Kieran James has shared a raw, deeply personal single, "Part of the Grind," dedicated to anyone living with or caring for someone with cognitive decline. The song laments watching a loved one suffer from a decaying brain and chronicles the grief and helplessness invariably experienced in such situations. It highlights Kieran’s lyrical flourishes and his ability to create raw emotion in a track through poignant lyricism and haunting composition.
Kieran is a singer-songwriter who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a background in clinical research at Stanford University, he is deeply aware of human consumption, and it shows in his music. “Part of the Grind” contemplates memory loss and the agonies of holding on to someone drifting out of reach.
The production matches the heft of the song’s message, a mournful but beautiful arrangement that makes it all the more effective. Kieran’s commitment to his story and to us throughout makes it a track that consistently clicks with those who connect to him. Meanwhile, his soft but compelling vocals, paired with an evocative instrumental backdrop, can make for an unsettling listening experience.
Kieran James shows that music can help heal and honor those we’ve lost. This propels this single up with its unique standout, its ability to translate grief into art, and its powerful reminder to listeners of the fragility of the mind and the small moments we have with our loved ones that we should cherish.