Brooklyn-based band Grumpy has released their new album, 'Unfindable Ring,' a full-band debut that boldly merges electronica, alt-rock, and folk while exploring themes of gender fluidity and trans identity. The six-piece group, led by songwriter Heaven Schmitt, has crafted a record that challenges conventional expectations of both music and self-expression.
The album's standout track, 'Twenty Five,' was inspired by a conversation between Schmitt and his girlfriend, bassist Ellie Long, about time travel and transitioning. «Ellie said that if she had the opportunity, she would go back in time and transition at a younger age,» Schmitt recalls. «And I initially had such a selfish thought about that – I was like, 'Oh my god, but what if then we don't meet?'» The song evolved into a plea for Long to find him in the present, and a celebration of trans love. «I love watching you as you're changing,» Schmitt sings, capturing the acceptance of change that permeates the album.
For Grumpy, experimenting with gender and genre are intertwined. «I think being trans, you have to get so creative with how you live your life. There's not a prescribed blueprint, and I think that expands your boundaries in music and art too,» Schmitt explains. Long adds, «Being OK with just tearing down any expectations of what things are supposed to be – which I think the best music comes from, and the best genders come from.»
Grumpy began as Schmitt's solo project after he left a marketing job and returned to songwriting, resulting in the 2020 album 'Loser.' Over time, Schmitt realized he was queer, non-binary, and trans, and the project evolved into a full band. The current lineup includes Long, synthesist Anya Good, guitarist Diego Clare, keyboardist Lane Rodges, and drummer Austin Arnold. Notably, Schmitt has dated all members except Clare, a fact he says fosters deep intimacy and respect. «Everyone in this band knows me very intimately, the good and the bad,» he says. «That intimacy can result in bickering, but also results in a deep comfort, and respect, and love, and belief in each other.»
'Unfindable Ring' was recorded at Arnold's studio in Brooklyn, with all six members present for every moment of creation. «This album is very much what I always wanted for Grumpy, which was to be this big band where everyone is vital to making the songs what they are,» Schmitt says. The band pushed themselves to move away from the bedroom-pop insularity of their earlier EPs toward warmer, more tactile sounds and more celebratory, traditionally structured songs.
The album features a wide range of styles, from the AutoTune and vocal processing on 'Yr Bitch' and 'WTF' to the piano balladry of 'Queens' and the heavy grunge guitars of 'Twenty Five.' Good often sat with headphones on, creating synth soundscapes without hearing the other instruments, to see what surprises would emerge. «It feels like there was pressure to have created a more distinctive sound as a band, and I think we wanna push up against that,» Clare says. «A lot of our favourite projects are eclectic artists who make a pretty wide range of work, and we wanted to feel free to do that.»
Amid this diversity, Schmitt's lyrical voice remains the throughline, consistently both funny and intensely honest. «I'm always looking for like, where's the laugh in this? How can I reveal myself and embarrass myself?» he says. The album's title, 'Unfindable Ring,' suggests something elusive yet precious, much like the band's approach to identity and art. With 'Unfindable Ring,' Grumpy solidifies their place as one of Brooklyn's most exciting and boundary-pushing acts, proving that the best music – and the best selves – come from embracing change and rejecting rigid expectations.