(The unedited interview with Garrett Dutton of G. Love & Special Sauce)

On the balcony in suite 11500 on a boat with 311 & friends headed to Harvest Caye, Belize and Roatan, Honduras from Miami, Florida on March 9, 2023 

311 Day at Sea, Caribbean Cruise 7

Questions by Terri Sapp
G. Love Photos by Terri Sapp
311 Cruise 2023 Photos by Will Byington

© Concert Sutra 2023

Terri (hereafter referred to as “T”):       (with the sounds of the Ocean in the background) As an artist, how is the cruise for you all?

Garrett (hereafter referred to as “G”):   It’s good! It’s good because you get to connect with other artists. I’m going to be on tour with Tropidelic all Summer, so it’s good to hear them for the first time. They sound dope.

T:        They are so good.

G:        But yeah. It’s also really good to reconnect with the 311 guys, too, because, you know, we toured with them a lot over the years.

T:        I know you have. I’ve been there!

G:        Oh yeah!? Where are you from? 

T:        Georgia. Atlanta mostly.

G:        Oh, Yeah. We have been there a few times!

T:        And my photographer and I were at Red Rocks in 2013. But the Will Call gave us issues, so we missed your set and were severely pissed. Leah Yetter, our photographer, loves you, too, so we were just devastated.

G:        Oh, no!

T:        Yeah, I was ready to hurt someone at the Box Office that day, but we got it worked out by the time Cypress Hill came on.

G:        (laughs) Oh, no! That was a 311 show at Red Rocks?

T:        Yeah. You, Cypress Hill and 311.

G:        Wow. That was a few years back!

T:        Ten years ago, now!

G:        Awe, shit, yeah! That tour was cool. But, yeah, this cruise is great. That’s the main thing…we get to connect with other musicians and stuff and, like, collaborations…

T:        Tropidelic. That will be sweet! I first found them at 311 Day 2020 after all my friends had told me to watch for them. 

(We then went on to look at some photos from Concert Sutra in 2005 at the old Buckhead Roxy and a 2003 handbill from the 311, G. Love, and Something Corporate Atlanta show. Garrett was nice enough to sign some things for me, and I in turn signed one of my roller derby trading cards for him and gave him some copies of the photos for his collection. I love that he said he remembered the photos that we showed him in the Green Room so many years back.)

T:        Tell us something about yourself that isn’t on your public/social media/Wikipedia/online representation.

G:        That’s kind of a tough question. (laughs) I don’t know, for me, like family is everything right now in my life. Kelsey, my wife, and I have three little boys, Louis, Garrett Cass, and June. That is where all of the focus is at home. On the road, the focus is to keep grindin’ out here to provide for my family. 

T:        Is there some kind of weird animal on your property that they may be surprised to hear about?

G:        Who?

T:        Anyone! Your fans! Hopefully, someone reading this interview when it comes out… (both laugh)

G:        Oh! We had some goats and chickens during the COVID years, and when I hit the road, we had to rehome all of our livestock, because it was all just too much for Kelsey to deal with alone. But yeah! It’s all about the family. We’re in a great place, so that has led to some great music. A lot more of my writing now is more about…if you go through my catalog there are a lot of ups and downs. You’re basically telling the story of your life with all your records, so there’s a lot of break up songs and relationship songs over the years. I am happy to have finally found the right person in my life. That changed everything, including my songwriting. One of the songs I really like is called “She’s The Rock,” which I wrote for Kelsey on -not the latest record- my previous record The Juice, which is the Grammy nominated record. That’s a song I really love to play. It’s funny because now I don’t feel the same about singing those break up songs. I’d rather sing about the love I have for her and our family and just straight up just like everything else in the world. No more breakup songs! That’s been a good change!

T:        For sure, when your life starts to balance it really makes a difference!

G:        Yeah, it’s great!

T:        What is your recommendation for people going to Philly that they should check out that is one of those best kept secrets? (he laughs) Spill it!

G:        Well, I don’t live in Philly right now, but it is a great city. It’s always an underdog city between places like New York, DC, and Boston as far as big (North) East Coast cities. It’s a great place and because it’s more affordable, there’s still a really vibrant creative scene there with artists, musicians, architects, and stuff like that. I don’t know, it’s cool to walk around South Street…it is a great walkable city, so it’s fun to walk all around the downtown area and then of course you have to get a cheesesteak or a hoagie. OR you could get some cannolis at Isgro Pastries in South Philly. Jim’s Steaks is where I grew up. That’s where I was raised…that was our neighborhood hoagie and cheesesteak place. It’s pretty famous, but it had a fire two years ago, so I am not sure if they are still open or not. 

T:        (Later GTS and found out that their plans are to reopen in 2023.) 

G:        But yeah. Philly’s just a great city. It’s really popping off right now!

T:        I went to the Electric Factory one time for The Urge, Deftones, and 311.

G:        Oh yeah! That’s a great place to see a show.