Ever since he blew up with his 2021 single Cherry Wine, Australian singer-songwriter grentperez has continued to charm listeners all over the world with beautiful vocals, soft acoustic instrumentals and heartfelt lyrics. He recently released his newest EP, When We Were Younger, which explores various aspects of growing up through 7 songs in different musical directions, though still always staying loyal to the bedroom pop, alt-pop sound that first caught peoples’ attention. We recently had the pleasure of gaining some more insight into his newest EP, songwriting and the busy – but exciting – touring schedule ahead of him!
You just released your new EP, When We Were Younger, two weeks ago – how has the reception been so far?
So far so good, loving the wholesome interactions between the listeners.
Was there a song that you were particularly excited for people to hear?
Silver lining for sure.
What is your writing process generally like? Do you find it changing over time as more and more people discover your music?
Usually, it's the same process of chord progression, melody and rhythm + lyrics. But it does change when more topic-based stuff comes to surface.
You introduced three of your songs with drawings both on social media and Spotify, how did you get the idea for that?
Haha I just thought that it'd be a cute, cheeky way of doing it. The EP opens with quite a cinematic intro, which provides a unique contrast to the following songs – could you elaborate on the background to that a little?
I wanted the EP to be introduced kind of in the same way that movies on VHS started, like Dolby digital's epic helicopter city scape (this scene frightened me as a child and still does) or even THX. Throughout the 7 songs, you not only touch on many different topics, but also showcase various musical influences. Are there any specific artists you drew inspiration from during the writing process?
Yea, I'd say some of them were inspired my Astrid Gilberto and Antonio Carlos Jobim, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, and even Ben Platt to name a few. The song ‘Silver Lining’ opens with the line “I was waiting by the ocean / staring endlessly into this void of separation / of lovers and a dream”. Could you explain the idea behind that imagery a bit?
I was waiting by the ocean staring endlessly, was just a line I drew up from imagination. I pictured someone mindlessly wandering away into thoughts, reminiscing on distant memories of love and what was. Kind of like sitting at the edge of a dock, twiddling your thumbs, locked in the moment unsure if you should move or if you can move, you're just... there. One of personal favorite songs from this record is ‘Stuck On You’, which features the lyric “I’m making up for all the days that passed us by” – what does that line mean to you?
This was written while I was away from home in the UK, which was the furthest I'd been from my friends. I also left during a time when the friendship and our activities were peaking, so I felt like I was missing out and I owed them one. You opened for Eric Nam on his Australian tour last year, what was that experience like?
That was a fun one! My first ever support tour, and it was an absolute honour to have done it with Eric Nam, he's such a lovely person and so were his crew. Was a great introduction into tour life. You’ve announced headlining tours in both in Europe and the US, which is super exciting – how are you feeling about everything?
Nerve wracking but incredibly exciting. I can't wait to see the communities again, especially with all this new music. Gonna be a big one. What song off the new EP are you most looking forward to playing live?
Silver Lining!
Lastly, is there anything in particularly that you’d like people to take away from this When We Were Younger?
Honestly, take your time, don't always try to rush into the next thing. Remember how things were every now and then, even though times might've been sad or happy, 'better' or 'worse' it's ultimately put you in the spot of where you are now and in the future you can look back at this exact moment. We're all trying to better ourselves, but for now I guess just live.
Check out When We Younger on all streaming sites, and tour dates in Europe and the US!