Grant Boutin
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Grant Boutin Pop music is constantly evolving, and producer Grant Boutin is right at the center of that movement. Known for his polished sound and melodic instincts, he’s helped craft hits for artists like Tate McRae, Meghan Trainor, and the Jonas Brothers—most notably co-producing Tate McRae’s global chart-topper “Greedy.” Outside the pop world, Grant also explores his love for electronic music through his solo EDM project, with releases on respected labels like Monstercat. A longtime FL Studio user, we’re thrilled to welcome him to our Power User list and learn more about his journey. Let’s dive in! Tate McRae – greedy (prod. by Grant Boutin) Tell us about yourself and how you got into music. I grew up in Poway, California, where music was deeply embedded in our family culture. My dad played guitar, and my mom, brother, and I all played piano. Honestly, I was required to take piano lessons until my early teens, when I was finally given the choice to quit—but by then, I had started to genuinely enjoy it. I’m really grateful my parents made me stick with it. Had I quit earlier, I wouldn’t have developed the piano proficiency and music theory knowledge that are now essential to my daily work. I started using FL Studio when I was 11, though back then it was just a hobby. It wasn’t until I had my first label releases in high school and decided to study Music Production at USC that I began to see music as my life’s pursuit. In the early days, I shared my music on the flash animation site Newgrounds, where I’d receive anonymous feedback—some of it surprisingly constructive. Later, in high school, I began releasing tracks on SoundCloud under the alias “Grant Bowtie.” I won a remix competition for Emalkay’s Tell Me, and soon after sent a future bass demo to Monstercat, who wanted to release it. I’ve been working with them ever since, though I eventually dropped “Bowtie” and now release music simply as “Grant.” How did you start using FL Studio & what does it mean to your productions? When I was about 8, I’d go over to my neighbor’s house and watch him make music in FL Studio. That neighbor turned out to be Tom Norris, now a Grammy-winning mixer (Charli XCX, Skrillex, Zedd). At the time, I was mostly watching him mess around making music for the DDR-style game StepMania. I was too young to really understand how FL Studio worked, but by the time I turned 11, I downloaded it and started experimenting on my own with no real goal—just curiosity. FL Studio has been with me ever since. I even completed a full music production degree where most of my professors and peers didn’t recognize what DAW I was using. I had to learn every major DAW, and then eventually forgot them all. I’ve stuck with FL Studio for everything. It’s partially due to stubbornness that I never changed, but I’ve just become so locked into the workflow. On some level, I feel a sense of pride being one of the few producers to use FL Studio at a high level in the Pop music scene. |
Variety | Tate McRae – ‘Sports car’ | Behind the Song (with Grant Boutin) Tell us about your work and some of the artists you have worked with. As mentioned, I spent over a decade making electronic music under the aliases “Grant Bowtie” and later “Grant.” I’ve been lucky enough to perform around the world—Tomorrowland, Ultra Korea, EDC, and even opening for Illenium at Red Rocks. I released many tracks with Monstercat and did official remixes for artists like Zedd, San Holo, Selena Gomez, and more. After COVID, I shifted focus toward pop music. It took time to break into bigger writing rooms, but more recently I’ve helped produce and write several of Tate McRae’s latest songs, including Greedy, Sports Car, and Revolving Door. I also frequently collaborate with Ryan Tedder on a range of projects, including the theme for the upcoming F1 movie, Lisa (from BLACKPINK), OneRepublic, TXT, the Jonas Brothers, and others. Tell us about your production environment and the gear you use. I like to keep things simple. My core setup includes a Razer laptop, a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, whatever MIDI keyboard happens to be around, and a mechanical keyboard I’m attached to. I’ve never been much of a gearhead, and because I often work in different studios, portability is key.
Grant Boutin in the Studio What is your top FL Studio tip for up-and-coming producers? The new “Arrangement” feature in the playlist has been a game-changer. I used to save every version of a track as a separate file, but now I can test out new ideas without overwriting the original. Also, learn your hotkeys. Speed matters, especially in fast-paced writing sessions. I’ve used FL Studio hotkeys for so long that I honestly don’t even think about them anymore—they’re just part of how I operate. Is there anything else you would like to tell us? You can make incredible music with any software or gear—don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Once you’re comfortable with your setup, stop chasing plugins and watching endless tutorials. Instead, focus on creating. Make something new every day. Put in your 10,000 hours. Study your idols. Read “Steal Like An Artist”. Trust your taste, and don’t create based solely on what you think others want to hear. You can build a career by outworking others, and while hard work is incredibly important, the most successful people I know found a unique sound or vision that made them stand out. Many of them have been at this for over a decade—even before they saw major success. If you’re serious about pursuing music, remember: it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Grant Boutin Links: |
