New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Alt-rocker grandson and Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter
Jessie Reyez have teamed up for "Rain," the brand-new and exclusive single for writer/director
James Gunn's all-new movie, The Suicide Squad. "Rain" is also featured in the new official trailer for the upcoming film, which will be released August 6th.
grandson and Reyez both have individual songs in the upcoming superhero action-adventure film and took the opportunity to team up for a commanding collaboration with "Rain." Next month, an official companion visual for the track will be released featuring grandson and Reyez each embracing their inner Super-Villain.
"Rain" is about how the shadows in life accentuate the sunshine; how even though tough times are ahead, you know hope is just around the corner… "I do not mind / The rain sometimes / Oh That's the only way the roses / Bloom." As two artists that inspire and evoke change, the song flaunts their combined palpable sincerity and sense of emotional transparency. Reyez's silky vocals provide an added layer of texture, as grandson and the pop star alternate verses and come together for an epic, belting chorus.
"'Rain' is the theme song for making sense of personal tragedy," shares grandson. "Through this track, I hope others find reassurance that whatever difficulty they're going through leads to a broader, fuller perspective on life's beauty somewhere down the road."
"I found
James Gunn as a mentor and friend during the pandemic, and we began sharing our work as I finished my album and he finished his movie." grandson continues. "When he heard 'Rain' it was clear that it spoke to him. I had been a fan of
Jessie for years through mutual collaborators in the Toronto/LA scene, and knew she would resonate as well and offer her own unique contribution to bring this one to the finish line."
"When grandson first played me 'Rain' I felt it pierced directly to the emotional heart of 'The Suicide Squad,'" says Gunn. "Months later, I still haven't stopped singing it in the shower. Having
Jessie on the track, another of my favorite new artists is simply icing on the cake."
"I respect grandson as an artist so of course, I was really excited to work with him; when he called me up to bat to feature on "Rain", it was a no-brainer," says
Jessie Reyez. "I'm also a fan of
James Gunn and his work, so to be able to contribute a small part of my creativity to the world of The Suicide
Squad is an honor."
grandson, who has an incredibly engaging live show, is set to play several prestigious festivals, like Firefly, Lollapalooza, and more throughout the rest of the year. See below for full tour routing.
"Rain" follows grandson's live rendition of hit radio single "Dirty," and his debut album 'Death Of An Optimist' (released December 2020 via Fueled by Ramen). 'Death of an Optimist' articulates the tension between grandson's hope for the future and the challenges he faces. Described by the rocker as a "horror story with a happy ending," the cohesive record brings together an eclectic group of collaborators including engineer Andrew Dawson (Kanye West), Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda, Blink-182's
Travis Barker, producer Krupa (Zero 9:36), and Boonn (grandson's longtime musical partner).
grandson Tour Routing:
Thurs, Jul 29 - Subterranean - Chicago, IL
Fri, Jul 30 - Lollapalooza Festival - Chicago, IL
Sat, Aug 28 - Wonderbus Festival - Columbus, OH
Mon, Aug 30 - New York
State Fair - Syracuse, NY
Fri, Sept 3 - Rocklahoma Festival - Pryor, OK
Sun, Sept 12 - Fiddler's Green | KTCL
Radio Show - Denver, CO
Sun, Sept 19 - PointFest - St. Louis, MO
Sat, Sept 25 - Louder Than Life Festival - Louisville, KY
Sun, Sept 26 - Firefly Festival - Dover, DE
Sun, Oct 10 - Aftershock Festival - Sacramento, CA
Thus, Nov 11 - Welcome to Rockville Festival - Daytona Beach, FL
Sat, Jan 22, 2022 - Thurs, Jan 27th, 2022 - Shiprocked Cruise
Praise for grandson:
"buzzsaw of righteous poetry" - Billboard
"a soundtrack for a society on the edge of collapse" - NME
"Angsty-dripped, polemical songwriting, exploring the tug-of-war between blind optimism and anxiety-inducing reality" - Interview Magazine
"rock 'n' roll rebel who is strident and crystal clear" - Alternative Press
"explores the area between hope and apathy, urgent anger and frustration" - Under the Radar
"rock's new leader of the resistance" - Rock Sound
grandson is the pseudonym of Canadian/American alternative artist Jordan Benjamin. He takes elements of his rock and roll, hip hop, and electronic music roots and combines them to tell stories of reclaiming power over one's life, confronting social issues facing his generation, and opening up about struggles with addiction and mental health. Since releasing his
Modern Tragedy EP series, grandson has toured extensively across North America, Russia, and Europe, accumulated hundreds of millions of streams online, and received co-signs from the biggest names in rock and roll and progressive politics, from Tom
Morello to Bernie Sanders. grandson's debut album, Death Of An Optimist, is a body of work that conflates personal anxieties with political realities. As the protagonist, grandson simultaneously explores the dark underbelly of his unrelenting optimism for change, by creating an antagonist, X. An ambitious project, grandson delivers a subtle A-side/B-side structure totaling twelve tracks, following grandson and X's dueling world views. Through DOAO, grandson delivers an overwhelming urgency to do something, "After the hardest year of our lives, it's time to confront the reflection staring back at you, because only in doing so can you know who you truly are," he says. "Showcasing a conflicted soul for intense scrutiny has the benefit of not dictating what is right or wrong. It just shows that we're in this together."
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and rising global superstar
Jessie Reyez released her debut studio album Before Love Came To Kill Us via FMLY / Island Records to critical acclaim last spring, earning recognition from The NY Times, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Variety, and more. The album was an early contender for one of the best albums of the year with over 350M global streams and charting in the Top 5 on Billboard's R&B album chart. In just a couple short years,
Jessie has been nominated for a Grammy award for Best Urban Contemporary Album for her sophomore EP Being Human In Public, won a Juno Award for 2020's R&B/Soul Recording of The Year, and just made history by becoming the first ever Latin Canadian artist to win a Juno for Best
Music Video in 2021.
Jessie graced the covers of Remezcla, NME, Galore, ILY Mag, and VIBE VIVA which donned her "The People's Pop Star." She's successfully headlined a tour, performed at a plethora of music festivals, supported
Billie Eilish on her U.S. tour, and brought her performances to the screen with appearances on the One World: Together At Home special broadcast and Jimmy Kimmel Live (From His House)!
Jessie recently became the first person and woman of color to perform both the American and Canadian national anthems for the NBA playoff games atop of the CN Tower in Toronto.
Praise for
Jessie Reyez:
"No one else sounds like
Jessie Reyez" - Time
"A powerful voice when the world needs one" - Variety
"Her music, though it's categorized as R&B, pulls together the impulses of folky singer-songwriters and syllable-spitting rappers as well as pop melody and hip-hop impact" - New York Times
"The powerhouse singer's voice is chameleonic and present in every guise" - Pitchfork
"her soulful voice and brutally honest lyrics have garnered her fans around the world" - NPR.
