The Religion and Political Views of Gavin DeGraw

Gavin DeGraw was born and raised in South Fallsburg, New York.

The musician says he "has religion" but I can't seem to decipher exactly what form his faith takes. In an interview with a particularly devoutly Christian fan, when asked whether or not he believes in God, DeGraw said,

Yes, I do. I try to stay away from religious standpoints in music; try not to be too blatant with it. It's not my position just yet to be a political or religious [figure]. . . you know what I mean?[1]

On a site of questionable credibility, a commenter states that he knew DeGraw's parents, that his mother was a Jewish convert to Christianity, and that Gavin grew up in a Christian home.[2] Although we have to take that information with a grain of salt, it definitely seems plausible.

Many of DeGraw's songs are potentially ambiguously Christian, and quite a few of his fans are quick to interpret them as such. (See "Chariot" and "Belief.") His song "We Belong Together" has more overt biblical imagery than most of his others, seemingly proving his Christian fans right:

The hammer may strike, be dead on the ground/ A nail to my hand, a cross on his crown[3]

So until he tells us otherwise, I think it's safe to call him a Christian for now.

Republican by default

True to his quote above, DeGraw doesn't involve himself in politics–through his songs or otherwise.

He did play a concert for the organization Musicians On Call, which seeks to bring musicians together with injured military and other hospital patients–and it just so happened to be in Tampa, Florida during the 2012 Republican National Convention. The gig was separate from the convention and apparently poorly attended because the big Republican shindig ran late that night.[4] DeGraw never made any statements of support for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney nor any other Republican, but just being there automatically associates him with the GOP.

Conversely, he never gave any indication that he supported Obama, which in the world of indie pop is noticeable. That lack of an endorsement coupled with his Tampa appearance is going to make me call him a Republican for now. If you have any information to the contrary, I will gladly redefine him. Let us know in the comments.