Brian Granse
Amidst the turbulence of modern society and the political climate in America, it is often difficult to see the role that music plays. Portland singer-songwriter Brian Granse has pondered this question throughout his career as an artist, which has carried him through a wide array of lifestyles linked by a common theme: From growing up in a rural Illinois town of 2000 people, to holding down construction jobs while playing music throughout his twenties, to working as a teacher for at-risk youth in Portland, OR, Granse has found himself on the front lines of income inequality in the United States. It is largely this issue, and the rural-urban divide, that motivates his upcoming EP, The Longwall.
"In recent years, I've seen up close and personal how low-income families face so many more challenges on their paths, with systems in place that perpetuate that cycle," Granse says, reflecting on his job teaching special education and music production at an alternative high school, a position that helped ignite his passion for social justice. "I see the broader system failing to provide them with opportunities to climb, and seeing it first hand is a sobering experience."
With a firmer understanding of the social issues faced in the city, Granse looks back on his rural beginnings with a newfound focus:
"I'm navigating through my own value systems as I go through life to figure out what pieces of my history to hold to and which ones to grow away from or amend. I like capturing stories from within that pocket of growth that focus more on the humanity in people's experiences as I contemplate...how do we bridge value systems in the United States?"
Granse seems perfectly poised to be such a bridge. The Longwall is a lush and lonesome portrait of hardship. Largely set against a backdrop of desolate flatlands of the midwest, Granse's songs give voice to the economically depressed, working class people of rural America to whom upward mobility is inaccessible. Melancholic chords and rich strings fill out the stories that come to life with Granse's heartfelt voice and acoustic guitar. While the music feels deeply emotional, the presence of something larger than Granse himself looms beneath the surface.
"I think when we try to find some common ground and a way to inject some humanity into situations and stories, people can see beyond politics and achieve some level of shared vision."
The Longwall was self-recorded entirely at Brian Granse's home studio except for drums, which were engineered by Justin Phelps at Cloud City Studios before he opened The Hallowed Halls in Portland, OR. It features Kyleen King on violin (Brandi Carlile, The Decemberists), Chris Frank on upright bass, Gideon Freudman on cello (Portland Cello Project), Russ Kleiner on drums (Tony Furtado, Curtis Salgado), Lex Browning on violin (Tanya Tucker, Trace Adkins), and Paul Brainard on pedal steel (Blitzen Trapper, M. Ward).