Dropping out of school to pursue a music career may seem like an unrealistic dream to some. But in the years since Jordan Benjamin left Concordia University to move to Los Angeles, it seems to have worked out well; he has quickly accumulated millions of streams online; he released his first EP; he has collaborated with some of his idols and has formed an army of loyal fans.
“I’ve been able to let other people know that their frustration and their confusion is valid, and it’s been a very rewarding experience for me,” he said.
The 25-year-old makes music under the pseudonym “grandson.” Born in the United States, he moved to Toronto when he was three years old and maintains Canadian and American dual citizenship. After high school, he moved to Montreal to study education at McGill because he initially thought about becoming a teacher. Two years later, he transferred to Concordia, but left shortly after he started.
“I always felt like I was a fish trying to climb a tree–like, I knew I had the capacity to be fulfilled, to do big things. I knew that that was my ambition, but I didn’t really know how to make that fit within the world that was around me and within the context of how everyone else seemed to go about doing it,” he said.
Benjamin said that he had been writing music while he was still in school. His debut EP, a modern tragedy vol. 1, came out last year and his top song on Spotify, “Blood // Water”, currently has over 55 million plays. His next EP, a modern tragedy vol. 2, is set to be released on Feb. 22.
Benjamin says he aims to use his music to address topics that matter to him, such as mental health, gun violence, and various other political issues.
“I want to use this debut series of EPs to be an introduction to me and to be a kind of broad scope. I wanted to touch on a lot of different things to do with my personal life, my relationship to the world around me . . . I’m really excited for this new one to come out,” he said.
Benjamin’s work has received the praise of some his idols through various collaborations. Notably, “Blood // Water” was remixed by Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello, and Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda featured him on his 2018 solo album, Post Traumatic. Benjamin said it felt special working with both artists because he grew up listening to them and was heavily inspired by their work.
“I get to write with those guys and go hang with them and call them friends. It’s pretty cool, and it certainly feels pretty far from my days in Concordia sitting in the back of the lecture hall,” he said.
Although grandson is generally classified as rock, his music covers a variety of influences and genres, such as rap and electronic.
“I always felt like I was too rock for the hip-hop world, and too hip-hop for the rock kids, and not cool enough for the electronic kids. I guess I finally got frustrated enough I created my own little community,” he said.
The community he’s referring to is his loyal group of fans, dubbed “grandkids.” Benjamin said he is looking forward to connecting with the fans he hasn’t been able to meet yet on his upcoming tour, which is his first as a major headliner.
“I’m really looking forward to just getting to elaborate further on who I am and what this music means to me,” he said.
The No Apologies Tour comes to Babylon Nightclub on Feb. 23. Benjamin said he’s excited to play his first-ever show in Ottawa.
“I’m really excited to come to Ottawa and just remind everybody over there that we’ve got a lot of work left to do, but that you’re not alone in doing it, and no matter what the battle is your fighting, you’ve got a soundtrack.”
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