Grabbitz Talks About his New Release, Polaroid

DJ and producer, Nicholas Chiari, known as Grabbitz, has been releasing music since 2013, but gained traction in 2015 with his song Here With You Now. Since then, he has been featured on Rolling Stone’s 10 Artists You Need to Know: July 2017 and has gained attention from Billboard for his song with Savoy, Contemplate. Now he’s back with his new hit Polaroid. We asked him some questions about his new release, the vision behind the video, and where he would like his music to go in the future.

You’ve been releasing music for a while now, you released ‘Fire’ and ‘151’ back in 2013, and now it’s 2019 and you’re releasing your single ‘Polaroid’. How would you classify the change in your sound over these 5 or 6 years?

I’ve spent my whole life experimenting with sounds, especially when I was able to use a computer. I would say my music has evolved from experimenting with electronic dance music, to applying it’s techniques into what I’m doing now, which I consider to be more well-rounded songs.

Tell me about your new single ‘Polaroid’. Was this inspired by a recent experience or a collection of experiences over the years? What was the process like writing and producing this song?

Polaroid is my dramatic action-packed take on heartbreak. I only open up through my music. At the time I wrote this I was feeling something almost everyone feels at one point in their lives, and I wanted to portray it in a way that was my own, so I made it dramatic and blunt.

The process was almost instantaneous and went from idea to finished product in about 3 days, with the exception of some minor adjustments. It’s best to record when you’re feeling the feelings from the song, because it can be a more honest recording, and I think people gravitate toward realness.

Tell me about the music video. Where did you shoot? Who produced it? How did you come up with the concept ?

My initial concept was 2 shots, one in my head, and one in real life. In real life I’m getting gas… In my head I’m experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions, lighting photos ablaze and eventually myself. It’s symbolic to the fact that everything can look fine on the outside, when it’s a hellish whirlwind on the inside. I deal with this all the time when trying to maintain positivity as an artist and a person.

I shot ideas back and forth with my director Jude Aotik, who also felt a personal connection with the idea, and we went to his hometown Minneapolis to shoot it with an incredible team including Jake Woodbridge, Matt Roussin and their stellar crew.

Will your future releases be more like Polaroid or are you wanting to go in a different direction? What is your vision as an artist?

My records tend to sway all over the place, but they always have a common identity through my voice and production. My vision as an artist is create an environment where I can make music and perform it using all of my tools: singing, rapping, playing instruments… just entertaining people. I feel the most like myself when I’m creating or on stage. It’s where I am meant to be.