Teddy Grossman is as honest as they come. The L.A.-based singer/songwriter creates soulful music with melodies that linger in listeners’ minds. Grossman credits industry giants like the Beatles, John Prine, and Stevie Wonder as his early musical inspirations and tips his hat towards Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and CSNY for motivating his current aspirations.
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On August 20, the musician displayed his own songwriting prowess by releasing the moving single “Power in Pain.”
“‘Power in Pain’ ruminates on the healing and transformative power of community and connection, in the face of human struggle. Said more simply, it’s a song about hope,” Grossman tells American Songwriter. “The chorus lyric says it best: There is power, power in pain / to bring all the people together again. We all have power, we all have pain / so let’s come together, together again.
“I wrote this song three and a half years ago with my friends Jeffrey David Goldford and Josh Teitelbaum right after the 2017 inauguration, on an extended visit to Los Angeles from New York where I was living at the time. It marked a time of great unease and uncertainty for a lot of people. Jeff came in with the concept and we knocked the whole thing out fairly quickly—within an hour or two. I think we were all going through a lot of similar feelings, and it was a cathartic experience putting it down.”
Grossman’s latest single speaks to our current moment effortlessly, despite being written a few years ago, because hope persists throughout our collective story. Hope pushes generations throughout each phase of life and each cultural shift. Additionally, the bold trumpet and empowering vocals in “Power in Pain” amplify Grossman’s message of optimism.
“Politics aside, I think we can all agree the world often seems to head into a more tribal and disconnected place. From one another, from our natural habitat. There are a lot of people struggling right now, and I hope this song can put a little bit of light into the world,” Grossman says.
Listen to Teddy Grossman’s “Power in Pain” below. It’s a song for now, tomorrow, and the years to come.
