Living in the Moment
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To improve the golden moment of opportunity, and catch the good that is within our reach, is the great art of life. — William James
When Palm Tree Crew founders Kyrre Gorvell-Dahll, a.k.a., Kygo and Myles Shear, started gifting palm tree necklaces to their inner circle, they had no idea the massive musical movement they set in motion. Through that simple IYKYK gesture that served as a symbol of community, an entire festival was created—The Palm Tree Music Festival launched in 2016. Fast forward seven years, in Aspen, Colorado, Rolling Stone and Don Julio have teamed up with PTC to celebrate the golden moments of community, love, music, and luxury. Beyond domestic locations like Aspen, The Hamptons, and Dana Point, California, the Palm Tree Music Festival has expanded globally with events in Australia, Croatia and Bali, giving partygoers the “tropical lifestyle” vibe of a “never-ending summer.” The PTC brand has expanded its portfolio beyond music since their inception, through consumer branding, investments and management, with a bevy of talents on its roster, such as Kygo, himself, Sam Feldt and duo Forester, to name a few.
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One of those few is Gryffin, the EDM DJ, producer, songwriter, and musician who has made his mark on the electronic and dance scene since his 2016 debut single, “Heading Home,” featuring Josef Salvat. But, before he introduced his energetically melodic sound to listeners’ ears (after “Heading Home” topped the Spotify Viral 50 charts, Gryffin has collaborated with Quinn XCII, Bipolar Sunshine, and One Republic), the San Francisco native was a budding engineering major at USC. Recalling his journey on an episode of The Green Room–sponsored by Rolling Stone and Tequila Don Julio–Gryffin sips on a Don Julio Primavera “that hits” and continues to reminisce backstage at the Palm Tree Music Festival. “My parents had this idea that I was going to be an engineer. I had a pretty good job lined up for me when I was leaving school,” he says. Also, during his higher education, Gryffin attended his first music festival, Coachella. After being “blown away” by the experience, his love for EDM was born—his golden moment. “Between classes in my dorm room, I was learning how to make beats. I got to a point where I was releasing music on SoundCloud, and all these YouTube channels and blogs started picking up the music. By the end of my senior year, I was flying out every weekend doing college shows.”
Gryffin soon graduated from rocking college shows to festival stages, with his breakout at SnowGlobe Music Festival in Lake Tahoe in 2015 and Palm Tree Music Festival the following year. Touching the Aspen stage again in 2023 is a full-circle moment for the 35-year-old. “I haven’t done one of these snowy outdoor shows, honestly, since the first [Palm Tree Music Festival],” he says. “The rush of that—feeling that connection with fans, seeing them so happy and smiling and having a good time. The fact that I’m able to bring them that joy, that experience, it makes it all worth it.”
Over the years, fans have gained visual value from the beautiful scenic views Gryffin performs in, which inspires his craft. Kauai, Hawaii, for example, provided the backdrop for his latest “Dreams” single. “My music is very emotional and vibey—I like to have a flow to them,” he says. “A beautiful environment is conducive to my music and my sets. I get to visit these places, and I enjoy and connect with them. It’s fun to play music in those environments, for sure.”
For Gryffin, what’s certain was his recognizing music was the path he was destined to walk on and informing his parents in the process. “That was a very fun conversation with my parents, he chuckles. “It was like, ‘so, about that engineering life, not gonna do it. I’m gonna do music instead.’ But they saw how much passion I had for it and how much I genuinely love and work hard at it. They said, ‘if that’s what you wanna do, go for it.’ And it’s been full steam ahead since.”
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