We’ve had a fair few creative couples pass through these pages and each time we’re always amazed by the synergy that these partnerships possess. Hailing from Los Angeles, the married duo of Grace & Moji (aka Grace Hong and Martin Wave) is an especially interesting addition, considering that their artistry extends even beyond this joint project. Let’s begin by introducing you to each half of this talented pair.
First up, Grace Hong is a life-long musician who early on developed a talent for singing and piano. Although now based on America’s West Coast with her husband, she’s originally from New York, where she was raised by her Korean immigrant family. Just when you think this is a straight forward story of childhood prodigy becoming an international sensation, Grace was for sometime diverted with a career in finances and the corporate sector. However, her professional pursuits couldn’t drown out her inner desire to create and by 2021 she had launched her solo project, Nolo Grace.
Her paramour Martin Wave however comes from a little further than New York; originating in the wild forests of Sweden. Something that Martin does share with his wife is the emergence of a passion for music from an early age, which led to him becoming a music producer, composer and multi-instrumentalist. With music awards and platinum records under his belt, Martin relocated to Los Angeles in 2018, like many more creative aficionados before him.
While still maintaining their individual careers, this power couple have joined forces in Grace & Moji in order to explore love, creativity, and healing in a relationship. It’s the last of these three themes that’s particularly pertinent to the duo’s newest single ‘Monster’. This track is all about acknowledging the demons within, and that despite all of your efforts to heal and grow, perfectionism isn’t the goal. What might surprise listeners is that this incredibly vulnerable and honest perspective was inspired by a moment in the couple’s relationship. As Grace states, “my dark side came out.” She continues, “The next day, we worked through it and wrote this song about the shadow sides of ourselves..”
This conversation peers through in the weaving lyrics, such as “all the trips to Bali, stayed in so many temples, but the shadow dominates my moods,” that conveys how the metaphorical monster can creep in when least expected. The presence of that inner darkness is accentuated by the contrast with the song’s buoyant melodies, indie-pop textures, and upbeat guitars. The chorus sounds especially optimistic with a carefree backing vocal singing “doo doo doo” and the surf-pop guitar whines. Another aspect that stands out is the resigned yet celebratory confessional, “I’m so insecure, I get angry, ’cause I’m a monster, and you know that.” As a listener, you can’t help but feeling a sense of solidarity with these words, as ultimately having flaws is all part of the human condition.
As a final sign off before we leave you to dive into this infectious indie-pop gem, Martin admits that ‘Monster’ is “a bit of a curve ball” and it “shows a different side (I think) to us and might
give an indication as to where this project is headed.”
You can also listen to ‘Monster’ in our Shades of Pop playlist.
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