Born and raised in New Jersey, Gregg’s childhood was a combination of beach and city, as he spent a lot of time on the infamous Jersey Shore while also exploring New York City. “It was a good balance to be able to later write about my youth, where I take a lot of inspiration for my music,” he explains. “It was a freeing, youthful rebellion type of a childhood.” While Gregg was very active in sports, he also found music, first learning the drums at eight years old. “My uncle had this TAMA drum kit,” he remembers, “and so I picked up the drums and started doing a simple beat.” Shortly thereafter, he picked up the guitar. By 12, he and his friends learned how to record music, and once Gregg reached his high school years he began to record other artists’ in his home—a job he still carries to this day. It wasn’t long before he wanted to hone his own craft as a musician.
Always questioning normalcy and status quo, Gregg would find new and inventive ways to manifest the kind of music he wanted to create, on his own terms. At 16, Gregg joined a metal band as a vocalist and guitarist, doubling duties with another local band as well. After graduation, he enrolled in Stevens Institute and Technology—majoring in Music and Technology—while holding a recording and publishing deal with his then new band. “That band was where I learned how to grind and play every club in New York and what it was like to travel across the country,” he says. “I really cut my teeth with them.” Music was all around him, as he also joined New Jersey’s famed small performance space Maxwell’s as the sound engineer. “It was a good way to make money, meet new people and perform on stage whenever I wanted to,” Gregg fondly recalls. “Plus free food and drinks are my favorite things on the planet.” Above all, it allowed for Gregg to see where his musical career lives, which are in two different paths of both creating music and producing it. “Being behind the scenes or at the front of the stage is the same headspace for me,” he adds. After graduation, he left the band, and was searching for his identity.
In 2018, Gregg submitted a song called “Block The Sun” for the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, a track about self-identity. “I remember I was snowboarding in either Utah or Colorado, and I got phone service halfway down the mountain,” he remembers, “so I checked my email and I won!” The mission was to keep going, and with gumption, talent and passion, Gregg Sgar is geared to level up. Combining elements of Rock, R&B, Hip-Hop and Lo-Fi, Gregg masterfully weaves together sounds, inspired by artists like Chris Cornell, Lady Gaga, Twenty One Pilots, The 1975 and David Bowie, with flecks of Prince and songwriter Max Martin. The combination has created a unique, explosive Pop sound unlike most artists out today. His newly inked deal with daMp iNteractive will help push his music forward. His first release, “Don’t Go Outside,” was a double-meaning track dropped in the midst of the pandemic. Soon after, “Signs” & “Warming Up” were released and are equally meaningful. “This is a really special group of songs for me,” he explains, as he penned the song from the standpoint of someone who was suffering from depression. “Cease & Exist” will set the stage for what’s to come from Gregg Sgar’s incredibly bright career. “I just want my fans to feel something,” he humbly advises. “Happy, sad, pissed off, mad, as long as they’re feeling. And if they happen to connect with it, I hope the music stands the test of time with them instead of just being a phase.”