Andy Grammer feels 'Back Home' on the road with new tunes

There was a time when Andy Grammer couldn't get people to listen to his music.

When he moved to the West Coast, he tried to book clubs.

"No one would some see me play," Grammer said.

So, he took his songs to the streets — a place where people couldn't run away, Grammer said with a laugh.

"It was really a great place to learn," he added. The challenge was to win over indifferent listeners, most of whom were transfixed on cellphone screens.

"You have to be really good for them to stop and listen," he said. He knew he needed to perfect his voice and technique.

After about three years of busking for rent money, Grammer began to get attention for his blend of pop, rock and soul. He signed with S-Curve records and released his self-titled debut in June 2011.

His first two singles — "Keep Your Head Up" and "Fine By Me" — hit Top 10 on Billboard's Adult Pop chart. It had been a decade since another singer — John Mayer in this case — pulled the same feat.