In a world thirsting for authenticity and genuine connection, Kristen Grainger & True North offers a wellspring of soul-stirring songs. Led by the enchanting vocals of Kristen Grainger and drawing on elements of bluegrass, country, and Americana, the Pacific Northwest string band deftly crafts songs that connect us, illuminating universal truths with haunting beauty.
The band is comprised of three champion instrumentalists, Dan Wetzel, Martin Stevens, and Josh Adkins, and is fronted by lead vocalist Kristen Grainger, a storied songwriter who has taken top honors at some of the nation’s most prestigious songwriting competitions, including Telluride Bluegrass Festival, MerleFest, and the USA Songwriting Contest. She also was named, alongside Dolly Parton and Brandi Carlile, one of the “Women Who Wrote Our 2020 Soundtrack” by The Bluegrass Situation.
Kristen Grainger & True North’s upcoming album Fear of Falling Stars is due out on November 10th. Led by the enchanting vocals of Grainger and drawing on elements of bluegrass, country, and Americana, Fear of Falling Stars delivers more of the band’s award-winning songcraft that has earned national recognition. With equal focus on compelling songwriting and excellent instrumental execution, this new album offers ten songs that nestle in the ear on the way to the heart.
From heart-wrenching ballads to foot-stomping anthems, Fear of Falling Stars reveals a series of musical zoom shots through the windows of modern life.
Today Glide is excited to premiere the video for the standout track “Extraordinary Grace,” a delicately picked exercise in how to create a sense of intimacy in your songs. This tune of heartbreak finds Kristen Grainger singing with vocals that are soulful and convey the sense of emotion that is packed into the lyrics. Her band provides sparse yet beautiful instrumentation, layering in subtle flourishes of mandolin, bass, and fiddle to accentuate the mournful mood of the song. We even get some impressive solos during the song’s bridge that find the band leaning more heavily into their love of bluegrass.
Kristen describes the inspiration behind the song:
“’Extraordinary Grace’ is for all of us – it’s a heartbreak song for sure, but for me, it’s not about romantic love gone wrong. Extraordinary Grace is about how heartbroken I am about civility in America, that we are increasingly divided, unwilling to seek common ground. Fueled by snark and hyperbole, the meanest tweet wins. We hide in our laptop bunkers, never know our neighbors, never try to walk in their shoes. I feel paralyzed by the enormity of this and my chagrin over my own sense of futility.”
WATCH:
