New Album "One Man's Story"Out Everywhere Now

Album Art by Jake Manders

One Man’s Story by Grant Glad is a concept record telling the tale of an everyday Midwestern man’s life over the course of 8 songs. The main character is an amalgam of the men that Grant Glad grew up with in Minnesota. These songs tell their story, in the most honest way possible. 

This album captures the little moment’s that make up a life; the first time going to deer camp at 13 (Gunpowder at Dawn) , drinking stolen booze in a car at 16 with a high school sweetheart (When It’s Gonna End), returning from the Army on leave at 21 to find that all of your high school friends are already unrecognizable to you (At Ease), being stuck in your hometown bar on the night before Thanksgiving in your 30’s (The Night Before Thanksgiving), finding love (Morningside), taking the kids to hockey practice on New Year’s Day (Gettin’ on Fine), and spending every Friday night taking your wife dancing at the local VFW to keep that spark alive until the inevitability of old age finally catches up with one of you (Dancing at the VFW).

Grant approached this record as if it were a novel, influenced strongly by John Steinbeck, he began writing the album in the fall of 2020 and it took him 3 years to complete it. The idea for this project emanated from hopes to further explore the character from Glad’s regional hit Dancing at the VFW. He began working backwards from there until the story of the whole life was entirely fleshed out, bringing in help from friends as necessary to do justice to topics Grant didn’t have much firsthand experience with. This happened on both the songs At Ease and Gettin’ on Fine. For At Ease, Glad wanted to write about a military experience but wanted to avoid the pitfalls commonly associated with this topic, such as oversentimentality or political protest. To achieve this Glad recruited his friends Jon Attia and Matt Dumas, both military veterans, to help with the crafting of the song and ensure the result came out as one thing: honest. Whereas for Gettin’ on Fine, Grant recruited Minnesota songwriter Sarah Morris to assist with writing about the day-to-day quiet love of a long-term marriage and the little things that married couples do to show they care once the honeymoon is long over.

While the attention to lyrical detail throughout this record is what truly makes it shine, Grant did not skimp out on the musicality in the slightest. He brought in artists like Ryan Young of Trampled by Turtles to play violin on “Gunpowder at Dawn” and Liz Draper, who has long played with regional star Charlie Parr, to play upright bass across the whole album to ensure that the music would rise to the occasion of telling these stories.

Grant Glad poured all his life experiences and soul into this project, and it shows in the final product. One Man’s Story releases on all the streaming platforms on 1/1/24.

One Man's Story

Grant Glad

One Man’s Story by Grant Glad is a concept record telling the tale of an everyday Midwestern man’s life over the course of 8 songs. The main character is an amalgam of the men that Grant Glad grew up with in Minnesota. These songs tell their story, in the most honest way possible. This album captures the little moment’s that make up a life; the

One Man’s Story by Grant Glad is a concept record telling the tale of an everyday Midwestern man’s life over the course of 8 songs. The main character is an amalgam of the men that Grant Glad grew up with in Minnesota. These songs tell their story, in the most honest way possible. This album captures the little moment’s that make up a life; the first time going to deer camp at 13 (Gunpowder at Dawn) , drinking stolen booze in a car at 16 with a high school sweetheart (When It’s Gonna End), returning from the Army on leave at 21 to find that all of your high school friends are already unrecognizable to you (At Ease), being stuck in your hometown bar on the night before Thanksgiving in your 30’s (The Night Before Thanksgiving), finding love (Morningside), taking the kids to hockey practice on New Year’s Day (Gettin’ on Fine), and spending every Friday night taking your wife dancing at the local VFW to keep that spark alive until the inevitability of old age finally catches up with one of you (Dancing at the VFW). Grant approached this record as if it were a novel, influenced strongly by John Steinbeck, he began writing the album in the fall of 2020 and it took him 3 years to complete it. The idea for this project emanated from hopes to further explore the character from Glad’s regional hit Dancing at the VFW. He began working backwards from there until the story of the whole life was entirely fleshed out, bringing in help from friends as necessary to do justice to topics Grant didn’t have much firsthand experience with. This happened on both the songs At Ease and Gettin’ on Fine. For At Ease, Glad wanted to write about a military experience but wanted to avoid the pitfalls commonly associated with this topic, such as oversentimentality or political protest. To achieve this Glad recruited his friends Jon Attia and Matt Dumas, both military veterans, to help with the crafting of the song and ensure the result came out as one thing: honest. Whereas for Gettin’ on Fine, Grant recruited Minnesota songwriter Sarah Morris to assist with writing about the day-to-day quiet love of a long-term marriage and the little things that married couples do to show they care once the honeymoon is long over. While the attention to lyrical detail throughout this record is what truly makes it shine, Grant did not skimp out on the musicality in the slightest. He brought in artists like Ryan Young of Trampled by Turtles to play violin on “Gunpowder at Dawn” and Liz Draper, who has long played with regional star Charlie Parr, to play upright bass across the whole album to ensure that the music would rise to the occasion of telling these stories. Grant Glad poured all his life experiences and soul into this project, and it shows in the final product.

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The Ballad of Clinton Harris

Grant Glad & the Soo Line Loons

Hot off the New Years Day release of the critically lauded concept album “One Man’s Story”, Grant Glad & the Soo Line Loons are back with a raucous Americana/Roots Rock working class anthem for the new single “The Ballad of Clinton Harris.” This song was intended for “One Man’s Story” but was left on the cutting room floor, not due to quality,

Hot off the New Years Day release of the critically lauded concept album “One Man’s Story”, Grant Glad & the Soo Line Loons are back with a raucous Americana/Roots Rock working class anthem for the new single “The Ballad of Clinton Harris.” This song was intended for “One Man’s Story” but was left on the cutting room floor, not due to quality, but due to fit. It was simply too rambunctious compared to the subdued sound of the rest of the record.

This barnburner of a song is based on the true story of Clinton Harris, who passed away during the Milford Mine disaster in Crosby, MN on February 5th, 1924. It was just 15 minutes from quitting time when the mine beneath Lake Foley collapsed and water from the lake flooded the cavernous tunnels. Clinton Harris was there that day, with 47 other men, only 7 of whom survived. Harris was not one of the lucky ones.

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Bio

The music of Duluth-based Americana singer-songwriter Grant Glad transforms the day-to-day struggle of American living into foot-stomping, full-hearted anthems about chasing dreams and dancing while you do it. At times twangy, at times funky, his albums stretch the boundaries of several genres to produce something entirely new: songs that offer the loose, raw spirit of punk rock, the bold, driving rhythms of roots rock-and-roll, and the rich sense of personal history that makes classic country forever relevant. 

Inspired by down-home, storytelling artists from John Prine to Bruce Springsteen to Uncle Tupelo, Grant Glad writes with a back-to-basics mentality, focusing on guitars, bass, drums, fiddle, and lyrics written by real people for real people. His first single “Dancing at the VFW” from A Place No One Belongs was featured as Song of the Day on 89.3 The Current in 2019. The ambling, acoustic single highlights lead singer Glad’s buoyant warble, evoking warm nostalgia for simpler days as well as the grim inevitabilities of age and change.  

Grant's new record “One Man's Story” was released on 1/1/24. This is a concept record telling the tale of an everyday Midwestern man’s life over the course of 8 songs. The main character is an amalgam of the men that Grant Glad grew up with in Minnesota. These songs tell their story, in the most honest way possible.

 

Shows

Previous events

Date Event Location
Grant Glad Zeitgest Arts Cafe, Duluth, MN Zeitgest Arts Cafe, Duluth, MN
 —  — Grant Glad Harbor Rail Pub, Two Harbors, MN Harbor Rail Pub, Two Harbors, MN
Grant Glad Zeitgest Arts Cafe, Duluth, MN Zeitgest Arts Cafe, Duluth, MN
Grant Glad Zeitgest Arts Cafe, Duluth, MN Zeitgest Arts Cafe, Duluth, MN
Grant Glad Zeitgest Arts Cafe, Duluth, MN Zeitgest Arts Cafe, Duluth, MN
 —  — Grant Glad Harbor Rail Pub, Two Harbors, MN Harbor Rail Pub, Two Harbors, MN
 —  — Grant Glad Harbor Rail Pub, Two Harbors, MN Harbor Rail Pub, Two Harbors, MN
Grant Glad Rapids Brewing, Grand Rapids, MN Rapids Brewing, Grand Rapids, MN
 —  — Grant Glad Ursa Minor Brewing, Duluth, MN Ursa Minor Brewing, Duluth, MN
 —  — Grant Glad Ursa Minor Brewing, Duluth, MN Ursa Minor Brewing, Duluth, MN
 —  — Grant Glad Ursa Minor Brewing, Duluth, MN Ursa Minor Brewing, Duluth, MN
Grant Glad & Dellwood & Caleb Bell-Jones 318 Cafe, Excelsior, MN 318 Cafe, Excelsior, MN
Private Event Private Event, Duluth, MN Private Event, Duluth, MN
Private Event  
 —  — Grant Glad Fairview Farm, Duluth, MN Fairview Farm, Duluth, MN
Songwriters in the Round: Grant Glad, AJ Scheiber & John Louis Aster Cafe, Minneapolis, MN Aster Cafe, Minneapolis, MN
Grant Glad Sir Benedict's Tavern, Duluth, MN Sir Benedict's Tavern, Duluth, MN
Grant Glad Superior Tavern, Superior, WI Superior Tavern, Superior, WI
Grant Glad Wussows Concert Cafe, Duluth, MN Wussows Concert Cafe, Duluth, MN
Grant Glad & Doyle Turner JackPine Brewing, Nisswa, MN JackPine Brewing, Nisswa, MN

Glad You're Here Podcast