Greg Laswell doesn't have instant name recognition quite yet, but if you watch certain popular television shows like Grey's Anatomy, True Blood, Friday Night Lights and Dollhouse, you've probably heard his music.
Laswell came up in the independent music scene in San Diego and Los Angeles and played in the band Shillglen before stepping out on his own in 2003 and releasing his first solo effort, Good Movie. His singular talent lies in articulating and exorcising misery and grief in a deeply personal way. His 2006 album, Through Toledo, was a marvel of emotionally charged, quiet intensity. But it was Laswell's equally melancholic Three Flights From Alto Nido that propelled him to the attention of wider audiences.
As a live performer, Laswell's warmth, charisma and humor shine between songs, and his talent for telling a story to lighten the mood after soul baring passages of music is considerable. Much of which is more obvious on Laswell's latest offering, Take A Bow. We spoke with Laswell about his beginnings as a songwriter, as well as his already noteworthy body of work.