Freshman music industry student Nick Garrecht picked up his first guitar six years ago, around the time his grandfather, who introduced him to artists such as Johnny Cash and The Beatles, passed away. A few years later he learned the piano and joined his first band in 2016, when he played a gig at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
“It was that day I was like, ‘That’s what I want to do with my life.’ I want to be a performer, I want to be an artist,” he said.
Now, in 2020, Garrecht is the lead guitarist of his band White Wing, and will be releasing an original song with Blue Hawk Records on their upcoming compilation album. The song, titled, “Out All Night,” was written last December and takes inspiration from Garrecht’s personal life.
“Back in December, there was a lot of things happening in my personal life and if you were to listen to the lyrics and read them, it has something to do with a relationship,” said Garrecht. “That song in particular it’s more of a common theme in a lot of people’s lives and I feel like it can help people cope with something like that happening to them.”
Garrecht’s main goal in music is to help as many people as he can and offer them a way to cope in tough moments, a valuable thing that music has given him.
He said, “Music has helped me in the darkest times of my life. It sounds cheesy to say, but it’s true. I genuinely believe that music is one of the greater forms of therapy. It has the potential to help…that’s why it’s my passion.”
Garrecht and his band finished recording an EP in July. Their single, called “Kingdom Come,” is reminiscent of classic rock bands Led Zeppelin, and Guns N’ Roses, bands that have inspired Garrecht’s musical style. However, he prefers to be flexible in his songwriting process, exploring other musical genres as well.
Garrecht hopes his experience with Blue Hawk Records will give him the opportunity to grow as a musician and performer. He said, “It’s been a fun time [working on the album]. I love it. So far the experience has been great…I hope to become a better artist and to further my knowledge on music and how to collaborate with other people, and to share some great memories with a lot of great people.” Garrecht said that he would be interested in producing music with Blue Hawk Records for other artists in the future, and wishes to study the field of audio engineering as well.
“Honestly there’s never really a time in my life where music isn’t there,” he said. While music intertwines its way into all aspects of Garrecht’s life, whether it’s during his studies at Monmouth, with his band, or with Blue Hawk Records, he also wishes to join Monmouth’s Intramural Soccer Team.
With Garrecht’s musical background and experience, he has much to look forward to as he finishes up his first semester at Monmouth, pursuing his life passion.
PHOTOS COURTESY of Nick Garrecht
