Exclusive Interview: Grant Knoche Talks I COULD DIE JUST THINKING OF US EP, How His Lived Experiences Brought a New Level of Vulnerability, and More

Singer-songwriter and producer Grant Knoche has seen a meteoric rise as he’s quickly become one of the emerging voices of his generation. At the age of eleven, the gifted artist taught himself how to write and produce from his bedroom, and he hasn’t looked back since. With over 100 shows under his belt and millions of streams worldwide, Grant has captivated listeners and fans with his authenticity, honesty, and genre-defying sound.

Earlier this year, he released his third EP, I COULD DIE JUST THINKING OF US, which finds Grant exploring a new level of vulnerability as he writes from his own lived experiences.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to catch up with Grant to talk about I COULD DIE JUST THINKING OF US, his growth as an artist, and more.

PC: I COULD DIE JUST THINKING OF US is your third EP, and there’s noticeable growth in your vocals, songwriting, and production. What has played the biggest role in your development as an artist over the years?
Grant: Honestly, with this EP, the main thing behind it is just living, having experiences, and building relationships. In my first EP, COLOR ME BLUE, I wrote much of it from watching movies, observing my family, reading books, or simply starting with a cool song title and asking, “What could come from this?”

For this EP, I COULD DIE JUST THINKING OF US, it was all from my own experiences. It was super vulnerable. I’m really, really proud of it because I’ve always wanted to be super vulnerable in my music. But that’s hard to do when you don’t have all those experiences. Now that I’ve gone through all that stuff, I can really write from my heart, which I did on this EP.

PC: It’s your best body of work to date. The EP was inspired by the ups and downs you’ve experienced in life and many of your firsts. You’ve been incredibly open about the writer’s block you faced after your first heartbreak. What was that turning point for you? Has it ever been a scary prospect to revisit that heartache and be that vulnerable?
Grant: It was definitely a hard thing. You’ll hear other songwriters say that once you have that heartbreak, you’ll write so much. There’s so much pressure around that, so when you do have that heartbreak, you’re like, “I should be writing right now.”

At first, I did have a bit of writer’s block in certain areas while I was trying to figure out what I wanted to say. What I learned from that was when the heartbreak was fresh, that was the hardest time to write because I needed time to process it all and sit with it. Then I could come back and almost take a fresh look at everything and be like, “Okay, this is a more healthy outlook on it.”

But then there are also other songs that are not healthy. [laughs] There are toxic songs on my part where I’m still holding on and grasping for this person. There’s a mix of all of that, but that’s what brings the ups and downs.

PC: You take listeners on this emotional rollercoaster. This EP does a fantastic job showing off your versatility. Were you mindful of this as you were putting this project together? What is the process of deciding which songs you’ll lean more into the production as opposed to ones that are more stripped back?
Grant: I’ve been working on this EP for the past year and a half to two years. I knew I wanted to create another project and put that out, but I wasn’t so set on having a song that sounded like this, a song that said this, and it has to be stripped back. I wasn’t so specific on those things. It was more just a feeling about how I felt in the moment, what I was writing, and what the song called for.

An example of that is “OUT OF THE BLUE.” It’s a very strong, stripped-back song where it’s just a keyboard and some drums that come through. For that one, it was more about my vocals and the feelings in the lyrics. It’s really a case-by-case thing with each song.

PC: As you were saying, this project has been two years in the making. What’s been the most surprising part about putting it together? What does it mean to you to see the response that it’s had on your fans?
Grant: The first song that I released on the EP was “ICARUS,” which is a very fun, upbeat pop song. Then we take a big, deep dive into “PLEASE HURRY,” which is a heartbreak ballad, and then there’s “LOOK AT ME RIGHT NOW,” which is this clubby, sexy song. It’s funny to me because I was writing these songs and putting my emotions into them without worrying about whether they would fit together. It wasn’t until I was finished when I was like, “Let’s put them together.”

When I was releasing them, it was interesting to see how people were reacting to them because you have “PLEASE HURRY,” and they’re like, “This is an Adele-ish heartbreak ballad.” Then they’d hear “LOOK AT ME RIGHT NOW,” and it’s so different. But I’m really surprised and happy that people feel like it all fits together and has cohesiveness. At the end of the day, my artistry is more than one thing. It’s multiple things that I want to do and have in my music.

PC: That through line has been writing from your heart. If you had to pick a song off the EP that best encompasses who you are as an artist in this moment, which would it be and why?
Grant: That’s a good one. I would say “ICARUS.” I feel like “Icarus” is cool because it has a very poppy chorus that you can dance to and make someone move, but then I also really love the lyrics and verses. I really love dark pop music, but this is a song that feels a bit happier. But in the verses, it has that dark pop vibe.

PC: You’ve done all this independently. How has that freedom allowed you to discover your voice? Why has it been so important to you as a creative?
Grant: It’s been amazing. On one side, it’s been hard to look at artists who have those big labels and are pushing them. But at the same time, I love having that control over my project and what I want to say as an artist because that’s what’s fun about music to me. I get to be myself and go into the studio and create whatever I want. I’ve really loved being able to try whatever I want. That’s how a lot of these songs came about. For example, “LOOK AT ME RIGHT NOW,” I created that beat on my laptop and I was sitting with it. I was like, “This is really different from other stuff that I’ve done, but it feels really cool.” Then I brought it into a session, and we put it together. It was really cool because we were like, “Wow, that’s amazing how we can play with the boundaries and go outside my normal box.” I really love that control.

PC: You’ve really stepped into your own as a person and artist, and it’s been a banner year for you. When you look back, is there a moment that stands out?
Grant: American Song Contest was one of my favorites, getting to be on that big stage in front of millions of people. That was so cool because I had creative control over that performance, and it was something that I really enjoy doing and what I’d like my own tour to look like. It was cool because it was a sneak peek into what a tour would look like for me down the line. That was a cool thing.

This year, I also got on New Music Friday, which I’ve always wanted to be on. I remember one of the first songs that I put out called “Unfair,” I was sitting until midnight when the show came out, and I was like, “It’s going to get on New Music Friday. I know it is.” Then it didn’t. Then the next fifteen songs after that didn’t either. I got to the point where I was like, “If it’s going to happen, it’ll happen.” I know there are so many other political parts and things that come into play, and it might not be the right timing.

When I released “ANOTHER REASON,” I wasn’t expecting it at all. I was scrolling to see what other artists released that day, and I saw that it was featured on New Music Friday. I was like, “What? This is wild.” That was a big highlight moment too. I feel like I’m hitting goals and progressing. I feel good about that.

PC: So often when artists release projects, they start working on the next. As we look ahead to 2024, is there another EP in the works? A possible tour? What do you hope to say with the next body of work?
Grant: This next year I’m hoping to do some more touring, more shows, and go out and meet a bunch of fans and new people. But at the time, I’m in an era where I’m trying to figure out what the next song is and what that next project will look like. I do have some songs that are getting ready for that. But I need a little time to live a bit and go through experiences so that I can pull from that. But I’m writing all the time and writing for other people. If something feels like it fights for what I want right now, then it’ll happen. But I’m definitely looking at doing a new project in 2024 or releasing a bunch of singles.

To keep up with Grant, follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Spotify, and Apple Music. Listen to I COULD DIE JUST THINKING OF US today.