I’m of the mind that when you want to discuss an artist’s vision, the best thing you can do is go to the artist themselves.

Louis Grassi is a young singer-songwriter who’s making a splash in the New England area. His new song, “Effy”, has a pretty interesting backstory. Check it out.

Also, you might want to check out Louis’s Bandcamp page for details on a very special project he’s working on dedicated to all of the 9/11 heroes and one in particular.

I was really moved by the Yahoo! story of Mark Bingham, a true hero killed tragically on Flight 93 of the Sept. 11th, 2001 U.S. terrorist attacks.  You can view his story here: http://news.yahoo.com/unexpected-legacy-left-by-hero-of-flight-93.html .

In honor of Mark Bingham, along with the other brave Americans that sacrificed their lives in saving countless others on 9/11, I am starting a week-long project via my BandCamp site.  Each day this week, leading up to the 10th anniversary of 9/11, I will add one of my songs to the page.  You can download the song(s) for free, or by selecting any monetary figure to donate. ALL of my profits brought in as the artist will be donated to the International Gay Rugby Association, in honor of Mark Bingham.  I was really moved by his story because it has truly given me a whole new lease on my own life.

  As an aspiring singer-songwriter today, I know I’m attempting a rather daunting task of staying afloat among a crowded pool of infinite solo musicians fully equipped with a pen, a pad, and an acoustic guitar.  But music is what makes me happy, flat-out, so I know I have to keep on swimming, as difficult as it may be.  When it comes to my sound, the only way I know how to set myself apart is to in fact be myself, and be honest in the lyrics I write.  “Effy” is a testament to this notion.

  I wrote “Effy” about falling for my best friend.  I knew in every single way that it was wrong, considering he would never feel that way about me.  When I finally decided to make him aware of these secret feelings, he began to slowly detach himself from the friendship.  It was a truly heartbreaking situation for me, but even after I told him how I felt, I had to follow my heart, as sickeningly trite as that may sound.  I continued to treat him nicely, despite his subsequent disconnection from me, simply because my personal convictions were too deep-rooted to just turn off.  I felt the way I felt, and tried to keep moving through my life since that was all I knew how to do.  “Effy” is about facing painful feelings like this, but moving forward, very slowly, but surely.