Just when you think you’ve heard everything there is to hear in pop, along comes Daniel Grinberg. His new album, Short Stories, is the kind of audio journey that takes the listener from wherever he or she is and sonically transports him or her to a completely different realm, one where speech is replaced by song and where emotions emanate audibly. If that sounds like purple prose, you obviously haven’t heard Grinberg’s stuff. (But you will at the end of this post.)
It’s no wonder, then, that we were clamoring to grill Grinberg on his decision to devote his life to his music and leave behind his past in the world of tech. Here’s what he had to say.
1. Everyone has a turning point. What was it that made you say “I want to be a musician”?
I don’t think anybody decides to be a musician. It is something that happen and you cannot avoid. Music is part of you, and you are part of it. It is not necessarily by playing an instrument. It is by loving it and willing to do it all the time. Music is an addiction. For me, it started since I remember myself. I loved listening to music and at a very young age I started playing instruments and composing songs. Since ever everything has to do with music for me. Music is basically my perception of life.
2. You come from the tech world. Do you see similarities between it and the music industry?
Not at all. The tech industry, in the meaning of inventing and creating, is very logical. It has to do with culture in the meaning of behavioral patterns. Technology is the ability to overcome nature restrictions. Creating music has to do with the basic essence of existence. It is the link to the human nature. Music is the DNA of the human soul. Music has to do with the miracle of life. It has nothing to do with logics. There is a concept that involves music with mathematics. It is not true. May be there is a reason why many musicians are also scientists. Maybe there is an intellectual pattern. But music has nothing to do with science and technology. From the business perspective, businessmen are businessmen everywhere. They care about money and this is the same in all industries.
3. What inspires you to write? Does songwriting help you process your emotions?
I just love composing songs. Writing lyrics is not my favorite. I always start from a melody or a harmony and words come after. It happens fast. From having a melody in my head and up to having a final song recorded in my smartphone it may take between 30 minutes and up to a couple of hours. This is the way I do it today. If I am not in a situation of properly recording, with my guitar or keyboard, I just sing into my smartphone. Even driving my car. Writing songs, composing music and even just playing my guitar helps processing my emotions. Listening to a song I love or to a niece piece of jazz plays in my emotions, sometimes very deeply, like everybody else. The capability to create music is a huge gift. It is something I am extremely grateful for and makes me very happy.
4. Tell us about Short Stories. What was the process of making it like, and what would you like a first-time listener to know about you?
I want the first-time listener to love the songs and to be willing to listen to it again and again. This is the porpoise. This is the satisfaction and compensation. It is bringing the message to the audience in all possible aspects. I like people reacting to the music and also to the lyrics. I like people asking me when will I release my next album, and I am working on that right now, together with the same guys I created the first one and also together with some additional artists. Working with these extremely talented young artists is a wonderful experience.
5. What’s next for you?
As I said I am working on a new album and also in a live concert. I hope to be ready with all that by the end of this year or even sooner.
Take a listen to “80 Years” from Short Stories below:
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