Winnipeg, MB-based singer-songwriter Garrett Neiles has unveiled his debut single, “Stumblin’ Home”, which is a pop-rock track about taking accountability for your actions in a relationship.
“This single was birthed from Friday nights spent having way too much fun in a small city with my closest friends,” Garrett says. “It is powerful and energetic, but very down-to-earth and honest. I want this one to be sung out loud, late at night, and in the closest of company.”
The single begins with a folk-style acoustic strumming and whistle then quickly picks up intensity as the bass and palm-muted electric guitar kick in. Slowly, synthy keyboards are introduced, paving the way for the explosive, anthemic chorus.
Garrett’s catchy little one-liners like “Sometimes, you’re just a stranger in disguise / I don’t recognize,” during the verse or the “I wear your heart like an accessory,” during the chorus are clearly personal but relatable for anyone who has taken a relationship for granted.
The video for “Stumblin’ Home” features jump cuts of Garrett singing on rooftops, alleyways, and under neon lights, adding another flavour to this momentous track. Check it out below, and find out more about Garrett via our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Garrett Neiles and I am a singer/songwriter from Winnipeg, MB. I first picked up the guitar as a way to connect in high school, which is where I started recognize the strength of my vocals and love for performing. As one of my past life detours, I attended the University of Victoria on a golf scholarship, where I ended up blowing out my wrist and needed surgery. The time passed in healing gave me the space to realize what I really loved – performing. Naturally, a deep dive into Manitoba’s local music scene ensued and lead me to spend the next 8 years touring Canada and parts of the US as a cover artist.
The lifestyle inspired me to write my own material and now I am finally ready to release my first single, “Stumblin’ Home”.
Tell us a bit about your music and writing style.
I love pop music. I am all simplicity and specificity with the writing. You will hear a lot of One Republic’s Ryan Tedder as my main inspiration for my delivery, production and songwriting. It’s power-pop that is led by my guitar. I am all about the big, anthemic choruses, with unforgettable hooks.
The first single, “Stumblin’ Home” is written about finding accountability in relationships and that there’s more to love than simply painting it in nuanced, carnal colours. A lot of my earlier material you’ll see a guy who’s not necessarily looking for commitment, and enjoying the fruits of life, but as the songwriting has progressed and the singles come out the songwriting reflects that maturity process that I think we all undergo at some point.
What have you been doing to keep yourself creative during the pandemic?
During the initial onset of the pandemic, I was doing a ton of writing on my own. Full disclosure, this became very difficult as the loneliness started to settle in. I stopped looking forward to sitting down at the table alone and writing and I found myself reliving a lot of the memories of past relationships and experiences.
I decided to take an online production and songwriting class that lead me to start creating my own demos. This really marked a phase-shift in my journey and led to the ability to put together productions virtually with my producer during the periods that we could not get together. I have been working with Winnipeg’s Tyler Del Pino, who serves as a co-producer and mixing engineer and mastering engineer Brock McFarlane of CPS Mastering(Art D’Ecco, Hey Ocean!, Mother Mother), to help make these songs come to life ever since.
If you were asked to suggest only one of your songs for someone to hear, which would it be?
My first single, “Stumblin’ Home”.
Canadian Beats is all about Canadian music, so who are your current favourite Canadian bands/ artists?
Right now, Virginia to Vegas, Delaney Jane, and Tyler Shaw have been on heavy rotation for me. I’m really into the Canadian pop scene. Another great artist to look out for is fellow Winnipegger, Olivia Lunny. Her new album is one of my favourites of 2021.
Connect with Garrett Neiles:
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