She made her mark opening for Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa. Now on a headlining tour on both sides of the Atlantic, Griff stops at the Docks on November 29, 2024 to defend a bouncy debut pop album, “Vertigo,” released last summer. Daughter of a Vietnamese refugee and a Jamaican father, the ambitious 23-year-old London singer talks to us about her journey.
What did your first gigs for Ed Sheeran or Coldplay teach you?
The stadiums are so huge that you have to learn to develop a stage game quickly. There’s nothing more brutal than a crowd that doesn’t want to see you and that you’re trying to conquer! I just finished my headlining tour in the USA and nothing beats concerts where the audience comes out for you and sings your songs.
How did you start composing?
I grew up with my brothers in a London suburb where there was nothing to do and parents who forbade us from watching TV. After school, I kept myself busy by spending hours at the piano. When my father bought my brother a laptop, I used it to teach myself how to program and produce music.
Who inspired you, Taylor Swift?
To tell the truth, I admired people who were both producers and artists like Sia or Timbaland more. Initially, I considered myself more of a songwriter because I loved writing songs. I never imagined myself becoming a singer.
Did your parents support you in your career choice?
My dad loves music and has an incredible voice, but works in IT and didn’t have the privilege of choosing that career. My mother is not at all impressed with what I do. She was born in Vietnam during the war and came to the UK as a refugee. Both are proud of me, but just don’t understand my job.
Chris Martin gave you a hand in composing the title “Astronaut”.
It was quite surreal working with him. I wrote and produced a faster, electro version of this song. I played it to him and he suggested I slow it down and play it on the piano. He ended up playing keyboards himself and I’m very grateful for everything he did.
