A multi-instrumentalist and poetic lyricist, Gruen is scheduled to perform Jan. 20 at Sundance’s ASCAP Music Café in Park City, Utah.
Born in New York and now based in Vermont, Gruen grew up near award-winning musicians. Father Bob Gruen, acclaimed rock ‘n’ roll photographer, exposed him to the music industry at an early age. Gruen’s exchanges with famous artists ingrained key elements into his song-writing style — elements such as simple structure, earnest delivery and carefully crafted lyrics that both tell a narrative and express emotion.
“What sold me from day one [on Kris] were his lyrics and [his] melodic sense. He writes about real things in a not-so-obvious way and tells stories from life experience. His melodies are never what you’d expect yet are grounded in classic styles and driven by his vocal prowess to create something fresh and emotive,” said Charles Newman, Gruen’s producer. “I think [Kris’s] lack of any legitimate music schooling has inspired him to create music and sounds based on the things he hears and likes around him.”
Released last summer, Gruen asserts that, in regards to sound and energy, his recent album ranges from “whisper-folk lullaby to punk-rock anthemic.” The songs delve into familiar stories, such as waking up at night to comfort a newborn (“Who’s Gonna Watch the Baby”), working a day job that isn’t necessarily related to one’s dream job (“Company Man”) and reflecting on the woes of growing older (“Little Again”). While these subjects seem tired and overused, Gruen infects each song with compelling energy and emotion, which makes each track instantly catchy and relatable.
“John Lennon said, ‘The secret to success is to steal from the best.’ Lennon was irreverent and left his audience to their own devices to decide what he meant, but I don’t think he was talking about copying. I believe he meant that the ingredients of good art are the same for all, and that no one will invent the wheel no matter how hard they try,” Gruen said. “Building on the foundations of those we admire is a good thing, and we can only, and most importantly, hope to reinterpret the world uniquely, based on our unique personalities … More simply put, I try to write accessible, up-front songs about real life experiences, and [I] do that because I can, and I believe that if you can, you should,” Gruen said.
In Gruen’s hands, even heartbreak and loss, two subjects abused by the mainstream music industry, become fresh and alive. The track “Don’t Be Shy” begins with a splattering of horns and builds into a graceful and soaring song that focuses on taking chances and saying how you feel, because, before you know it, the chance to say something will have passed.
Another standout track is “Cemetery,” which starts slowly with both the piano and acoustic guitar echoing in the background. This song describes the visit to a loved one’s grave, and it acts as a warm hug to anyone who has experienced overwhelming grief.
“As a songwriter, my goal is to call out to the listener, to be bold in my outreach to them, not to intimidate, but to reassure them that they are the point of why I write,” Gruen said. “I write songs so that those who love and learn and thrive through music can understand and appreciate my perspective, having faith that any perspective, made accessible, can change the world for the better.”
Most of the songs on “New Comics from the Wooded World” were recorded live and produced at John Vanderslice’s Tiny Telephone Studios in San Francisco. The record marked Gruen’s first attempt at recording live, and his efforts to do so created an album that brims with authenticity and intimacy.