. I realized how special my songwriting was and how I needed to start making a change in my career. I focused a lot on performance, but not enough on artistry during my run. It drove me to become better & to challenge myself more afterwards. My other biggest takeaway was from the vocal coaches. They really helped me hone in on these specific parts of my voice that I had not yet fully articulated- and they really helped me develop new skills.
IR: Back in May, you released your debut album, Hello, California, which features the somber, beautiful single "Moment With You", which was written in the wake of a heartbreak following your move here. I can imagine the emotions were pretty raw when you arrived here?
TG: They were. I arrived here on a mission that went up in flames. I pulled myself together & navigated a lot of the obstacles of getting a place & settling in- but I really didn't have anyone. The only security in my life was a long distance relationship that was slowly deteriorating. When that fell apart, things really became hard in life. I was in a foreign place with no friends, no stability, & no direction. I wrote this song before I moved-but a lot of those melancholic undertones you hear in the song are from the feelings that I experienced in the recording process which took place a handful of months after I had moved & after the relationship had came to an end.
IR: How long into your move did you start writing the track?
TG: I actually wrote this track a few months before l left for California almost 2 & a half years ago.
IR: What would you say is more frightening; put your emotions into the song for the world to hear, or knowing the person you're writing about will listen to it and not knowing their reaction?
TG: Definitely knowing they'll hear it. It's inevitable. But songs, to me, are always changing because we always change. Our perception is always changing. We can hear a sad song when we're happy and get low, but hear that same sad song when you're down- and you might just feel comforted. It's strange. But I'm older now- and at the end of the day the song isn't mine anymore. It's everyone else's. I feel that way about love songs y'know? You can write them for someone, but when that relationship is over, it's kinda like your singing a different song. Like I'm singing a cover. That's the best way I can explain it. You kinda loose that sense of ownership in a way.
IR: Musically, the track is very sparse, with just the acoustic guitar and piano prominently featured, with some softer orchestration. Did you always hear the song being this stripped down, or did you experiment with different arrangements?
TG: I imagined it very close to how it turned out, with exception of the big buildup. I had originally imagined just guitar & piano, nothing else. This was actually the first song I ever recorded (and mixed) myself, so I had a great time navigating through the production experience. I enjoyed getting to experiment with different sounds to give it a real cinematic buildup. I really wanted to challenge myself and create a melancholic soundscape that really complimented the lyrics. If you listen closely you can hear background chatter (I recorded live in an airport) as well as a bag zipping and pilot's communicating about takeoff & landing. I take a lot of inspiration from bands like Pink Floyd, so I never think twice about getting psychedelic with production. What a lot of people don't know is that I actually self produced the whole album, & played every single instrument you hear on the record.
IR: How do you see the song fitting into the narrative and themes of the album?
TG: This fits into the narrative because it's a song about leaving something precious behind to make a new beginning. In a way, that is the theme of the album. A Phoenix from the flame, the butterfly from the cocoon. Starting anew. This song is a prologue to taking that first step across the bridge. It is a solemn, beautiful goodbye to comfort & stability. It is a goodbye to the the personification of my home, only to make way for another greeting. "Hello, California!" Was that corny or profound?
IR: I'll say profound, haha. Finally, how has California been treating you since your move here? Have you found some favorite spots in town?
TG: It has been wonderful. I do have to say it's nothing like Alabama, which is still (along with Canada) where I've found the nicest people on Earth. I like to make the diamond analogy though. There is a lot of coal people in LA. Dozens & dozens- but when you come across a diamond- it's twice as strong. I've met some amazing friends out there. Friends I wouldn't trade for anything in the world. Favorite spots in town? I definitely find myself nestled in a corner of a couple different comic shops on Melrose at least once a week. Im a big reader of music biographies & graphic novels. I'm also a big vinyl collector so I love to go browse through old LP's in the Hollywood area. One thing I love about LA is that you're no more that 3 hours from just about any scenery you can dream of. The beach, the forests, the mountains, the desert - all a day trip away. I love that. I feel very blessed to have that. It has given me so much inspiration to write - and there is so much music left to be written. It's all out there in the trees, sands, snow, and rain waiting to be heard. God is waiting to deliver ideas that are to be unpackaged and given to the world in song, and I am ready to sing them.
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Hello, California is out now, and take a listen to "Moment With You" in our A Single Sit-Down Playlist!
Listen on Spotify
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