With ‘Backflips In A Restaurant,’ grentperez Is Making The Soundtrack To A New Generation

Some people would argue that grentperez has an old soul, but his music is undeniably of the moment. 

It’s one thing to craft an immersive (if intimate) set of soundscapes from the comfort of your bedroom — but to hear them reverberate across various corners of the world is an immense feat that the 23-year-old Filipino-Australian singer-songwriter can achieve with his discography.

Perez, born as Grant Perez, may have first struck gold in 2021 with the release of his single “Cherry Wine,” yet he has now found himself in an upwards trajectory that sees him moving on to new career heights — whether that could be defined by sold-out tours worldwide, or collaborations with some of the music scene’s most prominent names, or even the release of his first full-length album.

From the carefree joy of his first EP, Demo(s) About Love, to the introspective reflections found in his 2023 release When We Were Younger, grentperez’s growing discography strikes the perfect balance between vulnerability and vibrancy. With every track, he taps into the universal human experience, making it impossible for listeners not to see themselves in his daydream-like soundscapes. Because whatever stage of life you’re in, grentperez always seems to have the perfect song that perfectly fits your mood. 

The same could be said of his latest singles building up to his genre-splicing debut album Backflips In A Restaurant — each of which sets a different kind of scene with their corresponding sounds. “2DK” sounds like the upbeat song you’d hear in a party scene off a coming of age film, while the groovy “Fuzzy Feeling” is bursting with its swoon-worthy energy to get you dancing on the street.  Even the catchy “Dandelion,” which plays into the light, whimsical feeling of what it means to fall in love, marks quite the stark contrast to the R&B-leaning “Movie Scene,” which, true to its name, echoes a more cinematic quality that is more sensual in nature than anything we’ve heard from Perez (so far).

As I meet with Perez for his exclusive shoot for Billboard Philippines, he comes in surprisingly early (specifically thirty minutes too early), rolling in our studio with a quirky luggage bag that’s littered with stickers, tags, and sketches that were hand-drawn by Perez himself. Sitting across from one another, we converse all about his creative journey and artistic evolution, particularly leading up to the release of his debut album.

Billboard Philippines: It’s so cute, the way that your luggage has all these drawings from you.

grentperez: It also has a lot of shit honestly. My luggage also has so many stickers on it and stuff. It’s definitely like an accumulation of things over the years with all my adventures. 

Oh, I love that it really reflects the very artsy version of you, and it’s such a signature of who you are. Like it’s undeniably grentperez. *laughs*

Yeah, I think I made the conscious decision to draw on it just to spice it up, especially after seeing so many boring luggage, yeah. And I just wanted to change it up to reflect who I am.

Given that you’ve been lugging it all along this trip, how does it feel to be back here in the Philippines after quite some time away from here?

I was saying this earlier, but it feels sick, and it feels so good to be here, and also not just staying near the venue that I’m playing at or something, because last time I was at Eastwood, and beside Araneta last time. Now I’m staying in Makati, where so many things are happening, I get to walk around. Obviously I didn’t get to see too much because I’ve only been here for like two and a half days but it’s definitely been better than the previous times for sure. 

How have your Filipino roots allowed you to approach your audience here? Even with last night’s Jollibee kids party?

Yeah, I think about my Filipino roots often because it’s such a huge part of me. Pinoys are, from what I’ve experienced, as you know, extremely hospitable. They care for you, because we like to take care of things. Maybe that’s why we’re nurses. And I think something that’s really cool with other Pinoys is just we get to experience that familiarity between each other. What’s that word in Tagalog? Kapamilya? Kapamilya and kapatanyan?

Okay, I’ll just say that for this interview. *laughs* But there’s just that air of familiarity between each other and respect, you know? Yeah, I think I’ve covered it. It’s just that mutual respect between me and the community — whether it’s me and my fans, or just about anyone. But obviously they can get a bit crazy because Filipinos just love to show how much they love you. They go all the way!

For sure. And in your career over time, you’ve had such an impressive rise within the global music scene. Like, you started posting videos on YouTube at such an early age.

When I started uploading, the first video that was posted was when I was 12. And then 13. But there’s also videos of me when I was six years old on YouTube. But that’s just, that’s for the diehard people to try and find. That’s growing up in the YouTube boom.

So how did that early experience of cultivating your presence in the internet help with how you use the internet as both a marketing tool and a way to connect with people? Not even just for the fans, but even with your music as you let it speak for itself.

I think it’s so interesting because what I find and what I think is very prominent is that it’s so difficult to master online. You could have been in the game for such a long time, but even the most viral things somehow fall off. So for me, it’s always a constant challenge of figuring out what I can do to stay on top of my game in order to really showcase who I truly am without losing myself to the system. And even just like feeding the system, and I’m giving the platform what it wants. 

But I guess [social media], it’s so important for me. It’s like a means of communication for sure, and I like to be active so I can keep people up to date with how I’m doing, what I’m up to, and if people can come and join in whenever they can –– just like last night with the Jollibee party. So it’s really cool. 

Yeah, and it’s just so interesting because it’s also a means of self-expression for you. You know how some people have carefully crafted online personas? For yours, it just feels like you’re just free to be who you are. So I want to know, where does that confidence come from?

Honestly, I find that I’m super inspired by Tyler, The Creator‘s notion of being himself. Like he’s the most himself there ever could be, and that kind of motivated me to try and be inspired as I found myself over the years as well. So I think it’s really important, and that comes with my duty as a creator as well.

If I were to be a role model or something to younger generations or just people in general, the one thing I’d like to stress is the importance of being yourself. Whatever that may be, it’s worth finding out. Cause, if you don’t have yourself, it’s really hard to go out there and meet someone else. It’s as if you’re kind of missing half of the puzzle piece in a way. So just support it. It’s so fun to be yourself. Why try to feel the pressure of trying to impress people? Obviously, I feel that sometimes. But luckily I’ve got myself and I’ve got people to help me keep that on track, then I’m happy.

It’s actually nice to hear all that, because I think with how you’re able to conduct yourself — whether it’s online, through your music, or in person — people actually get to be inspired by you. Some people might even say, “Oh I can be like that too!” or  “I can be that free!” just dancing to Budots music like last night. 

I was honestly so happy when they played Budots. *laughs*

It was just so fun to see you being who you are, and I think that’s something that I can also note with your music, too. Because beyond how you’ve cultivated an impressive following, you’ve built up this discography that has evolved quite significantly over the years. Because it’s gone from viral songs like “Cherry Wine” to all these genre-splicing singles from your forthcoming debut album, Backflips In A Restaurant.

So what are the most important lessons that you’ve learned over the years honing your sound and using more of your confidence and sense of self-assurance to translate that into your body of work?

I think right now, the phase that I’m in is the learning phase, for sure. Because my career, I would say, is very young. It’s been just like four or five years. *laughs*

Well, you’re very young, too. *laughs*

True! And I feel like the period of your 20s is just figuring things out. I guess your whole life is figuring things out, but more so in your 20s, because it’s like the first time you’re alone in the world. You don’t have a school schedule. Your work schedule is so different. You’re meeting new sets of friends. You’re losing your high school friends or whatever.

But in terms of music, I would say I’m definitely still in this learning phase. And I love having that mentality of just trying to figure things out. But I’m experimenting with my sound. This album that is coming out, every song is almost a different genre. And I think I did a pretty decent job at nailing those different genres. I’m excited to see where that takes me musically.

I love that for you. And it’s just so fascinating to see you experiencing your twenties, taking in a lot of things from different experiences almost as if you were a sponge absorbing all of these things. And to see how you’re processing all of that, it’s manifesting in a creative way — especially with how all these recent singles of yours have blended a variety of genres. How do you approach the process of songwriting and genre exploration?

I guess I try to explore what i’ve been listening to. Right now, I’m definitely exploring what I used to listen to growing up. Which was a lot of neo-soul, like Usher, Ne-Yo, and all that stuff. But I’ve always been fascinated by that, and I really wanted to do something that pleased my soul.

That’s one path that led me into this experimentation process of mine for sure, but I guess it’s also the factor of being true to myself. You can always experiment, but at the end of the day, if it feels too weird and it feels too far and it’s like, “oh it kind of feels like i’m trying to be this thing that i’m not.” I’d rather not force that on myself. 

This whole process is all about trying to familiarize myself with my limits, I guess, or even my boundaries at the moment. If ever I do cross those, I’ll try my best to just work my way and tippy-toe back to where I think is a safe area that’s still within my realm.  But honestly, it just starts with trying at first. You’ve got to try the genre, make a judgment about it.

Speaking of trying, is there a particular genre that you’ve always wanted to tap into?

Gosh, I’d love to do a country song. *laughs*

I feel like that could actually work with you.

I feel like it could too. There’s this one Keshi song that I really love. It’s called “Texas.”

Is that from the new album? 

Yeah. But with “Texas”, I didn’t really know about it until I was able to watch him play it live. And I just studied the album real quick the day before I saw him and I was like, “wow, that’s insane.” So I feel like that could be the next step, really.

With music, it’s honestly like at this day and age, everybody’s searching for this genre of fluidness and fluidity and I think it’s quite fun. I actually think it’s beyond being fun.

I love how you put that. Because I think artists don’t want to be boxed into one thing, right? That’s the thing about being an artist. It’s always about creating, and there being no limits to that creativity. 

I’m saying that it doesn’t go without saying that change sometimes receives negative criticism, because it does, you know? Because change is weird. Not a lot of people are used to change. But change is normal. It’s natural. And I’m self-aware. I’m self-aware. I know that it’s different.. But yeah, I believe in it.

So aside from channeling artists like Ne-Yo and Usher who helped influence this newer side that you’re exploring on the record, who would you say are like the artists you constantly channel in your work?

I’d say I draw a lot of inspiration from 70s soft rock. A lot of melodies I love come from artists like Bread, the Eagles, and definitely The Carpenters. The Carpenters have got to have some of the nicest melodies ever, if I’m being honest — even lyrically as well!

It’s so different channeling all these influences back from periods like the 80s and 70s and all that. But I definitely channel those artists and a lot from those eras, especially when I’m moving into different territories. I also try to channel Toro Y Moi and whatnot, just because the way he channels his groove and his feel is so cool. It’s very very unique.

I’ve also been listening to a lot of Alex G lately, and like Pine Grove, and a lot of shoegaze, just because it makes me feel something. 

And what does it make you feel?

I’ve never felt that kind of feeling, you know. I don’t know how to describe what it makes me feel, yet it makes me think existentially even though the lyrics don’t necessarily relate to that. Just the vibe of the music, just makes me feel that type of thing, and I find that really fascinating. 

So I guess those types of people right now are what I’ve been echoing in my work, even a lot of Japanese music as well, so melodically and like feel-wise, I want to tap into that as well.

Those are all very varied sources. Very different channels, and very different genres. But I find it interesting what you said about shoegaze, and how you mentioned it’s the music itself that makes you feel things. Even though it doesn’t correspond directly, it more or less transports you to a different realm.

Yeah, it’s weird. When I listen to Alex G and shoegaze, for some reason, it comforts my existential dread. It feels like, “oh, you know, we’re suffering together!” *laughs*

Yeah, and I think I can echo the same sentiment about your music. So as people listen to your voice, your lyrics, and the overall sound, it kind of makes people feel like they’re growing with you after all this time. Because you’re navigating all these topics about love, growing up, and all these themes, I think you’re able to transport all these listeners into your footsteps in that sense.

Hmmm. I can definitely see that happening, but I would never say that about myself. 

Oh, really? Why not? 

I don’t know. *laughs* It just feels weird, you know? It feels weird to be like, oh, yeah, I think people look up to me. It’s weird. I’m just like a f*cking kid or whatever.

But, yeah, I would say like in my area, I definitely see an influx of new Filipino young artists that are trying to make it happen and trying to make it work. And just like the music scene in general in Western Sydney is really coming up. I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily because of me, but there is an influx of new music and a lot of courage from younger artists for sure.

There’s this one guy that I’ve been listening to a lot and I’m waiting for new music. His name is Miles to the World. Crazy voice, crazy rapper.

But when can we hear grentperez rap?

Ummm. I’ve actually written something like a slow Mac Miller-inspired rap song in 2021 when I started working with like different producers and all that. It was produced by the guy that did a lot of my first EP, Conversations with the Moon, Lyndon J. It’s called “Be Yourself”. It’s unreleased, and it’s definitely archived. *laughs*

Well, I hope that would see the light of day eventually!

Yeah, I think it will. Maybe!

Yet with this new album, it’s kind of like a bold step for you because this is your first full-length album. And is there like any like anxiety or trepidation that you feel given that it’s a bigger project this time around?

Yeah, I mean, I’m pretty happy with the songs. But at first, it took me a while to really feel at home with the music, just because my archive is quite large. There’s quite a lot of music to select from. And I just kept going back and forth between all of it, wondering “is this the best representation of who I am?”

“Will people even like the different types of music?” But I’ve heard it enough and I’ve shown enough people the record, and I’ve gained enough moral support within my close circle to have some confidence in it. I think I’m ready for it to go full force with it. 

I love how even based on the singles alone, the response is quite great. And you have a whole lot of collaborations on it too, right?

Yeah. So far, there are two solid collabs. Benny Sings and Ruel.

And I loved hearing both of them with you. But wow, Benny Sings!

He’s just like… so crazy, right? I know, I was in awe too. *laughs*

But I guess I’ll give you more little secrets and little hints. I’m working with a particular Fil-Am artist, legendary in the community for this one song called “Girl At The Station” but we’ll see if it comes into fruition. I received a demo last night, and this sounds pretty good. And then later on this year, I worked with HONNE recently. I really love the song that we did together. I hope that we can make it work. So we’ll see about that!

It’s funny because with all of those in store for you throughout the year, beyond your debut album, there’s already more that you’re gonna do.

It’s just a matter of choosing what to do. Because there are things to do.

Well, I’m glad that you have that agency to do that. It also reflects the sonic direction you wanted to do for this album. But to many fans, listeners, and even critics, a debut album is a strong statement of your artistic identity, with songs feeling dreamy and sincere. And that’s something that a lot of people love because it allows your songwriting to shine in an almost experiential way, while there’s a unique soundscape that accompanies it. Yet how do you find a balance in your songwriting to echo such emotions?

Yeah, I actually don’t know. I don’t think there’s [so] much to the way that I’ve been writing [my songs], and I’m always down to try different methods. But the way that I’ve been doing it and the way that I’ve been showing people, is that it really matters sonically and how well the lyrics flow, you know? Such as what verbs and what vowel sounds the phrase ends with. And if that feels good, if it’s like this sentence must end with an A sound because it feels like it flows into that word. Or it should be more clicky and have more Ks and Ts and Ss in it.

I just try and make that happen! So balance-wise, I guess I just feel that lyrically, I could always challenge myself to write something a little bit more weird and a bit more particular. But I haven’t hit that just yet. It’s all about what just feels right to me in the moment, and being true to myself in some sort of way.

I love all of this because you just gave me like an example of what goes on in your brain.

Yeah, this is often what goes on with how I’m thinking and the thought process behind my work. You tricked me into revealing my secret! *laughs*

A lot of your discography has been described as music you can fall in love to. How much of your personal life and experiences get to influence your lyrics, given that your songs are often like storytelling? Where do these stories come from? 

Yeah it’s definitely accumulated through my life and other people’s lives, I think.

I definitely am one to live vicariously through someone, but yeah I’ve definitely thought about how it is when I’m taking care of someone, or how I’d react to a heartbreak, how my friends have reacted to heartbreaks, and whatnot. 

I take inspiration a lot from what they’ve experienced, and sometimes it’s also about my love for movies. Like one of my favorite songs that I’ve done, “Clementine” is written about Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind ––  which is one of our favorite movies, my girlfriend and I. But yeah, I guess it’s a mix of experiences of my own as well as stories I’ve heard.

I love that and these are stories and songs that have resonated with millions of listeners around all corners of the world — leading for you to go off on tour, both solo, and alongside several huge acts like Rex Orange County and even Laufey. Being on the road, what do you learn from every place and from the experience of touring with such big acts? 

With all the trials and tribulations that I’ve felt through any stage of my career, I would say it’s always a learning experience. 

You know, I was talking to Rex about how he feels about selecting music and how he feels writing music. Like, do you ever feel like you’re just creatively exhausted, and whatnot? And yeah, they all go through it, and I think that’s really cool. Like the human experience is universal, you know? People just go through the same shit, and I think that’s cool that everybody’s figuring it out no matter what age and stage you are in your career. 

And how would you answer that question that you’ve posed to him?

When I feel creatively exhausted, I definitely have this huge imposter syndrome. Like I’m usually just like, “My god, how am I doing this? Like, what am I doing? Am I even doing this right?”

I definitely go through those phases and whatnot. But I think that’s when I realized the importance of being honest with how much work I’m putting out. Giving myself a pat on the back and taking a little break. Or even hanging out with the family. Not thinking about music for a bit. That’s how I kind of unwind. Deal with it and unwind. 

But now that Backflips In A Restaurant is releasing quite soon, what do you hope audiences and listeners can take away from this record?

Yeah, I think the big notion of being yourself and experimenting, that’s definitely what I want to try and show people. Because it’s really evident in the music. Every song is different. And I think that whole premise is that it’s okay to be different as well. I think that’s what I want people to take away from this record.

And seeing how it’s going for you, I can’t wait to see what lies ahead — whether it’s album number two, or whatever EP is on the way. But as your music goes off in the future and you create more and more music over time, what do you want people to remember about you, your music, and just being grentperez?

I think I’d want people to remember the values that I hold as a person and whatnot. I’m very family-oriented, I’m very care-oriented. If you have something that you really want to do and get done, I really want to try and help that.

Musically, people can take what they want. It’s whatever. I think who you are as a person is more important.

Are there any artistic goals you still envision for yourself? What’s next?

What’s the next step? I think a goal that’s sort of like grown over the years, I didn’t really think about earlier on in my career, because I was like yeah, I think I’m just going along for the ride. But now, I really do want to do a stadium performance as a headline show. I really want to do that. And I think it’ll happen. *crosses his fingers*

Now that you’re looking back at all you’ve achieved in your career now, what would you tell your 12-year-old self who started off with YouTube?

I would say… upload music because you’re enjoying it and for the love of it. I don’t know what else I’d say, because I feel like I wouldn’t say too much because I think I want that person and version of myself to figure it out in the same way that I did. I think that’s really important and a means of forming who he is to the person I am today.

What made you realize that this version of you today, was the perfect headspace and the perfect version of yourself that you want to represent in this album?

Nice word to use, because “Headspace” is a song in the album. *laughs* I love it.

But I think I just wanted to show to myself and my audience that if I feel something, I want to capture it however I can. Like I can do it, like I could try and make it happen. It’s limitless in a way. I think that’s why it’s a good representation of who I am at this point and stage of my life. It’s very chaotic in a way, like calm but chaotic.

With how you mentioned that you were channeling the past few decades in music, there’s kind of a timeless quality of that era in music. How do you think it can resonate with modern audiences given how you’re weaving it into the album? 

I think that the timelessness of ’70s soft rock, and just like ’70s, ’80s music, people resonate with it subconsciously. They don’t even think about how timeless this song is. If you were to play… “Welcome to your life…” (*he sings the first few lines of Tears For Fears’ “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”)

People are almost always like, “Oh my God, I haven’t heard the song in so long, but it’s still so good!” So I think my duty in my artistry is to just help fuel that subconscious timelessness as well however way I can. Just to pass it along without them even knowing about it. I’m trying my best here. *laughs*

And I think it’s effective though, given the variety of the singles alone and even the cover artwork of the album. It’s a unique image that sticks to you when you see it.

I’m literally looking through a restaurant window, ready to do a backflip and break my neck while dressed in a suit wearing shorts. *laughs*

So the real question for this interview is — can you do a backflip?

Unfortunately no, I cannot. Will I land though? Maybe if I try it out more, but that’s a question for the future. *laughs*

*Interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

_{Photographed by Alan Segui. Art Direction by Nicole Almero. Photography assisted by John Lim and Genio Frondoza. Produced by Mika Cruz. Special thanks to our Food Partner TA-KA MNL, Pastry Partner Tinapay Artisan Bakery, and our Coffee Partner harlan + holden coffee.}

As we anticipate the release of Grentperez’s debut album Backflips In A Restaurant, listen to his set of singles that precede the record below:

Pre-save Backflips In A Restaurant here.