The first of these releases is a 4-song collection titled Fear Me Not featuring Olaolu Ajibade, who also played on my 2018 album Well and in my trio, and it comes out on all major streaming services Friday, August 21st.

I love this idea so much. It will be really interesting to hear the uniqueness of each. It sounds like each drummer has moved you in their own way, I can't wait to hear how that translates into the feel for each album. Will you compile them all together once released?

Once all four EP's are out, they will be united as a collection of some sort — not necessarily an LP, because to me each work feels too much like its own thing, but maybe a way to celebrate the project as a whole and provide the music and artwork — which is by Richard Jones, an unbelievable watercolor artist —  together as a package.

Your releases have varied from albums of songs to long-form improvised works. Where does this project fall in that spectrum?

These are collections of songs. However, this is a funny juxtaposition for me: it’s through long-form improvisation with these drummers that we’ve developed our general vibe for each other. So, we recorded long-form improvisations at Bass Clef Studios so I could really capture the drummers’ stream of consciousness while capturing my own textures — via effects, looping, and such — and from those recordings and my own additions I arranged them into the songs you’ll hear. It’s a compositional process I have been working on for a few years that, although not revolutionary, is very exciting and inspiring to me and is something with which I feel I’ve developed my own grasp and flow.

So how did it work in terms of getting together with each collaborator? 

For each of these works, the drummer and I got together to vibe in the studio. I had a few musical ideas I wanted to try and articulate rhythms for, but mostly the sessions were hour-long improvisations that provided musical fodder for me to use for the songs you'll hear.

Is there a general attitude that guides your music making, whether it be a mission statement, reason, or mantra?

I’m sure this will evolve, as I’m always changing and inspired by new things. But, simply put: throughout my life, many types of music have left deep impressions and made profound impacts on me. The musicians involved accomplished those things through not holding back, through stressing over the small details, and through working their hardest to make their visions come to life. My goal is to put all of myself into the music I make so that, at minimum, the world can have more music to enjoy, and at most it can create a positive impact on others the way that certain music has made on me.

Agree on that. And to that end, in terms of stress management for local artists — what do you think the DMV music scene will look like in 2022?

I think the venues will look one of two ways — either like it used to, due to a vaccine being discovered and widely implemented, but with an even greater sense of gratitude for live art from both artists and the public than ever before; or a new ‘normal’ established from establishments continuing to inch toward live art in a safe manner, and everyone making the most of it.

As far as the scene goes — it’s full of creatives. Creatives are always creating, and they think outside the box. Regardless of the state of the venues, the creatives will find ways to share their art effectively, and as performances and events become more public, the creatives will have new art to share from these times, and the public will be ready to jump on the opportunity to experience it.

Perfectly stated and I always like a dose of optimism these days. Thank you again Garrett for reconnecting, it's always a pleasure to talk with you.

Thank you, Nina, and to DC Music Review for all you do for the community!

To learn more about Garrett Gleason, check out the resources below and look for his first of four upcoming EPs, Fear Me Not featuring Olaolu Ajibade, to drop on all major streaming services Friday, August 21st.