GRIMES
Genre: Electronic
Birthplace: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Albums: Geidi Primes (2010); Halfaxa (2010); Visions (2012)
Awards: Nominated for the Polaris Music Prize
Hits:
Other:
Born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, Claire Boucher moved to Montreal at the age of eighteen to attend McGill University. While at McGill, she discovered a passion for making music. Adopting the name Grimes, she found that musical passion eventually eclipsed her desire to attend classes. McGill expelled her, but adding college dropout to a musical biography puts her in fairly good company.
Releasing early albums on casette through a local Montreal label, Grimes became known for a unique musical style that blended a large number of varied genres. Her first album, Geidi Primes, was strongly influenced by her love of Frank Herbert's Dune. It received positive reviews, something unexpected by Grimes herself. While she no longer considers the album her best work, it helped bring her to the attention of a growing number of fans.
Grimes wasted no time releasing a second album later in 2010, titled Halfaxa. Only nine months separated the releases, and Halfaxa received more favorable reviews from critics. Shortly thereafter, she would be invited to open for Swedish pop/electronica star Lykke Li. Grimes' work on the tour helped solidify her stage work, which had been very improvisational.
Grimes departed her local label in early 2012, signing with a British independent and releasing her third album, Visions. Visions earned a new round of critical kudos and broke into the US and UK music charts, peaking at 8 on both the UK Indie Albums Chart and the US Dance/Electronic Albums chart. The album received a nomination for the Polaris Music Prize, an annual award recognizing the best in Canadian music across all genres.
The unique musical mix that characterizes Grimes' sound is the result of a wide array of musical influences as varied as Mariah Carey and Nine Inch Nails. Her experience opening for Lykke Li tempered her live performances, providing a youthful, engaging experience for fans around the world. Grimes has years ahead of her on tour, so don't miss out on seeing her perform at small, intimate venues.