Jack Garratt’s brand new album Pillars arrives this week. It’s a deeply personal record, written, produced, and mixed entirely by Garratt himself… something he admits was both terrifying and liberating. We sat down with him to talk about the making of the album, how it reflects his life, and why self-love has become a central theme.
With Pillars, Garratt has delivered an unfiltered snapshot of resilience, vulnerability, and reclamation. As he says, there’s no perfect only the courage to let go. Jack Garratt will celebrate the release of Pillars with a run of special in-store performances and signings this month at hmv, giving fans the chance to hear the new songs up close and meet him in person.
Q: The new album’s out this week. How are you feeling?
Jack Garratt: Yes. It is terrifying. I hate it. The worst decision of my entire life. Love it. Can’t wait.... ahhh!
Q: How do you think Pillars reflects where you are in your life, both musically and personally?
Jack: Yeah, I feel like I’m three for three now on extremely personal albums. Maybe it’s my thing, I don’t know.
I’ve been saying a lot about this record that it’s appeared out of perseverance. The last few years, as they have been for everyone, but to speak selfishly, have been very tumultuous. Not to use too many clichés, but it’s been a roller coaster. I’ve gone through thinking I might not be built for this job, not sure of my place in the future of music, not only as an industry but as an art form.
I’ve gone through breakups, personal life things, been dropped by a label, and dropped by my management. If you looked at it on paper, this album shouldn’t exist, but it exists because of perseverance… which is, I don’t know how to not do this. I didn’t really know it at the time, but I was making this album to exercise a lot of things and create my own catharsis.
It’s really the first opportunity, I think, as an artist, where I’ve finally allowed myself to take the steering wheel. I am the one who’s in the driver’s seat; I’ve got my hands on the wheel. It’s been really beautiful to allow myself that type of reclamation, which is what I think the album shows.
Q: Were there any pivotal points in writing where you pushed yourself creatively?
Jack: If anything, it was just to stay as present as possible. The minute any thought like that came in, “how can I push this creatively?” I tried to let it go. Because ultimately, if I ask myself that question in the studio, I’m putting myself into competition with myself. What I tried to do with this record was encourage the natural thought to be the one I follow.
What I did hone in on was the craft of songwriting. I love it as a discipline. I love it as an art form. Both as a means of free expression and storytelling where there are no rules, and also the discipline where there’s structure, there are right and wrong answers, good and bad things to do. I just wanted to write songs that I thought were good, that I would love.
At a listening party recently, I said the whole album is a love album, but I wrote it as a love letter to myself, which is in turn the best love letter I can give anyone else. In doing that, I’ve tried to take out any kind of competitive energy. Because I do everything by myself, the only person I’m ever in competition with is me, and that’s impossible and unhelpful.
Q: What do you hope fans take away from listening to it?
Jack: My experience with love as a broad emotion is that it is so sticky and viscous, and I think it kind of adapts to those characteristics when it’s not treated properly. I was using other people’s love for me as a way to validate myself which is unfair, people-pleasing, manipulative, and all those kinds of horrid things that you don’t know you’re deep inside until it’s suffocating you.
I had to make a real conscious decision to love myself which terrified me and still does. One of the hardest things I’ve had to do is make an active effort to love myself. I’m so glad and grateful there are people in the world who don’t have to put that kind of effort in, where it comes more naturally.
I think my music speaks to people who have a tricky relationship with love and the way they give and receive it. There’s this quote by Pete Holmes he says, “Art is highly sensitive people reporting back to the rest of the group what reality is like for them.” My only intention is for the audience to listen to the recordand take from it whatever they feel is there to take.
Q: Were there songs that changed a lot during the process?
Jack: The first one that comes to mind is “Love Myself Again,” which I wrote in 2019 with James Flanigan and Henry Brill. I initially wrote it for my ex-wife. It’s joyous and celebratory, but also self-deprecating the joy is that the love I’m being shown allows me to believe I must be lovable, so I can love myself.
Since my separation and divorce, it’s still about her, but it’s become so much more about the way my friendships have allowed me to love myself strongest. Those are the relationships that have lasted the longest and stuck through the worst times.
Q: How did you know the album was finished?
Jack: The deadline happened. I had to deliver something. With my first record I kept tweaking and convincing myself nothing was right, chasing perfection which is naïve. There is no perfect, there is no finish. There is only surrender. Once I think I’ve reported my reality as I see it in that moment, it’s done.
Q: Producing it yourself, how do you imagine these songs live?
Jack: I have no idea. You’re talking to me right now as I’m in my living room surrounded by synths and guitars, setting up for the in-stores. My first two records leaned more toward a genre that worked easily with my solo setup. This one’s more about the songwriting, so creating a live version is challenging but I adore the challenge.
Sometimes the ego in me wants to play everything at once, but the adult in me knows some songs just need one instrument. It’s about treating each song as its own thing.
Q: Any you are especially excited to play?
Jack: “Higher.” When I first played it live at Village Underground in May, it wasn’t confirmed as the next single. I did it as a ploy to show my label why it should be. No one in the crowd had heard it before, but it’s this big breakbeat song emotive and evocative but also anthemic. I got to smash some drums and the crowd loved it. My team came off saying, “It’s the next single.” Live music still has that power.
Q: What’s next after these shows?
Jack: I’ll take a break in September not too long then I need to get on the road. There are fans in Australia, Europe, America who haven’t seen me in years. Touring’s expensive, money’s tight, but people want to see it. My main priority is to get out there, do festivals next year, then write another album and put it out.
SHOP PILLARS HERE
A hmv exclusive edition of Pillars is also available while stocks last. Don’t miss the chance to pick up a unique collector’s piece and have it signed at one of the events. More event details below!
Q: The new album’s out this week. How are you feeling?
Jack Garratt: Yes. It is terrifying. I hate it. The worst decision of my entire life. Love it. Can’t wait.... ahhh!
Q: How do you think Pillars reflects where you are in your life, both musically and personally?
Jack: Yeah, I feel like I’m three for three now on extremely personal albums. Maybe it’s my thing, I don’t know.
I’ve been saying a lot about this record that it’s appeared out of perseverance. The last few years, as they have been for everyone, but to speak selfishly, have been very tumultuous. Not to use too many clichés, but it’s been a roller coaster. I’ve gone through thinking I might not be built for this job, not sure of my place in the future of music, not only as an industry but as an art form.
I’ve gone through breakups, personal life things, been dropped by a label, and dropped by my management. If you looked at it on paper, this album shouldn’t exist, but it exists because of perseverance… which is, I don’t know how to not do this. I didn’t really know it at the time, but I was making this album to exercise a lot of things and create my own catharsis.
It’s really the first opportunity, I think, as an artist, where I’ve finally allowed myself to take the steering wheel. I am the one who’s in the driver’s seat; I’ve got my hands on the wheel. It’s been really beautiful to allow myself that type of reclamation, which is what I think the album shows.
Q: Were there any pivotal points in writing where you pushed yourself creatively?
Jack: If anything, it was just to stay as present as possible. The minute any thought like that came in, “how can I push this creatively?” I tried to let it go. Because ultimately, if I ask myself that question in the studio, I’m putting myself into competition with myself. What I tried to do with this record was encourage the natural thought to be the one I follow.
What I did hone in on was the craft of songwriting. I love it as a discipline. I love it as an art form. Both as a means of free expression and storytelling where there are no rules, and also the discipline where there’s structure, there are right and wrong answers, good and bad things to do. I just wanted to write songs that I thought were good, that I would love.
At a listening party recently, I said the whole album is a love album, but I wrote it as a love letter to myself, which is in turn the best love letter I can give anyone else. In doing that, I’ve tried to take out any kind of competitive energy. Because I do everything by myself, the only person I’m ever in competition with is me, and that’s impossible and unhelpful.
Q: What do you hope fans take away from listening to it?
Jack: My experience with love as a broad emotion is that it is so sticky and viscous, and I think it kind of adapts to those characteristics when it’s not treated properly. I was using other people’s love for me as a way to validate myself which is unfair, people-pleasing, manipulative, and all those kinds of horrid things that you don’t know you’re deep inside until it’s suffocating you.
I had to make a real conscious decision to love myself which terrified me and still does. One of the hardest things I’ve had to do is make an active effort to love myself. I’m so glad and grateful there are people in the world who don’t have to put that kind of effort in, where it comes more naturally.
I think my music speaks to people who have a tricky relationship with love and the way they give and receive it. There’s this quote by Pete Holmes he says, “Art is highly sensitive people reporting back to the rest of the group what reality is like for them.” My only intention is for the audience to listen to the recordand take from it whatever they feel is there to take.
Q: Were there songs that changed a lot during the process?
Jack: The first one that comes to mind is “Love Myself Again,” which I wrote in 2019 with James Flanigan and Henry Brill. I initially wrote it for my ex-wife. It’s joyous and celebratory, but also self-deprecating the joy is that the love I’m being shown allows me to believe I must be lovable, so I can love myself.
Since my separation and divorce, it’s still about her, but it’s become so much more about the way my friendships have allowed me to love myself strongest. Those are the relationships that have lasted the longest and stuck through the worst times.
Q: How did you know the album was finished?
Jack: The deadline happened. I had to deliver something. With my first record I kept tweaking and convincing myself nothing was right, chasing perfection which is naïve. There is no perfect, there is no finish. There is only surrender. Once I think I’ve reported my reality as I see it in that moment, it’s done.
Q: Producing it yourself, how do you imagine these songs live?
Jack: I have no idea. You’re talking to me right now as I’m in my living room surrounded by synths and guitars, setting up for the in-stores. My first two records leaned more toward a genre that worked easily with my solo setup. This one’s more about the songwriting, so creating a live version is challenging but I adore the challenge.
Sometimes the ego in me wants to play everything at once, but the adult in me knows some songs just need one instrument. It’s about treating each song as its own thing.
Q: Any you are especially excited to play?
Jack: “Higher.” When I first played it live at Village Underground in May, it wasn’t confirmed as the next single. I did it as a ploy to show my label why it should be. No one in the crowd had heard it before, but it’s this big breakbeat song emotive and evocative but also anthemic. I got to smash some drums and the crowd loved it. My team came off saying, “It’s the next single.” Live music still has that power.
Q: What’s next after these shows?
Jack: I’ll take a break in September not too long then I need to get on the road. There are fans in Australia, Europe, America who haven’t seen me in years. Touring’s expensive, money’s tight, but people want to see it. My main priority is to get out there, do festivals next year, then write another album and put it out.
SHOP PILLARS HERE
