Griff Has Opened For Some Of Pop’s Biggest Stars. Now She Has A Debut Album Of Her Own To Tour

Griff, a British singer-songwriter, has had an undeniably successful career. Less than two years after releasing her first track and clearing her A-level examinations, she received the Brit Award for Rising Star. Then she opened for Dua Lipa. Then, Ed Sheeran. Then Coldplay. Then, Taylor Swift.

Between gigs, solo shows, and music releases, she worked on the tracks for her debut album, “Vertigo,” which is out today.

“The usual steps that you take as a new artist have been a bit, like, upside-down,” the 23-year-old, who goes by Sarah Faith Griffiths, told The Associated Press in an interview. “An album is such a step hitting the ground, and it’s such a milestone I’ve always wanted to get to.”

Griff Has Opened For Some Of Pop’s Biggest Stars. Now She Has A Debut Album Of Her Own To Tour

According to her, this moment feels like the start of her career. The immersive pop album explores the emotions accompanying such a whirlwind and those arising from other destabilizing occurrences, such as growing up and experiencing heartache.

Griff said the inspiration for the project came, “funnily enough,” while navigating a spiral staircase in one of the residences she wrote the record in — in this case, a cottage owned by singer and songwriter Imogen Heap. She claimed the physical truth of the encounter immediately translated into an emotional counterpart, which has stayed with her ever since.

“That was just a very real, tangible feeling that I have had, and still have, at this stage in my life,” she told me.

“Tears For Fun” and “Miss Me Too” explore that dizzying sensation through multilayer productions inspired by the large-scale locations she has previously played in. “Astronaut” incorporates piano by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, who inspired Griff to alter an early form of the song into a ballad. “You said you needed space, go on then, astronaut,” she admits in her characteristic belt, her grounded demeanor lending weight to her charges.

“It’s almost like I’m a little greedy with emotions when it comes to songs,” she added, explaining her desire to combine heartbreaking words with catchy, optimistic arrangements. “For me, music is all about moving people and triggering emotion.”

According to her, the catharsis is shared by both the artist and the listeners, which Martin has encouraged.

“He really believes that as creatives and writers, we’re just kind of vessels, and creativity will flow through us and ideas will find their way to the right people,” according to her. “And I think that kind of philosophy is really reassuring.”

Griff succeeds in her aim not only through her sound but also through the graphics she and her crew create. Ever since the album’s first track was released, she has worn a spiral in her hair. Song visualizers envision her dancing in billowing textiles on the same spiral created in sand. Like her pop forefathers, she understands that an album “era” is a multimedia undertaking.

However, the more casual glances of Griff, the creative, may disclose far more about her inner life. In preparation for her gig opening for a night of Swift’s Eras Tour in London, she chronicled the process of making a garment out of blue and white cloth inspired by a line from Swift’s song “But Daddy I Love Him.”

“I was always draping bedsheets around myself,” she recalled from her upbringing. “I was the only female – I have two elder brothers and a lot of foster siblings — so I entertained myself by dressing up. “I think I just enjoy making things.”

Griff Has Opened For Some Of Pop’s Biggest Stars. Now She Has A Debut Album Of Her Own To Tour

Swift stated on stage: “This girl, she is so creative on every single level.”

Griff, true to her enthusiasm, says she is eager to continue producing.

“To be totally honest, I feel excited to get back in the studio,” she told me. “I feel like I’ve got a lot more to give.”

SOURCE | AP