REVIEW & INTERVIEW: GRIMM WINTER 'GRIMM WINTER'
‘Grimm Winter’ was created during a time of lockdown. Like most people at that time, Casey Paul was laid off, bunkering the apartment with nothing but gnawing anxiety. He started writing music and sharing those initial melody ideas with a circle of close friends, which led him to Jay Besch (bass) and Scott Barretts (drum) and the formation of Grimm Winter.
In a time of restriction, finding an alternative way to record and collaborate is the biggest challenge, but it didn’t stop the band’s enthusiasm. They built three separate recording studios in three different cities, overcoming technical difficulties that come with mixing and mastering through countless attempts and experiments. ‘Grimm Water’ came to life.
The EP communicates complex ideas and emotions that would otherwise be lost, absorbing influences from every direction. “We wanted to leave it all out there, all of our influences and styles put together in this melting pot that eventually became Grimm Winter,” said Paul. From individual experiences to complex feelings to cityscape and mythology, they created unique sounds that reflect a time of isolation yet contain the viral lifeforce of our desire to thrive and connect.
Fascinated by folklore and mythology, “Persephone” was the goddess queen of the underworld and the goddess of spring growth in Greek mythology. Interestingly, the lyrics of the song tell the perspective of a hollowed tree and a tiny spider holding onto life. “These are stories that have been told and re-told over and over and endured throughout history because their messages resonate with people. These songs are just our way of humbly contributing to these amazing cultural touchstones,” Paul explained. Another similar approach is the folklore-inspired “Tongue-Cut Sparrow.”
As one of the songs Casey Paul adores the most, “November Midnight” encompasses memories tied up with Boston where Casey Paul went to college and the impression of amplified feelings in a cold, dark night at 4 am in November. The two different ideas created contrast in energy, which is perfectly captured in the music itself. “We’re all fascinated by cities honestly. How they’re built and brought to life by the people who want to share and learn and experience things with other people. Every person who comes into a city, even just for a little bit adds something to its zeitgeist and helps shape its path in the future,” he commented.
“It (‘Grimm Winter’) embraces these moments of doubt and self-reflection everyone has inside of them,” said the lead singer. ‘Grimm Winter’ is just the beginning. Paul mentioned that they are currently working on a couple of unfinished songs which we should be expecting to hear soon!
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