Griff shares new track ‘Astronaut’ w/ Chris Martin
Griff has today shared brand new track ‘Astronaut’, available now on Warner Music alongside a beautiful performance video filmed live at the Greenwich Maritime Museum. ‘Astronaut’, with piano from Coldplay’s Chris Martin, also completes vert1go vol.1 – a new chapter of music from Griff, and her first steps on a new creative journey set to continue next year.
An instant fan-favourite when previewed on the road this autumn, ‘Astronaut’ is an epic but stunningly raw ballad about someone who won’t let their guard down to let you in. “I wrote ‘Astronaut’ about the idea of being left behind,” comments Griff. “In young relationships, when someone needs time to figure out and find themselves without you, it hurts because you’re left wondering what about yourself wasn’t enough for them.”
The power of ‘Astronaut’ is in the space created by Griff, her soaring voice, and little more than piano – plus, of course, the helping-hand of a musical hero. “I’d produced ‘Astronaut’ and written it 100% by myself,” Griff says, calling that early version of the song “quite moody and electronic.” When invited to open for Coldplay on two legs of their European tours in 2022 and 2023, Chris Martin asked Griff to play him what she was working on. “He really got stuck in,” she says, laughing. “We listened to maybe 30 of my songs together, but he kept stopping ‘Astronaut’. Chris advised me to strip it all back and keep things simple, so I had the cheek to ask him to play on it himself and I am so honoured he agreed.”
‘Astronaut’ is a gorgeous addition to vert1go vol.1, an atmospheric and cinematic start of a brand new era from Griff. The project was introduced by first single ‘Vertigo’, a roller-coaster of a record about feeling upside-down and the universal disorientation of your early-twenties (which saw Griff once again shouted out by Taylor Swift). From day one, though, Griff’s learning curve has proved suitably unpredictable. A multi-hyphenate singer, producer, designer and pop outlier, she played just one gig prior to the pandemic in support of DIY EP Mirror Talk, with lockdown mixtape One Foot In Front of The Other rocketing Griff to pop stardom whilst stuck in her bedroom. The barrier-breaking project became the first mixtape from a female artist to go top 5, with Griff winning the prestigious BRITS Rising Star, two NME Awards, and surpassing 660M+ streams to date in support of homemade hits like ‘Black Hole’. At the centre of it all, ‘Vertigo’ is a reminder that Griff – like anyone of her generation – is figuring out her place in the world: new mindset, new hair, and a once-in-a-generation talent ready to embark on new artistic heights.
vert1go vol.1 was followed by a trio of up-close-and-personal, sold-out shows from Griff: a born performer, she has already been invited to tour with some of today’s biggest artists, including Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, Coldplay and Florence + the Machine. Further US, UK and European headline dates have been announced for 2024 – with an intimate London show at The Roundhouse and more selling out immediately. Check out full details below, stream ‘Astronaut’ now, and watch out for much more from Griff to follow soon.
31.12.23 || Melbourne || Heaps Good Festival
02.01.24 || Brisbane || Heaps Good Festival
03.01.23 || Sydney || Metro Theatre
06.01.24 || Adelaide || Heaps Good Festival
06.02.24 || Los Angeles || The Roxy Theatre
09.02.24 || New York || Le Poisson Rouge
10.03.24 || Stockholm || Debaser Strand
11.03.24 || Oslo || Parkteateret
15.03.24 || Hamburg || Mojo Club
16.03.24 || Berlin || Heimathafen
18.03.24 || Cologne || Gloria Theater
19.03.24 || Amsterdam || Tolhuisten
21.03.24 || Brussels || Botanique Orangerie
22.03.24 || Paris || La Machine Du Moulin Rouge
24.03.24 || Bournemouth || O2 Academy
26.03.24 || Dublin || Olympia Theatre
28.03.24 || Manchester || Albert Hall
30.03.24 || Glasgow || Barrowland Ballroom
31.03.24 || Birmingham || O2 Institute
02.04.24 || London || Roundhouse *Sold out
