“Born to Break” is taken from The Grand Southern’s new album Don’t Say Anything, out on 3/25.
The band says of the album, “There’s a great wealth of musicianship in Los Angeles and in our community, bringing our songs into the studio and watching them blossom while playing with some of our favorite people is really a privilege.”
The band’s new song, “Born to Break” is awash with melancholy guitars and wistful lyrics, a sort of update of the Gin Blossoms, complete with a musical nod to the kings of bar band ennui. In our interview, the Grand Southern discuss their influences and approach to songwriting.
Who are some of your musical influences?
Wilco, Otis Redding, The War on Drugs, Van Morrison, Carole King
Tell us about the first song you wrote.
The first song we wrote together is called “Break My Heart Again” and it was born out of us joking about the game, “Would You Rather?” The chorus lyric is “Would you rather fall in love or break my heart again?”
Do you have any songwriting tips you can share?
Three chords and the truth! I think people want something that speaks to them, that they can relate to. You can chase that by guessing and compromising, or you can just be honest with what you are trying to say. If you are vulnerable and not calculating, people can generally see that, and on a deeper level, relate.
Do you start off with the music or lyrics first? Why?
We tend to write both lyrics and chords pretty much simultaneously. Maybe start strumming a chord change and then add in some lyrics on top. We spend most of our time trying to come up with the best lyrics for the song and just making sure the chords support the melody and over all vibe of the tune. We don’t have a specific formula, just try and follow whatever bit of inspiration comes.
Who would you love to collaborate with? Why?
H.E.R. She’s such a great player and songwriter. Also, a Willie Nelson collaboration would be a dream. He’s one of the best songwriters alive and his voice is timeless. Couldn’t imagine anything cooler than that!