(upbeat pop music)
- What up, Andy Grammer here, I'm gonna take you
on the Young Hollywood bus,
talk a little bit about some new music,
show you some places in Hollywood
that are special to me, 'cause I lived here
when things got started for me, so come check it out.
Let's get into it.
(upbeat pop music)
All right, I actually have performed
for change and dollar bills on
this specific street out here on Hollywood Boulevard,
and this one is called "Don't give up on me"
♪ I will fight ♪
♪ I will fight for you ♪
♪ 'Cause I'm not giving up ♪
♪ I'm not giving up, giving up, no not yet ♪
♪ Even when I'm down to my last breath ♪
The word Hollywood to me is like my start.
That's where I got started, I street performed out here.
A bunch of my records were made, one of my records
was actually made right up here.
We're passing this, it looks kind of busted right now,
and they've left but there used to be studio
in this building here, and I would just run
every morning and think, man,
how the hell am I gonna do this?
And that's one of the coolest things about Hollywood
is that there's this energy here of people who are dreamers.
(upbeat pop music)
So we are here at the legendary Hollywood Boulevard.
I've actually street performed out here before,
and it was kind of crazy to go from street performing
to then I was on Dancing With The Stars,
and we did this whole opening sequence,
where they shut down the street,
and we had like everybody dressed up,
like way too extra (laughs)
sequins and everything everywhere.
It was a wild experience, with tons of dancers,
and extras and all this stuff.
So this place is a special spot for me.
What's funny is, now I'm on album four,
you think that when you get here,
to go from unknown to known, is the hardest thing ever.
It's a huge struggle, to do anything great is hard.
So this album, to get good music
was actually a real struggle this time.
There's a lot of struggle on this next record,
like songs like "Don't give up on me",
a lot of feeling how hard it is to create something great,
and then hopefully persevering.
This one was a hard one to make, but I'm really proud of it.
And I think it's gonna be my best one ever.
(upbeat pop music)
My new single "Don't give up on me",
I co-wrote it with some of my friends.
We wrote like four songs that day, that were okay.
Eventually, decided on the fifth try,
to just write a song about not giving up writing songs.
And then through that we got to this heartfelt song
that means so much more to so many other people.
So, in general, don't give up, ever.
(soft pop music)
My first year in Hollywood, I lived in
a super crappy apartment, like I said,
and I was a street performer.
So I was super hustler, literally barely getting by,
with the dollars that I made from my guitar case.
I remember going to a Ralph's that had a Wells Fargo,
and I would take all the ones from the day,
and give it to the lady, and I have to always tell her
I'm not a stripper (laughs)
I promise I'm not a stripper.
These are not dirty, but just like, here you go.
(upbeat pop music)
I was performing at The Grove, which is really fun,
that was when "Keep your head up" was hitting,
my first single, and so I came on,
and the second song, all the power went out,
no volume from anywhere, so I stood up on a stool,
and we all acapella sang "you gotta keep your head up"
and it was so awesome, probably one of the most memorable
moments of any show I've done in Los Angeles.
And it also just helps me in life, I swear to God,
when bad things happen, now I a little bit look for,
this might be an opportunity to make it even better,
which was kind of a cool lesson to learn.
(crowd singing) ♪ Gotta keep your head up ♪
♪ Oh oh, you can let your hair down ♪
♪ Hey, you gotta keep your head up ♪
So yeah, one of my first shows was
at The Roxy, which is on Sunset.
What's great about that is I used to go to The Roxy
and street perform, so there would be acts playing
at The Roxy and I would bring my little
battery powered amp, and play to the line.
To me it was just like, anywhere anyone that would listen,
I'd be like oh I got my amp,
I just happen to have my amp here, let's set up.
Let's do this.
Sunset Strip in general has this
history of a rock and roll heyday.
I worked at The Viper Room for a while,
I would book acoustic acts.
That's where kinda I cut my teeth.
Figure out how to book a bunch of acts,
and then throw myself on the night,
I'm just finding any possible way to get in the mix.
(upbeat pop music)
So I think we just passed, yeah, Cahuenga,
there's a place called Hotel Cafe here,
which has incredible music.
It's kinda like one of the good listening rooms
in Los Angeles for singer-songwriters,
and just great musicians.
So after I'd street perform, late at night I would go
and get inspired by incredible musicians.
My first date in Hollywood was, I was street performing,
and a girl smiled at me and put her phone number
in my guitar case, which is not a bad move.
We probably just walked around,
there's a lot of, there's iO West which is comedy,
it's improv comedy, I think we went there.
♪ It's good to be alive right about now ♪
♪ Woohoo good good good ♪
♪ Good to be alive right about now ♪
♪ Good good good good to be alive right about now woohoo ♪
What makes the new music different is,
I think as any artist, you're just on a journey
back to your most authentic self.
The deeper you go, the more you can just pull back layers
of trying to copy or be like anybody else,
and get closer and closer to what it is you authentically
have to bring that is just your own, you know.
And I think I've gotten closest on this one.
What I think of Young Hollywood
is this search for yourself, how the hell
do you make it here, while still being yourself?
That is not an easy thing to do.
So Hollywood to me is a lot of creative energy.
My mom used to talk about the gold rush happened,
and everybody that came to California and to Hollywood
were they psychos that were like I think I can do it
(laughs) you know what, I'm going,
which is infectious.
And everywhere you go, like you go to the diner,
and you know that the waitress has a script
that she's writing, I love that.
I love to be around that.
I need to be around it.
(upbeat pop music)