Grumpy's EP "Piebald" is a crooked grin with a knife behind it—a shimmering punch to the gut that transforms the grotesque into glamour and heartbreak into theater. Carried by a voice that oscillates between charming villain and sad clown, "Piebald" transports the listener to a world where ugliness is not only accepted but is the source of Grumpy's power. It doesn't take long for the drain to open in the opener "Bird Parts," when a disgustingly delicious gurgling interrupts the airy chords. "Crush" is pure cotton candy: "'Baby, what's your screen name? Let's hold hands online,' sings Schmitt. "Proud of You" and its Y2K sample chops might remind you of Smash Mouth, and I mean really Smash Mouth—you could even go back to "All Star" and marvel at the C major diminished chord that throws the chorus off balance. These songs shatter the joy of new love and then revel in the catastrophe of disintegrating love, and they are so incredibly immersed in all of this, so hungry for it, so reeling with intensity, that the boundaries between desire and pain begin to blur. Grumpy plays with the idea of irresistible monstrosity. “I’m drawn to ugliness paired with charm,” says Schmitt. “My entire songwriting philosophy revolves around how ugly I can be, how much I can admit, how much I can portray the things that have been most painful in my life.” The character of Grumpy is a villain who wins over the listener with his acceptance of pain and his sense of humor. He's creepy, audacious, and somehow charming. He has courage and skill. He invites the audience to be entertained by his ugliness. And I think that's precisely what songwriting is: portraying one's pain for entertainment or catharsis. "Piebald" opens like an invitation to truly love ugliness: not just to accept it, not just to endure it, but to embrace it with both arms and revel in the scent of its fur. "Bird Parts" opens the EP with the statement: "My girl isn't mine / I'm a bottom feeder / I can't kiss her but she calls me when I really need her." “That’s Grumpy’s ethos in miniature,” says Schmitt. “It insists on dignity amidst humiliation, on connection despite rejection. It’s about remaining indispensable even when discarded. Piebald doesn’t ask for pity. It captivates you and challenges you to look away.” Tracklisting Contributors Disc 1 of 1 (CD) 1 Bird Parts Ft. Harmony 2 Crush 3 Deeptalker 4 Proud of You 5 Knot 6 Rice New product