Not Ok with Things, by GRÜN WASSER

Direction and Editing by Giuliana Foulkes. Cinematography by Asuka Lin. Lighting by Olive Bar. Assistance by Charlotte Hong Bee Her.

Not Ok with Things

by GRÜN WASSER

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GRÜN WASSER - Not Ok with Things (HD062-4)
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GRÜN WASSER - Not Ok with Things (HD062-1)
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1.	Translator 06:43 video	lyrics	buy track
hey you hey you hey you hey you hey you hey you do you hear me? let me show you show you show you show you show you something you must see take you take you take you take you take you down slowly to the place where the spiders sleep they speak to me for you for you for you for you for you for you i’m your translator to the to the to the to the to the to the other worldly things other things worldly things things you walk around like you own this town you walk around like you own this whole damn town you walk around like you own this town you walk around like you own this whole damn town for you for you i’m your translator for you for you i’m your translator to the other worldly things things
2.	Driving 04:38 video	lyrics	buy track
dry and hope high and up clinical pause street lights still on sound applause weedy nights long thought long stare dust does bother and disappear as easy it comes it goes like the rest my friends are distressed i find myself to regress filling a book up with withering notes not enough to myself nor to you, not myself but the spirit keeps me hanging on lot of love i can bring i can claim all these things though i cannot scrape the origin of doubt dry and hope high and up clinical pause street lights still on sound applause weedy nights long thought long stare dust does bother and disappear as easy it comes it goes like the rest my friends are distressed i find myself to regress dry and hope high and up clinical pause street lights still on sound applause weedy nights long thought long stare dust does bother and disappear as easy it comes it goes like the rest my friends are distressed i find myself to regress filling a book up with withering notes not enough to myself nor to you, not myself but the spirit keeps me hanging on lot of love i can bring i can claim all these things though i cannot scrape the origin of doubt dry and hope high and up clinical pause street lights still on sound applause weedy nights long thought long stare dust does bother and disappear as easy it comes it goes like the rest my friends are distressed i find myself to regress lot of love i can bring i can claim all these things though i cannot scrape the origin of doubt dry and hope high and up clinical pause street lights still on sound applause weedy nights long thought long stare lot of love i can bring i can claim all these things though i cannot scrape the origin of doubt lot of love i can bring lot of love i can bring lot of love i can bring
3.	Worm 07:03	lyrics	buy track
in a dream i will see you cross a field we are sound hold my breath listen closely i am sleeping come too soon find me wide awake find me sleeping come too soon come too soon too soon you’re a worm trying to cross the sidewalk but you have no feet you’re gonna get stepped on and i’ve got feet and i’m big and tall but i’m stuck in the mud, mentally physically, physically i’m moving i’m pacing back and forth i’m pacing back and forth but mentally, mentally i’m stuck in the mud i’m stuck in the mud and my minds’ all stagnant physically, physically i’m moving i’m pacing back and forth i’m pacing back and forth but mentally, mentally i’m stuck in the mud i’m stuck in the mud and it’s all stagnant in a dream in a dream i will see you i’m pacing back and forth i’m pacing back and forth but in my mind i’m stuck in the mud i’m stuck in the mud it’s all stagnant physically, physically i’m moving i’m pacing back and forth i’m pacing back and forth but mentally, mentally i’m stuck in the mud i’m stuck in the mud and you’re a worm i had so many plans for us so many ideas i thought, "things we could do but of course everything doesn’t always come to fruition” in a dream i will see you i’m pacing back and forth i’m pacing back and forth but in my mind in my mind i’m stuck in the mud i’m stuck in the mud it’s all stagnant physically, physically i’m moving i’m pacing back and forth i’m pacing back and forth and you’re a worm you have no feet i’m pacing back and forth i’m pacing back and forth and you’re a worm i’m pacing back and forth i’m pacing back and forth
4.	Gray/Grey 05:50	lyrics	buy track
i didn’t know what i wanted she didn’t know what she wanted i didn’t know what he wanted he didn’t know what he wanted stuck inside an illusion grasping onto conclusions bleeding in a cup drinking from a fountain trying to touch something sacred something scared me i didn’t know what i wanted she didn’t know what she wanted walk through the garden find a single flower reminds me of one time we sat and talked for an hour but i didn’t know what i wanted she didn’t know what she wanted i didn’t know what he wanted he didn’t know what he wanted i was trying to figure it out but i didn’t have a clue how and with just the sleight of your hand all sudden i know exactly where i you with your dirty hair and your big decisions i was trying to figure it out but now i know exactly where i’m at i didn’t know what i wanted she didn’t know what she wanted i didn’t know what he wanted he didn’t know what he wanted i didn’t know what i wanted walk through the garden find a single flower reminds me of one time we sat and talked for an hour bleeding in a cup drinking from a fountain trying to touch something sacred something scared me i was trying to touch something sacred something sacred me but i, i didn’t know what i was trying to touch but i, i didn’t know what i was trying to touch but i, i didn’t know what i i didn’t know what i i didn’t know i was trying to figure it out but i didn’t have a clue how and with just the sleight of your hand all sudden i know exactly where i you with your dirty hair and your big decisions i was trying to figure it out but now i know exactly where i’m at i didn’t know what i wanted she didn’t know what she wanted i didn’t know what he wanted i didn’t know didn’t know NO
5.	Stranger's Mouth 04:21 video	lyrics	buy track
i was always wandering in shadows she said can't you find another out pick apart all of what i must now conclusions are not always obvious hey and i say now won’t you say now what you wanted to anyway now hey and i say now won’t you say now what you wanted to anyway now i came closer to a stranger’s mouth he said can you see what you’re all about destruct and abbreviate my power seamlessly i am collecting doubt hey and i say now won’t you say now what you wanted to anyway now hey and i say now won’t you say now what you wanted to anyway now i never gave in to all the sour it was whispering by me for hours leave it grieving as the whole world melts contemplating how to cure a crowd hey and i say now won’t you say now what you wanted to anyway now hey and i say now won’t you say now what you wanted to anyway now i was always wandering in shadows she said can't you find another out pick apart all of what i must now conclusions are not always obvious conclusions are not always obvious not obvious not obvious hey and i say now won’t you say now what you wanted to anyway now hey and i say now won’t you say now what you wanted to anyway now
6.	Tried Spitting at The Sun 03:46	lyrics	buy track
still couldn’t say couldn’t say it was okay to push in that way to push in still i break still i lay dumb and ruined fell victim to a fleeting charm left split and disarmed tasted blood turning cud tried spitting at the sun landed me with but a song but a bum heart but a fast start never lasts long never births art still i fall apart still i lay still i break still i break still i fall still i lay still i break still i fall apart leaving
7.	Water Death II 04:10	lyrics	buy track
(no lyrics)

about

Arising at the forefront of contemporary underground pop, Chicago-based duo GRÜN WASSER shapes the course of minimal electronic music and blurs the boundaries of art, songwriting and performance on their latest full-length Not Ok with Things out October 4, 2019. Vocalist Keely Dowd and producer Essej Pollock artfully bend and reconfigure popular trends in dance music into unconventionally catchy songs and a powerful live show. Their unique mix of hardware, software and sampling coalesce into irresistible rhythms and driving sequences that fuse perfectly with Dowd’s distinctive alto voice, forming music that is as instantly appealing as it is fascinating. With lyrics inspired by personal struggles and social inequality, GRÜN WASSER raises the bar on innovation in modern pop as they arrive on the national stage with Not Ok with Things.

As longtime friends, Dowd and Pollock formed GRÜN WASSER in 2015 out of the rich cultural hub of Chicago. Both had backgrounds in punk and electronic music and together crafted a dynamic live act that fit within a variety of niche genres and scenes. Amidst the hype of GRÜN WASSER’s first album Nein/9 in 2016, Dowd’s alluring stage persona blossomed, while offstage her personal life began to unravel due to alcoholism and resulting depression. Nevertheless, the two began touring the country while writing new material and by late 2017, Dowd was able to get sober just ahead of their self-released follow-up album. On 2018’s Predator/Prey, Dowd candidly spoke out against hyper-masculinity and challenged misogynistic cultural norms. The lyrics of her songs became woven into the live performance, with Dowd often venturing into the crowd and confronting audience members with an intensely honest portrayal of feminine empowerment. Perfectly paired, Pollock’s thumping, experimental beats complement Dowd’s hypnotic vocals and gripping stage presence, making GRÜN WASSER a potent combination of pop and art.

On Not Ok with Things, Dowd deconstructs her alcoholism and protests the gross imbalance of gender roles. This complex mixture of emotions provides a palpable overcast to Pollock’s cold bass lines and brooding synth tones. The lyrics on songs like “Translator” and “Tried Spitting at The Sun” depict a turbulent mind bracing the ups and downs of relapse and recovery, while “Worm” and “Gray/Grey” grapple with the social casualties of addiction. The heavy subject matter is delivered within organic arrangements that often deviate from a typical verse-chorus format, representing the revolving tides of raw emotional expression. GRÜN WASSER’s use of textural samples gives an environmental context, enhancing the composition and revealing influences from hip-hop, house and industrial music. Pollock’s abstract percussion techniques incorporate real-world sounds with high-hat rolls and thick sub bass, adding a gritty undertone to their polished sound design. Swells of backing vocals add highlights of nuanced melody that swirl in and around Pollock’s dense synthwork and precise drum programming. Not Ok with Things is a bold exposition and an inspiring symbol of female resilience in the modern world, giving GRÜN WASSER’s work dimensions beyond the audible.

GRÜN WASSER fully realizes their singular talent on Not Ok with Things, crafting meaningful pop music with unmistakable passion and evocative style.

credits

released October 4, 2019

All songs written by GRÜN WASSER
Vocals and Lyrics by Keely Dowd
Synths and Guitar by Essej Pollock
Guitar on “Gray/Grey” by Michael Hart
Recorded, Produced and Mixed by Essej Pollock in Chicago, IL, USA
Mastered by Joshua Eustis
Cover art (front) by Christopher Michael Hefner
Cover art (back) by Daniel Champion
Layout by Star-Goers Design

Thanks to
Anneysa, Deb, John, Jane, Jeff, Annabelle, Zoe, Nicole, Alice, Christopher, Daniel, Adam, Amber, Justin, Jason,
and all our other friends, family, and listeners for the overwhelming support and love. We love you.

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GRÜN WASSER

grunwassermusic@gmail.com

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