In an exclusive interview with Happy, pop sensation grentperez talks ‘When The Day Is Done’ and teases details about his upcoming EP.
Prepare to be swept away by the irresistible sounds of DIY pop wunderkind grentperez, as he readies his highly-anticipated EP ‘When We Were Younger’ for release on June 2nd.
And as a tantalizing glimpse of what’s in store, he’s just dropped his latest single ‘When The Day Is Done.’ Brace yourselves, because this track is pure fire! Saturated in the infectious disco-soul sound that grentperez has become known for, the new single is an infectious timeless melody that radiates pure joy.
As the man himself explains, “When The Day Is Done embodies the line ‘there’s no place like home.’ It’s a song about getting back to the feeling of family having your back no matter where you are.” And let’s not forget that irresistible roller-rink-ready boogie that will have you dancing all night long!
As if that weren’t enough to get you hyped, grentperez is also revealing additional dates for his ‘growing up?’ world tour, with more headline shows in North America following his recent announcement of UK & European shows.
The EP itself promises to be a seven-track song cycle centered around the concept of nostalgia. “It’s motivated by the desire to stave off cynicism and embrace the carefree creativity of childhood,” says grentperez. “We would have these super wholesome outdoor writing sessions as we were putting the project together. Connecting with what I remember as a really lovely childhood grounds me in the real world and keeps me thinking of the important friends and family in my life.”
In an exclusive interview with Happy, grentperez spills the beans on his daily routine and the inspirations behind his music.
He’s a man who likes to keep it real, waking up at 9:30 am every day and heading straight to the studio to make some sick beats. Grentperez takes a break only to order some delicious Thai food and write some killer lyrics. But don’t let his laid-back approach fool you; this guy is all about his craft.
Although he loves the mix of cultures in his suburb, sometimes life in St Clair can get boring. So, what’s his ultimate day? Picture this: a cool car, his girlfriend by his side, go-karting, a scrumptious dinner, and drinks with friends. Sounds like a perfect day, right?
When it comes to the local scene in Western Sydney, Grentperez is all about shouting out his homies. He’s a big fan of Pretty Boy and Dylan Mangunay, to name a few. And let’s not forget about the local spots that keep the creative juices flowing, like common house and tnb cafe Rooty Hill.
Despite his growing fame, Grentperez remains grounded and connected to his creative community. His music exudes pure joy and energy, and we can’t wait to see what he has in store for us next.
Happy: What are you up to today?
grentperez:: Packing for a US trip, scrambling to finish haha.
Happy: Tell us about your suburb, what do you love/not love about where you live?
grentperez: I live in St Clair, in Western Sydney. I love the mix of cultures and it’s a very cute safe community. I don’t love that it can be insanely boring sometimes.
Happy: Describe your average work day.
grentperez: If I’m heading into the studio, it usually looks like this:
* wake up 9:30 am
* Breakfast
* Shower
* Train 11 am to the city by 12 pm
* Make a beat
* Order some Thai food
* Write half the song. Sick.
* Train home another hour
* Girlfriend
* say I love you to parents
* Sleep
Happy: What about your ultimate day?
grentperez:
*wake up to a really cool car
* pick up girlfriend
* Go karting
* Balanced dinner
* Dessert Ofc
* Drink at night w friends
Happy: Tell us about your creative community.
grentperez: I’d say my creative community is ever-growing, I’ve got friends from all over Australia in arts, fashion, film, and music as well as around the world. I love that. I love how creativity has the power to bring others up as well. I’m very much interested in all forms of creation, so I’m always open to growing the community even more.
Happy: Tell us about your local scene.
grentperez: Here in Western Sydney, I feel as though the creative scene is slowly but surely making its way up there in the entire Sydney market. We’ve got a local creative spot where Dj events, markets, and recording spaces take place called common house, previously run by open source. It’s really cool to be part of this generation of creatives in our area.
There’s a few I’d like to shout out. Pretty Boy who I work with quite a lot with things like the; Absence Of You Music Video and a few other visualizers, Dylan Mangunay and Josh Ortiguerra at Tigue, ziongarcia, Breakfast Road, Dylan Atlantis, Kushio, Common House (local spot), Laz Aro (crazy rugs), Open Source, TNB Cafe Rooty hill.
Happy: Do you have any gear that you rely on?
Grentperez: My Helix Stomp is incredibly useful. The patch changes and sounds are so detailed and have an amazing sound.
Happy: How does it feel to have a sold-out headline tour in the US and be joining Cavetown as a special guest on their Bittersweet Daze tour, considering your DIY rise to fame through YouTube and building a committed fanbase online before gaining recognition from traditional media?
grentperez: It feels incredible, as something like this should. I’m very very thankful for the opportunities in front of me, even more thankful to be surrounded by a very active and loving community. That doesn’t go without saying it can be overwhelming sometimes, leaving family will always be hard. But I’ll never leave them behind, so I guess all is well :).
Happy: Your debut single “Cherry Wine” became an international sensation, hitting #1 on the Spotify Viral Chart in multiple countries. Can you share your thoughts on the overwhelming response to your music and how it has impacted your career as an untrained but intuitive musician?
grentperez: I think it’s opened my eyes to the types of music that have caught people’s eye as of recently. Even with artists like Laufey bringing such an old soul feel into the new music world, it makes me really happy to watch people fall in love with music that carries such classic characteristics.
Happy: Your upcoming EP, When We Were Younger, is centered around the concept of nostalgia and incorporates various vintage sounds like bossa nova, Philadelphia soul, and Hollywood strings. What inspired you to fuse these different musical elements together, and what do you hope to convey through this EP?
Grentperez: For the most part, I just wanted to make music similar to what I grew up with, artists like Boyz II Men, Norah Jones, Paramore, so its all very home to me. With this EP I aim for people to think back to When they WERE younger, how things have changed, to even think about how it must feel for their parents to watch them grow up, It really is just a wholesome collection of music for them to reminisce on old times, good or bad. Getting back to my roots has been really important to me as of lately, so this EP is a reflection of that.
Happy: You were recently selected for the Fender Next 2023 program, joining the ranks of Phoebe Bridgers and Sam Fender. How does it feel to be recognized by such a prestigious program and what opportunities do you see it bringing to your career?
grentperez: It feels immense to be in such amazing company, I want to use this time to really prove to the world my credibility as an artist, that I'm more than just an online personality haha. Hopefully
also some sick festivals.
Happy: Your style has been described as an old soul fused with modern R&B and bedroom pop. Can you tell us more about your musical influences and how you developed your unique sound as a Gen-Z artist?
grentperez: In terms of r&b as a kid I listened to a lot of Usher, Boyz ii men, Brian McKnight, Musiq
Soulchild, etc… but then as I grew older I listened to more Rex Orange County, Clairo, Vansire, Beabadoobee, and Last Dinosaurs, so I guess my music taste got placed everywhere through the years.
Happy: What have been some of your most memorable experiences on the road, and how has touring shaped your music and career?
grentperez: Most memorable, scooting off stairs in Berlin, producing dumb songs in the tour van of Europe, seeing live crowds all around the world. It's insane to see what music can do to people, seeing how they react makes me feel so whole.
Happy: Your new single “When the Day is Done”, is an absolute R&B banging delight. Can you share the inspiration behind the song and what you hope listeners take away from it?
grentperez: The song was inspired by family gatherings over dinner. After every gathering where my siblings and I sat with the parents, we just sat and talked for an extra hour about whatever, old memories, car troubles, plans, etc… so When The Day Is Done is a nod to what I want to do after every tour, to go back home to the people I love, whether it be family, friends, lover, dog, whatever :)
Happy: Are there any new directions or experiments you’re excited to explore in your music?
grentperez: I want to explore more of that R&B Groove and mood, but who knows maybe there’ll be a fork in the road and I’ll do heavy metal.
Happy: What makes you happy?
grentperez: To be honest, living is pretty great. I guess the people around me make me really happy, to feel loved is great.
‘When We Were Younger,’ drops everywhere on June 2, 2023, so mark your calendars!
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