Grant gears up for Grammy showcase, new album

I told you so.

And by “you,” I mean all the ears I blabbered on and on to about Jenn Grant‘s debut Orchestra For The Moon, and how she was going to be the next Canadian indie idol.

You see, it seems the Halifax singer-songwriter has gone from being a Canadian folk secret to an artist surrounded by gold—gold gramophones, that is.

According to her website and Halifax’s alternative weekly The Coast, Grant and her band the Night Painters will be visiting our southern neighbors to perform for none other than the Canadian consulate in LA during Grammy Week (the first week of February, the awards are on February 8). 

This is huge for Grant, especially since she only has one full-length album (2007’s Orchestra For The Moon) to base her success upon. Her sophomore effort, Echoes, is set to be released February 3 on Six Shooter Records.

I still remember the day I first discovered Grant. It was spring 2007, and I had received a tiny package in the mail from a publicist. After one listen, I immediately fell in love with her girlish charm, carefree persona and beautiful voice. 

I also remember thinking that, if Orchestra For The Moon was any indication of what was to come, I should be very excited. Myself, among others, felt that she was definitely an artist to watch in the future. 

And we were right to keep our sights on her. 

The Coast managed to get a comment from the bright-eyed, spunk-filled songstress about her upcoming trip to Grammyland and here’s what she had to say:  

“I am stoked, and, yes, I plan on stealing a Grammy. I hope to meet up with Beyoncé and do her woman dance with her. And I think Kinley (Dowling) would like to show Kings of Leon that she can sing in their band to the song ‘Sex is on Fire.’ David (Christensen) and Sean (MacGillivray) will be our bodyguards because after we show Beyoncé and Kings of Leon what we can do, they may try and kidnap us.” 

Over the holidays, I had the chance to sneak a listen to Grant’s new album Echoes and interview her about the final product. Unfortunately, we were both unaware of the Grammy news at the time, so we didn’t get a chance to talk about her planned “woman dance” with Beyoncé. 

Echoes, according to Grant, is a break-up record. But get this: she didn’t even know she was making a break-up album until she was halfway through recording.

Talk about cathartic.

The break-up album posed a problem for Grant, since she was actually in a relationship at the time. But once she heard her feelings screaming out from within her music, she had no choice but to listen.

Thus, the heartbreak—and consequently, a bona fide break-up album—became a reality. 

You can listen to a clip of Grant’s thoughts and reflections on Echoes below. 

[audio:https://thethunderbird.ca/files/2009/01/jenn-grant1.mp3]