For the past six-plus years, Gryffin has been one of electronic dance music’s more consistent hitmakers. With a slew of club and radio smashes like “Tie Me Down” with Elley Duhé, “OMG” with Carly Rae Jepsen, and “Safe With Me” with Illenium featuring Daya, the Las Vegas-based DJ/producer/multi-instrumentalist has become a favorite headlining clubs and festivals.
And now he’s back with another irresistible single, “You Were Loved,” a soaring, carefully crafted collab with platinum pop-rock band OneRepublic. After catching his DJ set at Las Vegas’ XS Nightclub, where he’s a resident, we connected with the 34-year-old Gryffin (aka Dan Griffith) to discuss his career, his motivations and his future.
DJ LIFE MAG: Creatively, how did you approach “You Were Loved,” with One Republic? What was the process?
Gryffin: “You Were Loved” came about when one of my managers sent me the demo, and I immediately connected to it, as I’m a big fan of OneRepublic. When producing around Ryan Tedder’s vocals, I really wanted to channel euphoric and summer-feeling vibes. Once I had a rough version, Ryan, Brent from OneRepublic, and I passed the song back and forth to polish the production. It was a really fun record to work on and incredibly collaborative with the OneRepublic guys.
DJ LIFE MAG: What can fans expect with the new album? How will it differ from the Gravity album?
Gryffin: The new album will be a bit dancier than Gravity; however, it will sound like Gryffin through and through. I always try to channel uplifting and emotional tones in my music, and this album will be rooted in that. Outside of the sonics, there will be a number of more well-known features and artists that I’ve been fans of for a long time, so I’m excited to share those collaborations.
DJ LIFE MAG: Musically, what were your first influences? What made you want to pursue music?
Gryffin: I grew up on classic rock, and then in college, I really became passionate about dance music after hearing artists like Calvin Harris, Avicii, Swedish House Mafia, Skrillex, and deadmau5. I started making my own productions as a creative outlet from school, and once I graduated, I decided to take the chance on myself to pursue music full-time.
DJ LIFE MAG: What’s your main studio gear?
Gryffin: My DAW is Ableton Live, monitor is Genelec, and the vital hardware I use is [Dave Smith Instruments] Prophet Rev2 and Universal Audio 1176 limiter. My favorite plug-ins are u-he Diva, [Xfer Records] Serum, and [Spectrasonics] Omnisphere.
DJ LIFE MAG: Which producer/remixers are you most into?
Gryffin: In terms of producers/artists, I admire Calvin Harris probably the most. The way he revolutionized how dance and pop music could be fused to create catchy hits with ingenious production is second to none. He still continues to innovate today with his projects like Funk Wav Bounces and his Love Regenerator project.
DJ LIFE MAG: How did you survive the lockdown?
Gryffin: I survived lockdown by taking a step back and just trying to enjoy life a bit more. I picked up the game of golf, which was a great outlet for me to get outside while maintaining social distancing. Creatively, I really tried to push myself in terms of what type of music I was making. There are a lot of records I worked on that didn’t fit the Gryffin mold that will never see the light of day, but they allowed me to try new things as a producer.
DJ LIFE MAG: Were you streaming during lockdown? How has it been like returning to the clubs?
Gryffin: I did a few live-streams, which I actually really enjoyed and it seemed like a lot of fans did as well. However, getting back into shows just reinforces the fact that nothing can replace the connection and energy of real shows. It feels amazing to be out playing in front of fans again.
DJ LIFE MAG: I caught your gig at XS in Las Vegas a couple of months ago… What’s the difference between playing a Vegas club show and other clubs around the country?
Gryffin: The main difference between playing a Vegas club and other clubs is that Vegas is such a transient town that the crowd is always different. There are obviously the locals who will come to a number of shows, but I really have to be ready for anything because of the eclectic-ness of the city.
DJ LIFE MAG: Does your approach to your sets differ?
Gryffin: My approach to my set does differ, as I do play a good amount of music that is not mine. In most cities, I try to sprinkle in other artists’ songs and edits, but I mainly play my own music. In Vegas, the crowd leans a bit more commercial, so I try to update my set almost every time I play because I want to try new songs, and it’s a great testing ground to see what’s popular amongst different groups of people.
DJ LIFE MAG: In the DJ booth, what gear do you use? How would you describe your style of DJing?
Gryffin: I use a standard arrangement of four Pioneer DJ CDJ-3000 players and a DJM-900NXS2 mixer because it’s consistent across all of the clubs I play and is what I’m most comfortable playing on. My style of DJing is a combination of quick-mixing and innovative mash-ups. I try to find a balance between my own music, new edits of my songs, and a cappellas that people know mashed up with current dance tracks. I try to throw shows where people have a good time and walk away with an uplifting feeling.
DJ LIFE MAG: Give me three tracks that are always in your “DJ box,” and why?
Gryffin: Three tracks that are always on my sticks would be the Crunkz Mashup of Daft Punk’s “One More Time” and Tiësto’s “My Frequency,” Dom Dolla’s “San Frandisco,” and my song “Tie Me Down.” The first mashup is just so fun to play out since “One More Time” is a classic and everyone gets into it before they’re taking for a turn. “San Frandisco” is a fun, but slick record that works in any environment. Finally, “Tie Me Down” is my most well-known song, so it just never fails me when I play it.
DJ LIFE: Which DJs are you digging?
Gryffin: First name that comes to mind is Diplo. I think he is always ahead of trends and on the cutting-edge of what is hot in dance music. Vintage Culture is a DJ I admire because of his abilities to play all kinds of house music for hours on hours.
DJ LIFE MAG: What’s next for you?
Gryffin: Right now, I’m working on finishing my next album and preparing my live show. We’ll be bringing back my live show to the U.S. this year with some massive shows in tow, so I’m excited to get back on the road with that show.
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