On September 19th, G. Love will be accompanied by Jack Johnson and ALO in order to promote Rock the Vote. Onward State had the chance to talk to G. Love about everything ranging from “Cold Beverages” to the Philadelphia Eagles. Here’s what he had to say:

Onward State: Since you’ve played at PSU before, do you happen to have a favorite hangout spot?

G. Love: I’m not sure actually, because I’ve never actually had a chance to spend an off day there. However, it’s always a great time to play there whenever I get the chance.

OS: I’m fairly certain that no one’s asked this before, but what is the mysterious origin behind the name G. Love?

GL: My name’s Garrett, so that’s where the “G” comes from. As for the “Love,” I went to get cassettes for a few of my songs a while back and the guy asked me for a name to put. In the heat of the moment I decided on G. Love. I liked it because it kind of was blues/hip-hop sounding name.

OS: What first got you into the “sloppy” blues sound in the first place?

GL: The biggest influence on my music was blues singer John Hammond. Hammond really blew me away and he’s one of the most powerful performers I’ve ever seen. His style was really important to me. However, I was also really into folk like Bob Dylan and Neil Young, which also has influenced my music.

OS: A G. Love classic, “Cold Beverages,” is pretty much just about cold drinks. How does the song writing process typically work for songs like that?

GL: I just try to write simple songs. Something just comes in your head like a catchphrase or certain word and I try to work it in to a song. For “Cold Beverages” I was sitting and reading and I came across the words cold beverage. I then came up with the little riff and I had the song. The first thing about a song is that it has to be real. The best songs are things that people can always relate to. You gotta write something that’s original, real, and raw.

OS: You’ve recently collaborated with the Avett Brothers. What was that like?

GL: We’ve wanted to take a record that was back to my roots (AKA blues and folk). Fixin’ to Die really went back to those folk and blues roots and I thought The Avett Brothers could really help with achieving that sound.

OS: What’s next for G. Love?

GL: I’ll be finishing the writing process for my next album pretty soon with an expected release around next January/February. I’m feeling pretty good about the songs, but we really have to take our time though and make sure we have really good material. It’ll be more bluesy, but also more similar to my earlier stuff. I’m excited, because I’m writing  personal songs that can still making you feel good and want to dance.

OS: You’ll be playing in order to promote RTV. Why is promoting RTV important to you?

GL: It’s a really tremendous organization. They’ve gotten like 200 million kids to register to vote. But to me, it’s really important to get that youth voter voice out. Youth voters are usually more progressive and looking for positive change. I also like it because it gives more minorities a chance to be heard.

OS: If you could cover one song from a completely different genre, which one would it be?

GL: I do like “Just a Friend” by Biz Markie. I’ve actually covered that one before, too.

OS: As a Philly native, how well do you expect the Eagles to do this year?

GL: It’s pretty much contingent on Michael Vick and whether he’s healthy or not. I will say the defense looks good. I don’t know though.  It’s definitely tough to be an Eagles fan.

OS: If you were a dinosaur, which one would you be and why?

GL: A Tyrannosaurus Rex because he’s the baddest muthafucka around!