Hailing from New York, singer/songwriter and alternative artist Grettch releases her tender debut single “Tryin’ (Ft. Poppin')”. Born in New Jersey and raised in the Southern Patagonia of Chile, Grettch began to gather inspiration from many different experiences all to form her first band ‘Grettch’. Later on, collaborating with Bronx producer Poppin’ on her latest release “Tryin’ (Ft. Poppin’)”, the two are also conjuring up an entire EP set to release late 2020. Grettch’s leading single “Tryin’ (Ft. Poppin’)” showcases her angelic vocals full of raw emotion and desire to keep pushing when times get tough. Through rhythmic and melancholy underlying production, we’re easily able to take away the song's heartfelt theme.
“Tryin’ (Ft. Poppin’)” opens with echoed piano chords and the vibrant entrance of Grettch’s serene vocal stylings. Her broad vocal range clearly lets her emphasize the songs strong points, while bringing the vibe back down with an entrancing and softer delivery. Not to mention Poppin’s textured production fusing R&B elements with soothing Alt-Pop ghost vocals and harmonies. Grettch’s background vocals also bring forward an incredibly haunting aspect to “Tryin’ (Ft. Poppin’)”, giving us a peek into Grettch and Poppin’s creativity when finding elements to make their hypnotic atmosphere all the more effective. All in all, Grettch’s “Tryin’ (Ft. Poppin’)” serves a finely-tuned progressive piece of music, finding a spot to make camp in your heart.
Check out "Tryin' (Ft. Poppin')" here.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Grettch! We’re fascinated by your broad vocal range and ability to portray emotion on your latest single “Tryin’ (Ft. Poppin’)”. Could you expand more on what the songs overall message is about?
Thank you so much for having me! This song's process and meaning are special to me. After receiving his track I went to Poppin' studio and asked him: What should we talk about? I've been tired of writing about love and I wanted something different. We talked about the feeling of being in New York grinding. I got inspired and came up with the chorus first and it evolved from there. This song for me is that state of mind where you feel all your efforts are not bringing anything tangible in return. It is the moment before return comes to you. It's dense, it feels faithless, lonely and disorienting yet if you let this get to you, you won't be able to rise, so you gotta get up and keep going even if you can't see or believe you will rise. This is the phrase on the chorus" I gotta get up, I gotta get up. I tell myself, I gotta get up now"
Your latest single “Tryin’ (Ft. Poppin’)” was conceptually produced by Bronx producer Poppin’, who’s also producing your upcoming EP. Could you share how Grettch and Poppin’ went about creating “Tryin’ (Ft. Poppin’)”, and how you reached your end goal?
Poppin' has a bank of records to work with artists and he sent me this one thinking I would be a good fit for the vibe. This is the first song we worked together and we both were shy cause we didn't know each other at all. When I arrived at his place he let me sit in his studio to write the lyrics while he would go outside for a smoke and wait patiently. It was very different from songwriting with friends for sure and I found the process quite reassuring. He respected what I did and decided to go with that. I was so used to get input while writing with/for others I thought it wasn't working out. I thought he didn't like it much so I asked him straight forward and he said just enough for us to finish it. Then he sent me three more tracks he worked on and said: Let's make an EP with these.
We’ve heard that not only are you a singer/songwriter, but Grettch also is a podcast producer and classical piano educator. How has this extensive background helped you shape your career as an artist? What experiences were most notable to your growth?
Coming to New York has been key to my growth. New York is that sort of place that has opportunities for everyone yet New York doesn't need to give them to you. New York has given me a real true relationship with ups and downs and it doesn't take bs from no one. It puts you on the spot; deciding who you really are and what you really can bring to the table. This city is full of talent. People work hard to be who they are and if you aren't up to the standard, somebody else is. When I came here I was offering myself to do anything and I worked in so many different things temporary, they didn't help me bloom particularly in who I really wanted to be. One day I stopped trying so hard to be who I wasn't and decided to be honest with who I was and wanted to be. I decided to choose fields that would help me grow inside the arts field and life really changed. I looked for ballet schools because I love ballet and I could play classical piano. After many emails sent, two replied and I left waitressing and ushering to become a piano accompanist and use my musical abilities. I could say so much I may write a book about it at some point but the main inflection point was allowing myself to be honest with my talents which has allowed me to find ways to use them. Podcasting came to me out of craigslist after having tons of bad experiences with this platform. For one time it turned out to be something awesome for me. Nowadays I get to edit and record so many talents with so much empowering things to say I can't stop being grateful for it. I can say with certainty all the bad experiences I had in New York on my first year and a half-prepared me to take the opportunities that have come my way today. It has definitely made me take " El toro por las astas" which means "take the bull by the horns" as my mother always says.
Speaking on Grettch’s upcoming EP in collaboration with Poppin’, how does your single “Tryin’ (Ft. Poppin’)” relate to the theme of the EP? What made you choose “Tryin’ (Ft. Poppin’)” to pave the way for your EP?
Tryin' was chosen by Poppin'. He decided this was going to be the single release for the upcoming EP. I have not questioned him about this at all. As he trusted me with the writing, I trust him with his input. Now if I had to say why it made sense to me, I would say its because its the first record we made together and it represents the main aesthetics of the entire EP. The other songs talk about love though, but the spices are in the same range of taste as Tryin'.