Since it’s initial release in January of this year, we have not stopped listening to Erin Grand‘s debut EP Anything But Casual. The body of work from the budding country star brings the heart of soul back into the genre with relatable lyrics and catchy tunes.
“..It feels really rewarding to have a whole project out,” Grand told CS Country at the time of its release. “A blessing would be an understatement to explain how amazing it is to be able to make music and do my ‘job’ during a time like this in the world. Knowing that all of these songs are little stories and parts of my life is super exciting because I feel now people are going to be able to get a glimpse of my personality on a deeper level.”
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After receiving a ton of buzz from music critics, fans and her peers, Grand decided to give her 5-track EP a new twist by releasing Casual Sessions – a collection of the project’s five tunes reimagined with stripped-back production and videos to match.
Every Friday in April, Grand plans on releasing each song to round out the five-track project. This week, the singer/songwriter is expected to drop “Lonely Does (Casual Sessions),” and Celeb Secrets Country has your first listen for the stripped-down song and it’s raw, stunning visual.
Written by Grand with the help of Allie Dunn and Lance Carpenter, the song was actually the reason why she decided to pick up and officially move to Nashville to pursue music full-time.
“[We] wrote the song in my hotel room in Downtown Nashville, and it was probably the longest write I’ve ever had — but totally worth it,” Grand tells CS Country exclusively. “I love ‘Lonely Does’ because it can be taken two different ways – either as the loss of a true loved one, or as a breakup. Unfortunately, this song was inspired by a very sad love story and comes from experience in both losing a loved one, and letting go after a breakup.”
According to Erin, stripping down the not-so happily ever after love story is “truly what the song deserves,” and she hopes that people can see the deeper meaning behind it after listening to its acoustic version.
“I feel like the acoustic version of the song, when it’s just a voice and guitar, highlights the deeper meaning. I believe when you strip everything else away, you really expose the raw emotion of the vocals. That’s truly what the song deserves,” she says.
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As for what’s next, Grand promises new material that her fans can not only relate to, but sing along to with their friends and family.
“Listeners need to be on the lookout for some new, original tunes this year,” she says. “I’ve enjoyed celebrating the release of my debut EP, Anything But Casual, and the stripped ‘Casual Sessions’ – but I’m so excited to release new material and see what fans think!”
Check out the stripped version and video for “Lonely Does (Casual Sessions)” below and let us know what you think of it by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets.
You can listen to Anything But Casual here and follow Erin on Instagram at @itseringrand.
