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Garrett Barbuto on songwriting: building songs that actually move people
Episode 029 – Garrett Barbuto | MAKE // BREAK
Garrett Barbuto is the frontman of Garrett Barbuto & The Hot Pursuit, a Calgary-based rock outfit blending classic energy with modern grit. Known for his soulful voice and grounded songwriting, Barbuto has carved out a space between old-school musicianship and new-era independence. With the band’s 2024 EP One More Glimpse and recent collaborations like “Why Be Lonely?” with Accidental Martyr, he’s proven both versatile and fearless in his evolution. In this episode of MAKE // BREAK, Garrett joins host Lance Marwood to talk about building creative momentum, redefining success on your own terms, and how the best work often comes from chasing passion over perfection.
👀 What you’ll hear (4–6 bullets, no quotes)
- Reframing “success” in the music business and why he chose to go slow and methodical
- How bar-band seasons forged his live instincts and what authenticity really looks like onstage
- A practical songwriting system that favours motion, multiple ideas, and deadlines over waiting
- Collaboration lessons with a mentor–producer and the moment he pushed back to keep a song’s soul
- Tactics for beating creative blocks with inputs, routines, and small constraints that create momentum
🕰️ Chapters
00:00:00 Intro, why Garrett Barbuto is on MAKE // BREAK
00:00:45 Move to Calgary, bar-band beginnings, deciding to lead a band
00:02:42 Writing with a mentor, learning by failing fast, demo-to-studio pipeline
00:05:48 Timmins roots, classic rock imprint, the open-mic setlist laboratory
00:07:16 What still works in bars and why those songs matter for new writing
00:19:20 Performance persona, crowd energy, and letting moments happen instead of forcing them
00:22:05 Authenticity through subtraction, delegating banter, playing to strengths
00:30:56 Measuring creative progress beyond metrics, phrasing, and micro-choices that level up songs
00:36:22 Collaboration friction, earning your voice, and protecting a song’s character
00:39:04 Advice to musicians: seek real pros, expand your writing toolkit beyond acoustic guitar
00:50:41 Inspiration vs discipline, systems, deadlines, and making ideas move
00:59:08 Non-musical inputs, Canada stories, and stealing like an artist
01:04:14 Plugs, new solo project timeline, where to follow
🔗 Guest Links (site first, then socials)
https://www.thehotpursuityyc.com
https://instagram.com/garrettbarbutomusic
https://instagram.com/thehotpursuityyc
🔗 MAKE // BREAK & Host Links
https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/makebreak
https://instagram.com/lowkeyhellish
https://tiktok.com/@lowkeyhellish
🔗 V13 Media Links
https://v13.net
If this helped, subscribe and tell us in the comments: does discipline beat inspiration in your songwriting
(explicit language)
#MakeBreak #GarrettBarbuto #Songwriting
View all episodes
By V13 Media GroupEpisode 029 – Garrett Barbuto | MAKE // BREAK
Garrett Barbuto is the frontman of Garrett Barbuto & The Hot Pursuit, a Calgary-based rock outfit blending classic energy with modern grit. Known for his soulful voice and grounded songwriting, Barbuto has carved out a space between old-school musicianship and new-era independence. With the band’s 2024 EP One More Glimpse and recent collaborations like “Why Be Lonely?” with Accidental Martyr, he’s proven both versatile and fearless in his evolution. In this episode of MAKE // BREAK, Garrett joins host Lance Marwood to talk about building creative momentum, redefining success on your own terms, and how the best work often comes from chasing passion over perfection.
👀 What you’ll hear (4–6 bullets, no quotes)
- Reframing “success” in the music business and why he chose to go slow and methodical
- How bar-band seasons forged his live instincts and what authenticity really looks like onstage
- A practical songwriting system that favours motion, multiple ideas, and deadlines over waiting
- Collaboration lessons with a mentor–producer and the moment he pushed back to keep a song’s soul
- Tactics for beating creative blocks with inputs, routines, and small constraints that create momentum
🕰️ Chapters
00:00:00 Intro, why Garrett Barbuto is on MAKE // BREAK
00:00:45 Move to Calgary, bar-band beginnings, deciding to lead a band
00:02:42 Writing with a mentor, learning by failing fast, demo-to-studio pipeline
00:05:48 Timmins roots, classic rock imprint, the open-mic setlist laboratory
00:07:16 What still works in bars and why those songs matter for new writing
00:19:20 Performance persona, crowd energy, and letting moments happen instead of forcing them
00:22:05 Authenticity through subtraction, delegating banter, playing to strengths
00:30:56 Measuring creative progress beyond metrics, phrasing, and micro-choices that level up songs
00:36:22 Collaboration friction, earning your voice, and protecting a song’s character
00:39:04 Advice to musicians: seek real pros, expand your writing toolkit beyond acoustic guitar
00:50:41 Inspiration vs discipline, systems, deadlines, and making ideas move
00:59:08 Non-musical inputs, Canada stories, and stealing like an artist
01:04:14 Plugs, new solo project timeline, where to follow
🔗 Guest Links (site first, then socials)
https://www.thehotpursuityyc.com
https://instagram.com/garrettbarbutomusic
https://instagram.com/thehotpursuityyc
🔗 MAKE // BREAK & Host Links
https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/makebreak
https://instagram.com/lowkeyhellish
https://tiktok.com/@lowkeyhellish
🔗 V13 Media Links
https://v13.net
If this helped, subscribe and tell us in the comments: does discipline beat inspiration in your songwriting
(explicit language)
#MakeBreak #GarrettBarbuto #Songwriting