New York, NY (Top40 Charts) The Australian multi-genre guitar pop artist grentperez announces his new EP When We Were Younger out June 2nd via Fast
Friends & AWAL.
Conceived as a means to get out of a songwriting rut, When We Were Younger is centered around the concept of nostalgia and motivated by grentperez's desire to embrace the carefree creativity of childhood. From a production and arrangement standpoint, the EP fuses a wide variety of nostalgic sounds: his beloved bossa nova, yes, but also sprightly Philadelphia soul, the swelling strings of golden-era Hollywood, and even the general vibe of 90s rom-coms.
"This is a collection of music each relating to figures of the past, whether it be in love, loss, families and friendship," grentperez says. "I felt that during the pandemic, staying inside my room all day made me see that things haven't been like they used to, in the days of playing games all day and having mum bring food to me because I wasn't allowed to cook my own meals. I believe that these past two years have been two rather large transitional periods for me, almost like a 'coming of age' moment, slowly becoming aware of growing up. This EP sits in a very special place in my heart, and it's something I could potentially revisit in the future, as the story of life never truly finishes."
Alongside the EP announcement, the 21-year old artist also released new single "When The Day Is Done" - a uptempo track that goes full disco-soul: a punchy syncopated pre-chorus melody lets loose into an unstoppable roller-rink ready boogie. Every lovingly crafted little detail — from the stacked harmonies on the bridge to the roiling congas, to that one delayed beat drop in the final chorus — emanates a pure joy.
"I wrote this song trying to create a timeless classic that the whole family can listen to, or as my dad would say, 'The song I can dance to,'" grentperez says. "This track embodies the line 'there's no place like home' stating that when all is said and done, I just want to get back home and that feeling of family having your back no matter where you are lingers throughout the song."
Throughout When We Were Younger, grentperez displays a director's knack for world-building. While the discrete elements are as disparate as one could imagine, on When We Were Younger, it all makes sense together — different musical gestures and lyrics stimulating long-dormant memories while simultaneously providing a soundtrack for new ones.
"Writing music is like directing a movie," grentperez says. "You want to create an intricate narrative that has emotional power despite it not necessarily being communicated in a super straightforward way. The whole needs to be greater than the sum of its parts."
On the opening track "When We Were Younger (Intro)" busts in with a psychedelic spaghetti western fanfare. "I wanted to try to create a THX-style intro to the project," he elaborates. "Kind of recreate the childhood thrill of booting up a VHS tape." As the title track begins, we're introduced to a familiar bossa nova strum and grentperez's melodically agile voice. But then the band kicks in and, suddenly, it's like when The Wizard Of Oz goes from black-and-white to color: grooving bass, galloping castanets, and a choir of call-and-response backing vocals that lend the whole affair a Beatlesque flair.
grentperez's versatility exhibits itself repeatedly. "
Stuck On You" is a strumming shuffler that rides sparkling keys and a spotless falsetto to tell a story of an on-again, off-again couple, while "Old With You" is a cozy and classic love song that finds a shockingly satisfying middle path between
Michael Buble and Frank Ocean. "Us Without Me," maybe the most mature composition on the EP, is a drama-rich ballad that constantly ups the tension, first with its delectable chord changes, and then with shimmering strings. The lyrics are gutting, little reminders of lost love that hit like daggers: "You're in someone else's room while mine still smells of your perfume."
grentperez will be gracing the United States with his "music you can fall in love to" (NPR Music) on his debut headline tour of North America, which includes six sold out dates in New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco at iconic venues like Mercury Lounge, The Echo and Brick and Mortar. The rising artist also recently announced 20 headlining tour dates across
Europe and North
America this Fall, playing his biggest venues to date in new markets like London, Paris, Seattle, Atlanta, Nashville,
Houston and more. Additionally, the singer-songwriter will also be joining Cavetown, mxmtoon & Ricky Montgomery on The Bittersweet Daze Tour in the US during July & August 2023. See full tour routing below.
grentperez's rise from viral YouTube covers performer to budding bedroom pop star was a quick one: At just 12 years old he posted his first video to his YouTube channel and, over time, he got over 100 million views and 700k subscribers on his channel. After honing his songwriting chops, his undeniably lovely 2021 debut single "Cherry Wine" became an international sensation, hitting the #1 slot on the Spotify Viral Chart in not just his home country of Australia but also Canada and Singapore. 2022 brought a pair of releases (Conversations with the Moon EP and Trail Mix Tape), a triple j Like A Version cover session of the School Of Rock track "Teacher's Pet," and a sweeping, swooning Christmas single entitled "When Christmas Comes Again."
WHEN WE WERE YOUNGER EP TRACKLISTING:
1. When We Were Younger (Intro)
2. When We Were Younger
3. Stuck On You
4. Old With You
5. Us Without Me
6.
Silver Lining
7. When The Day Is Done
GRENTPEREZ TOUR ROUTING:
i'm cool i promise US Headline Tour:
May 31st - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge / SOLD OUT
June 1st - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge / SOLD OUT
June 3rd - San Francisco, CA - Brick & Mortar / SOLD OUT
June 4th - San Francisco, CA - Brick & Mortar /SOLD OUT
June 6th - Los Angeles, CA - The Echo / SOLD OUT
7th June - Los Angeles, CA - The Echo /SOLD OUT
Bittersweet Daze Tour:
July 20th - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
July 21st - San Diego, CA - Cal Coast Credit Union Open
July 23rd - Stanford, CA - Frost Amphitheater
July 25th - Magna, UT - Saltair
July 26th - Denver, CO - Levitt Pavilion
July 28th - Maryland Heights, MO - St. Louis
Music Park
July 29th - Chicago, IL - The Salt Shed
July 30th - Indianapolis, IN - Rock The Ruins
August 1st- Cleveland, OH - Jacobs Pavilion
August 3rd - New York, NY - Summer Stage
August 4th - Philadelphia, PA - Skyline Stage at The Mann
August 5th - Worcester, MA - The Palladium Outdoors
growing up? tour
September 13th - Paris - Point Ephemere
September 14th - Cologne - Helios37
September 15th - Berlin - Badehaus
September 17th - Amsterdam - Melkweg OZ
September 20th - London - O2 Islington Academy
September 21st - Manchester - The Deaf Institute
September 22nd - Glasgow - King Tut's
September 24th - Dublin - Academy Green Room
October 20th - Portland, OR - Polaris Hall
October 21st - Seattle, WA - Neumos
October 22nd - Vancouver, BC - Vogue Theatre
October 27th - Minneapolis, MN - 7th St Entry
October 30th - Toronto, ON - Danforth
Music Hall
November 3rd - Washington, DC - Union Stage
November 7th - Atlanta, GA - Aisle 5
November 8th - Nashville, TN - Basement East
November 10th - Dallas, TX - HOB Cambridge Room
November 11th - Houston, TX - HOB Bronze Peacock
November 12th - Austin, TX - Antone's
November 14th - Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar
21-year-old Australian musician grentperez is unapologetically a Gen-Z artist with an old soul. Having first found his audience on YouTube strumming guitar, singing covers and original songs, he's blossomed into an unlikely star: an unassuming and unpretentious artist inspired by the music played at family karaoke parties, as well as vintage bossa nova and modern R&B. The young songwriter is a full-fledged artist, and he's got the following to prove it: With over 250 million listens on streaming platforms, a multi-continental touring resume, and notable support from tastemakers including Triple J, NPR Music, MTV, KCRW, DIY, Wonderland, and The Line of Best Fit, grentperez is on the precipice of something big.
