Grimson is a 26-year-old Swedish/American songwriter and animator who grew up in New York City. Every release from the artist is an attempt to weave animated narratives through songs, and this project is an ongoing music/film experiment. The artist self-released his debut album, Climbing Up The Chimney, in September 2023, to critical acclaim and commercial success.
The levels of vulnerability an artist decides to reach are what closes the gap between music and the listener. Grimson’s new single, “What Can I Keep?” is the level of honest songwriting where the listener feels the artist’s emotions as if they were their own. The new single from the mysterious artist begins to shred some of that mystique via gentle melodies that deliver lyrics that both care for and break the heart. Lyrically, Grimson tears open their chest and lets the depth of their spirit flow, and the story it pens is one of love and all its pitfalls. The wistful vocals accentuate the sentiment of the lyrics as they slowly unfold around a potent piano melody, lending the performance a sense of melting into someone’s arms. “What Can I Keep?” introduces a new side of Grimson’s artistry as the multi-hyphenate reaches new levels of musical intimacy via teary-eyed poetry and simplistic yet impactful melodies.
“I remember writing the phrase ‘what can I keep?’ down while FaceTiming my ex and best friend. We were both in tears, trying to cope with the love we still share, and the growing distance between us,” explains the artist. “I immediately wrote the song and spent the next two months writing and rewriting the lyrics so that they were as succinct as possible. I think it’s the most I’ve exposed myself on a Grimson song.”
