Inspired by the likes of Elliott Smith and Sufjan Stevens, singer-songwriter Grant Pavol just released a beautiful song and video about personal change and the death of a loved one – specifically the passing of his grandfather William Goldman, the prominent author, playwright and screenwriter (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President’s Men, The Princess Bride, Marathon Man). “Bones” is off Grant’s debut full-length album About A Year, out September 4 on Shamir’s Accidental Popstar Records. Grant elaborates: “Visually, I wanted the video to focus on urban decay. I grew up in South Philadelphia, and the image of the windows of old Italian catholic families filled with statuettes and faded images of Christian iconography is very prominent in my mind when I think of my childhood. I liked the idea of using a skeleton costume as a sort of tacky, heavy-handed symbol of death.”

Grant met Shamir at DIY shows (when shows were still a thing) in Philadelphia, eventually signing to his record label and releasing the Okay EP. Born to a creative family of writers and musicians, Grant taught himself to play guitar as a teen and soon began performing at shows in Philadelphia. Like his influences, Elliott Smith and Nick Drake, Grant’s vocals and lyrical melodies carry the sincerity of his sound. Whether he’s strumming his guitar in his bedroom or tracking songs in a friend’s living room, Pavol is always immersed in the craft of singing and songwriting – and he has his family, friends, and Philly to thank for that. He recorded and produced this debut album himself in a dorm room during his freshman year of college.