Grandson is an alternative artist from Englewood, Canada, with roots in Toronto and later bases in Montreal and Los Angeles. Born in 1993, he grows up around a wide mix of music including jazz, rock and roll, rap, dancehall and R&B.

Background

He begins playing guitar and piano in high school. At 17, he moves to Montreal to attend university, where he works in nightclubs cleaning tables and DJing. During this period he starts writing songs and developing a style that draws on the different genres he hears growing up.

Musical development

He begins experimenting with production and rapping in 2013, then leaves university and relocates to Los Angeles to focus on music full time. He adopts the Grandson name there and works with a small community of musicians in the city.

Style and themes

Grandson blends alternative rock, indie rock, nu metal, political hip hop and rap rock. His work draws on artists such as Rage Against the Machine, Nirvana, Led Zeppelin, Twenty One Pilots and Hiatus Kaiyote, alongside rap and R&B from Toronto. His live shows aim for a frantic, cathartic energy influenced by early punk and grunge.

Lyrical focus

His songs address financial inequality, government and environmental accountability, and social justice. He also writes about adolescence, relationships, and the insecurities and difficulties of growing up through his 20s.

Label

He releases music on Fueled by Ramen.