Grandson’s Jordan Benjamin On Honesty And Storytelling In The TikTok Era

Forbes Business Hollywood & Entertainment Grandson’s Jordan Benjamin On Honesty And Storytelling In The TikTok Era Jim Ryan Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I write about the business of music Following Jul 19, 2023, 06:47pm EDT | Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Jordan Benjamin of grandson performs on day two at Festival d’été de Québec (FEQ). Friday, July 7, .

. . [+] 2023 in Québec City, Canada Photo by Barry Brecheisen Since 2018, Jordan Benjamin has grown as a songwriter, evolving as an artist over the course of two albums and a series of EPs while tallying a platinum single in America in his musical guise as grandson .

On his latest studio effort, I Love You, I’m Trying ( now available on CD, vinyl and for online streaming via Fueled by Ramen), Benjamin doubles down on honesty and introspection, speaking directly to his fan base throughout the storytelling that connects twelve terrific new tracks, hitting upon relatable topics like mental health and navigating life’s ups and downs. “I feel as though for me to continue to find the motivation and the passion for writing these songs, and touring them relentlessly as I have been, I need to find ways to continue to push myself to be more vulnerable and really expand my songwriting,” said Benjamin backstage at Festival d’été de Québec ( FEQ ), following an intimate pop-up performance ahead of a moving main stage festival slot alongside acts like Imagine Dragons last week. “I personally feel as though this body of work sets me up to explore all kinds of different topics and styles of music in a way that feels exciting for me.

And I hope that my fans come on that journey. ” I spoke with Jordan Benjamin, amidst a tour of Canada set to run into early August ahead of European dates in September and October, about the sense of honesty that lies at the heart of his latest album I Love You, I’m Trying , the importance of storytelling and a few favorite albums. A transcript of our conversation backstage in Québec City, Canada, lightly edited for length and clarity, follows below.

Jordan Benjamin of grandson poses backstage on day two at Festival d’été de Québec (FEQ). Friday, . .

. [+] July 7, 2023 in Québec City, Canada Photo by Barry Brecheisen Jim Ryan : On the new album, you speak directly to your fan base on very relatable topics like mental health. How important was it to approach the songwriting in that way this time around? grandson : I thought that it was the right opportunity for me to make an album that served to deepen my fan base’s relationship to me personally.

I think I had written music that spans across five years now and touches all kinds of social topics. And I think sometimes I have played the role of narrator providing a soundtrack or a commentary for these themes that me and my generation are going through. But I thought this was the right opportunity to make something that was more confessional and that, in some ways, can serve as almost like a prologue.

It gives people context for why I showed up in the rock space at 23 years old all angry. I think that I wanted to make an album about my family history and my own personal upbringing that let people in in a way that I hadn’t previously. Jordan Benjamin of grandson poses backstage on day two at Festival d’été de Québec (FEQ).

Friday, . . .

[+] July 7, 2023 in Québec City, Canada Photo by Barry Brecheisen Ryan : There’s a real growth there in terms of the songwriting. How does this batch of songs feel to you? grandson : I feel as though for me to continue to find the motivation and the passion for writing these songs, and touring them relentlessly as I have been, I need to find ways to continue to push myself to be more vulnerable and really expand my songwriting. I personally feel as though this body of work sets me up to explore all kinds of different topics and styles of music in a way that feels exciting for me.

And I hope that my fans come on that journey. Of course, some of them will want their favorite artist to stay the same as when they first found them and will be maybe disappointed by change. But we as artists have a responsibility to grow and change.

And hopefully people will enjoy the music and give me the generosity that allows me to explore these things. Raised in Toronto and a student in Montreal, grandson’s Jordan Benjamin surveys a massive crowd . .

. [+] during a moving moment on day two at Festival d’été de Québec (FEQ). Friday, July 7, 2023 in Québec City, Canada Photo by Barry Brecheisen Ryan : I read a quote from you this morning that I loved; that I Love You, I’m Trying is an album you would’ve needed when you were 16.

When you were 16, what were a few of the albums you did have? grandson : [Eminem’s] The Marshall Mathers LP was definitely one of them. Ready To Die by The Notorious B. I.

G. 2014 Forest Hills Drive by J. Cole.

Faces by Mac Miller. A lot of hip-hop. A lot of confessional hip-hop.

When I think of entire bodies of work like that, at that age I was mostly consuming hip-hop. I was emotionally diving into the legend of a great rapper’s underdog story, you know what I mean? So those were some of the ones for me. Ryan : When I listened to the album again this morning, one of the things that really jumped out at me, and always kind of has in your music, is that idea of honesty.

That’s a concept that seems to be devalued sometimes these days. How important is it that your music strikes that chord? Jordan Benjamin of grandson poses backstage on day two at Festival d’été de Québec (FEQ). Friday, .

. . [+] July 7, 2023 in Québec City, Canada Photo by Barry Brecheisen grandson : It’s super important.

And I think that at a time post-pandemic where the acceleration of social media and digital storytelling has kind of superseded everything else as far as what is going to get kids to listen to your music, I think that there is this interesting paradox – where more and more people are being served curated versions of themselves online but more and more we seek authenticity. We do crave, I think, a great story that feels some amount of real. So we as artists need to balance both being ourselves and being honest with our songwriting while making it work in these very accessible and digestible narrative forms.

So, for me, again, it was like, let me make something where fans of mine will feel that honesty – and hope and put faith in the idea that great music will find its audience. MORE FROM FORBES Foo Fighters, Weezer And Imagine Dragons Shine As FEQ Wraps Up In Quebec City By Jim Ryan And I do think that rock and roll and alternative music is at a bit of a crossroads. Because the old way of a band just existing to give you an album every two years while having a certain amount of anonymity – I think that that form is struggling to maintain traction with fan bases.

I do think that the era of being able to go away in between projects and leave something to the imagination is way harder to establish. You look at artists like Cage The Elephant or Young the Giant, some of my favorite bands – most of those style of artists were already successful when the advent of TikTok and the pandemic happened. They already had a fan base and they are now serving that fan base.

So, as far as me and being honest with my music goes, I just think that it’s clearly what people are searching for. They want to intimately know what the singer of this song has been through and why it matters to them. So, I tried to break down some of the metaphor and make it quite honest and overt what these songs are about and what I’m going through.

And hopefully that connects with people. It’s certainly been a good process for me as a songwriter. Follow me on Twitter .

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