There are not many 20-year-old northern lads who spent their adolescence daydreaming of singing like Sinatra on their local clubs circuit. But then again, there are not many 20-year-old northern lads who combine a voice worthy of Tony Bennett and looks that wouldn’t seem out of place in a Paul Smith ad. In short, there are not many lads like Peter Grant, in the north or anywhere else.
“I think it’s because I started singing so young,” laughs Peter when you mention the confusion that comes trying to match up this regular teenage lad to a voice so smooth, assured and stylish, that it will literally have you turning the CD over in your hands to check you haven’t put the wrong one in. “I’ve been singing since I was six or seven and I was doing working men’s clubs from the age of about 13,” he laughs. “I suppose I loved the attention though I’ve always been passionate about the music side of it.”
Peter Grant
Performing
since the age of eight
Inspired by his
dad, an old-school tenor of some repute, Peter was grafting away at his
keyboard at an age when most boys were busy breaking Nintendos; hanging out
at smoky jazz clubs near his native Guisley (a small town in Yorkshire),
while his classmates were still trying to get into pubs. Watching his dad,
who had to take on another job, Peter realised from an early age just how
hard it was to make a living out of music, but this just made him more
focussed. All his spare time went into following his dreams and this soon
even spilled over into his daytime. Smart as a tack but with a passion for
music rather than academia, which his parents and his teachers eventually
fully understood (well, when you have a special talent like this, maths
homework does seem to slip down the list of priorities somewhat), Peter was
touring the nation by the age of 14, desperate to play to anyone who would
listen.
Having found that most people would not only listen but would also mob him
after the show - “They can get a bit carried away sometimes" - he decided
that he would risk it all to be able to do what he loved. Armed with GCSE's
including a grade A* in music he secured a record deal and was soon working
in the studio while his mates were signing on to sixth-form colleges.
Peter Grant
Watch this space
The result, his debut album, is literally astounding. Peter has used that voice to give an ultra cool lounge makeover to songs like Barry White’s “My First, My Last, My Everything” and the Scott Walker’s “Joanna” with under-appreciated classics like “On Days Like These” from The Italian Job and “The Fool on the Hill” slipped in between.
Peter Grant
A Young & Talented Musician
“I love these
songs,” says Peter, who also loves listening to singer songwriters to soul
through to hip-hop and free jazz. “No one ever told me to listen to this
kind of music, it’s just what I listened to. I also write my own songs. I
don’t want to be a pop star, I want to be a singer of great songs.”
And if there’s one thing Peter does know, it’s what he does and doesn’t want
to be. His parents even coaxed him into stage-school for a while but Peter
found that they were intent on turning out clones when he already had a very
clear idea of the direction he was going in. “I would have liked to study at
university just to meet other musicians,” he says, wistful for a moment,
“but I meet some great musicians out on the road.”
Ask if he was
influenced at all by Robbie’s Swing When You’re Winning and he’ll tell you
that he was singing jazz standards way before Robbie got the idea. “I love
the way he performs them,” says Peter, a fair bit of northern pride in
Robbie coming through. He’s not the only artist Peter’s had his eye on in
terms of turning out showstopping performances; “My idol is Harry Connick Jr.
He’s so talented: he writes the music, plays, arranges, sings, conducts. The
guy is a legend.” Which makes it sort of obvious which way Peter is heading.
This is not to say he’s focussed on one kind of music. He’s passionate about
his other musical heroes and heroines: “ I love artists like Fiona Apple,
Nick Drake and Jamie Cullum, who stay honest to their own musical
directions, who don’t fit it to the norm “.
The connection is clear: not many 18 year olds are out there, singing life
back into these beautifully crafted classic songs. “Girls absolutely love
the music!,” he beams, seeming a bit surprised by the attention he’s been
getting out on the road in his sharp Duffer and Richard James suits. “I
think they like the fact that it’s proper singing as well.” And proper piano
playing: not only does Peter play on his debut album, but he’s eager to get
out on tour to add this to his live shows. Oh, and he’s also eager for the
day when he fills the Royal Albert Hall and the new Wembley Stadium – the
smart money’s on him winning the bet on that happening sometime soon in the
not too distant future.
Peter Grant
Watch this space
“I just enjoy
having a laugh,” is his summing up of his life philosophy. He likes
rock-climbing around his native Northern hills (“It’s crazy, scary stuff!”),
going out on the lash with his mates and performing. But more than anything
he's looking forward to spending all his energies on making the most of
having a great album with his name all over it.
So, what’s it like to be 18, just starting out on the toughest career there
is? “It’s fantastic,” he says, smiling and relaxed. “This is it for me.
There is no plan B.”
Peter Grant Theatre Tours
Promoted by Mal Ford / Jean Parkes of
Personality Artistes Ltd