How was this song born: with an image, a phrase, a melody… or something else?
“Grin” came from a place where I honestly didn’t feel like I belonged, or that I was good enough to be at the level I’m at. I’d walk into sessions or shows and feel like everyone else knew something I didn’t, like I was just waiting to be exposed as a fraud. That’s the heart of my imposter syndrome it’s not that I don’t care, it’s that I care so much I convince myself I’ll never measure up.
Who worked or collaborated on this song, and how did they contribute to its creation?
Working with Chris Coady really took the song to another level. He knew how to capture that push and pull, the fragile, anxious verses against a chorus that forces itself to take up space. John Anderson’s guitar work gave it grit and this raw, almost defiant energy, his playing feels like another voice carrying the song forward. And Darren Weiss on drums completely nailed the heartbeat of it. The way he played really captured the frustration I was feeling, it’s sharp, restless, and drives the song in a way words alone couldn’t
How long did it take to take its final shape?
The whole process from creation to final mix took about nine months.
Is there a direct reference or influence (another song, book, film) present in this song?
I definitely channeled my emo kid days when I wrote ‘Grin.’ I grew up on those records that weren’t afraid to wear every messy feeling on their sleeve, songs that made you feel less alone in your own spiral. I wanted ‘Grin’ to carry that same energy where the vulnerability and the frustration collide and it almost feels bigger than you.
What other songs or projects are coming next?
I’m in the process of working on two singles now and hopefully releasing my first album by the end of next year.
Alternative pop that cuts straight to the bone, introspective, vulnerable, and unflinchingly real.