‘Running Wild’ has a modernized sound that is lush and intoxicating, pairing punchy drums with thick layers of synths and warm bass lines. Whether dark and moody or upbeat and jazzy, Grieves navigates the soundscape, penning verses that range from vulnerable and confessional to carefree.

Recorded in Stockholm alongside Swedish producer Chords (aka rapper Jens Eric Resch Thomason), the fifteen tracks on ‘Running Wild’does exactly what the album title would imply.

Tracks like ‘Gutz’ and ‘No Sleep’ are classic Grieves ruminations on anxiety and romantic bust-ups, then others such as ‘Faded’ and ‘RX’ experiment with fluttering trap beats, whilst ‘What it Dew’ and ‘5,000 Miles’ offer the rich guitar tones and humming organs more commonly found in classic soul.

The record offers a clear openness, both sonically and thematically which presents a new side to Grieves and his creativity as an artist. It showcases his dueling impulses to have a good time while staying true to himself. This artistic progression in Grieves offers a refreshing development in his overall sound, lyricism, and a unique journey for the listener.

When asked if he always knew he would end up being a rapper, Grieves can only laugh. “Oh no, not really, I was in bands and stuff, but grew up listening to Punk. It wasn’t until I got a little older that Hip-Hop really started to happen for me.”

When Grieves first heard artists such as Mobb Deep and Wu-Tang Clan, he remembers being drawn to their sound. “Hearing all the samples from records that I heard my dad play when I was a kid… You start to hear the connections. When I discovered people like Atmosphere, it was like hearing somebody speak their truth in a way that related to me. That’s when I first started to think about Hip-Hop as a way to really talk about what was happening in my life. Hard to believe that now, over a decade later, that’s actually what I’m still doing.”

While his previous efforts such as 2011’s ‘Together/Apart’, and 2014’s ‘Winter & The Wolves’ might have leaned heavily in the direction of darkness- taking on subjects such as addiction, heartbreak, and poverty, the new record introduces some much-needed levity to the proceedings.

At a time when the notion of the “album” is often summarily ditched in favor of records that are little more than a collection of previously released singles, ‘Running Wild’ is very much an album, and intentionally so. “I really wanted this to be a real record,” says Grieves, “I wanted it to work front to back.”

“I’ve been touring for over ten years at this point, people have seen my show. They get who I am as a person and an artist, the serious and the lightheartedness. Until now I haven’t felt comfortable releasing a record that divulges this, to project what you’re experiencing live, and what you have come to expect from the records, all in one!”

Coinciding with the tour, Grieves has also dropped his next video from the album for the track ‘A-Okay.’ The video centers around a character who seems unable to cut loose and enjoy the good times and the company he ‘s surrounded by.

Grieves said, “Life is way too short to be mad at other people’s enjoyment. Go out and live a little, rent a hot tub boat, get your butt touched, whatever… Just smile!”

SOURCE: Official Bio

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