Graysen Hagin, a musician who graduated from Lord Botetourt High School, recently released his first full-length album, entitled “Eternal Transformation.”
Hagin’s music mixes various genres ranging from rock, jazz, funk, and blues. He currently lives in Richmond, where he creates and plays music with other local artists.
The idea of “Eternal Transformation” came to Hagin after reading a book about life’s constant state of flux and how to deal with it.
“In combination with (the book’s) concept, I wanted to create a ‘business card’ focusing on a few different areas of my guitar-playing. You hear me play over electronic music, heavy rock, blues, and some funk.”
The lyrics was another area of focus for Hagin. The title track focuses on the country’s current political climate and the state of division. The song hits on letting go of things individuals have no control over.
“The world is in this constant state of transformation—an eternal transformation,” Hagin continued. “We have to surrender to that and be open about that. My guitar-playing will transform as well. I might (play the same) on my next album, or I might not play anything similar to this recent album. I want to go ahead and set that standard saying, ‘I’m here to grow, and I’m here to go with the flow.’”
Hagin wrote all of the material on the album. He worked with a co-producer, Noah Rastegar, to complete the songs. Initially, Hagin thought his material was ready-to-record. Rastegar suggested new additions or rearrangements that Hagin considered and implemented during recording.
Additionally, Hagin recorded “Eternal Transformation” remotely. Friends of Hagin’s and studio musicians Shirley May (vocals), Joey DePaiva (bass), and Christophe Boulianne (drums) recorded their tracks from home and sent the files to Hagin and Rastegar.
Hagin used the Ableton Live music program to record and mix the album. The program organizes multiple passes of an audio or MIDI performance into individual takes, editing numerous tracks simultaneously.
“We’ve reached this era of ‘perfect music’—where everything’s perfectly in-time and perfectly pitched,” Hagin mentioned. “It’s a debatable topic. I think it’s a good thing that technology can let an expert to an amateur musician create better music. If we have a tool available, we should use it.”
Hagin mentioned that modern technology allows songs to be put together in bits and pieces if the artist desires. He wanted more tracks on the album and hopes to record those tracks on his next release.
Currently, Hagin plays gigs in the Richmond area. Along with his solo work, Hagin plays in a Jimi Hendrix tribute band.
To listen to Hagin’s recent release, visit https://www.graysenhagin.com/. His album is currently available digitally and can be streamed on YouTube.
