WATT

A versatile New York-born, Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist who specializes in melodic, guitar-driven hard rock with deep hooks and bluesy swagger, Andrew Watt has been honing his chops both on-stage and in the studio since he was 16. Watt got his start after sneaking into a <a href="spotify:artist:78xUyw6FkVZrRAtziFdtdu">Roots</a> soundcheck; he became their gofer, and eventually was allowed to jam with them. His playing impressed the band, and through them he began to build up music industry contacts. He began a course of study at NYU's Clive Davis School of Music, but dropped out to tour Europe with singer/songwriter <a href="spotify:artist:6HfPfjqkmkpLbYqYhTeNuB">Jared Evan</a>. Returning broke from Europe, he made ends meet by playing in the Bowery store of fashion designer John Varvatos -- former home of legendary punk club CBGB's -- before landing a gig with pop star <a href="spotify:artist:79Xp2rRN7wdsaTJgttdX3K">Cody Simpson</a>, touring the world opening for <a href="spotify:artist:1uNFoZAHBGtllmzznpCI3s">Justin Bieber</a>. He and <a href="spotify:artist:1uNFoZAHBGtllmzznpCI3s">Bieber</a> became friends, and soon he was writing and producing tracks for the star and other pop artists. In 2013, he co-founded the hard rock power trio <a href="spotify:artist:7GwxVVJFS0SwwzQmhfoTtl">California Breed</a> with <a href="spotify:artist:50FDiYHYqGJkaCuK4JhAYw">Glenn Hughes</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:5T6YKEZhM6rVwCEm5PLKL8">Jason Bonham</a>; the group issued a well-received eponymous debut LP the following year before disbanding. In 2015, Watt inked a deal with <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22John+Varvatos+Records%22">John Varvatos Records</a> and released his debut solo EP, Ghost in My Head, which featured drum work from <a href="spotify:artist:4DW34vji6G9GgGY0k2mic7">Chad Smith</a> (<a href="spotify:artist:0L8ExT028jH3ddEcZwqJJ5">Red Hot Chili Peppers</a>) and Joey Castillo (ex-<a href="spotify:artist:4pejUc4iciQfgdX6OKulQn">Queens of the stone Age</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:34c4iQ5tkaZKu6Sv28BTde">Danzig</a>). Over the next two years, while working on his own material, he continued to write and produce songs for numerous pop artists including <a href="spotify:artist:0C8ZW7ezQVs4URX5aX7Kqx">Selena Gomez</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:64M6ah0SkkRsnPGtGiRAbb">Bebe Rexha</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:5p7f24Rk5HkUZsaS3BLG5F">Hailee Steinfeld</a>. The first fruit of his impending solo album, the bluesy single "Burning Man," featuring <a href="spotify:artist:246dkjvS1zLTtiykXe5h60">Post Malone</a>, was released in 2017 under the name Watt. ~ James Christopher Monger & John D. Buchanan, Rovi