Singer-songwriter
Mr. Grossman ft. Patrick Ames: F.W.I.W.
(Independent / April 9, 2022)

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There's a man with a gun so you'd better beware...

Newcomer songwriter/producer Mr. Grossman and veteran singer-songwriter Patrick Ames come together in a new single inspired by the fateful events of the January 6, 2020 attempted coup in Washington. 

F.W.I.W. builds layers of groove, from keyboards to percussion to bass to vocals. It's got a hypnotic rhythm that incorporates recorded sounds and dialogue, emulating the chaos of the day.

Mr. Grossman provides all the instrumentation and production, with Ames on vocals. Ames has just the right sense of emotional understatement to make the meaning of the words pop out. 

"The imagery came first - the dark signs, hidden threats to safety and against nature. Then realized this was coming from my ongoing concern about the rise of anti-liberal and overtly fascist movements," comments Mark Grossman in a media release. 

"Musical elements came from decades of influences floating through - from 60's era anthems like Buffalo Springfield's For What It's Worth, Gill Scott-Heron's TRWNBT to Traffic in the 70's, to today's inspirations like Beck and Chelsea Wolfe. I had recently banked some home-grown percussion samples - sandpaper on concrete, and a suspended crowbar dropped onto said concrete - and these fit right into the feel of the track. I don't always like the way my singing fits with my compositions, so I enticed Patrick to do lead vocals, and this lent the necessary darkness and grittiness!"

Ames started writing songs in 1968 when he was 14 years old, and while he was active in bands in college, he turned to book publishing, dropping music for about 25 years.

It's an interesting collaboration, with perhaps more to come in the future.