Grandson’s debut album Death of an Optimist might sound like a contradiction, but Jordan Benjamin—the man behind the name—sees it as a survival tactic. “I’ve been writing about change being right around the corner my entire career,” he tells me. “At some point, you start asking: am I still optimistic, or am I just delusional?”
The record was forged during the chaos of lockdown, pieced together through Zoom calls and remote sessions. “So much of this album was made virtually,” he says. “Shooting videos, recording vocals—it was like trying to dance in quicksand. When the physical copies finally showed up at my door, I just held one and thought, we actually did this.”
Grandson had already built a name through politically charged EPs and viral singles, but this time, he wanted cohesion—a full narrative arc rather than what he calls “a charcuterie board of songs.” “With the EPs, I was auditioning for people’s attention,” he says. “This album was my chance to take liberties—to create an introduction, an interlude, a through-line about hope and agency.”
That hope feels radical in 2020’s wreckage. “I’ve been making politically driven music for years,” he says. “But this one’s not just about anger—it’s about compassion. ‘Dirty’ is about fighting for someone else, not just yourself.”
His activism isn’t theoretical. Through his XX Resistance Fund, Grandson turns touring into tangible impact—raffling off memorabilia, meet-and-greets, and music video props to raise funds for causes like MusiCares and Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp. “It’s not about me being an expert,” he says. “It’s about showing fans that you don’t have to know what you’re doing to start helping. I want to demystify activism.”
Still, he’s aware of burnout. “The danger is people tuning out completely. You’ve got to stay mad—but you’ve also got to take care of yourself.”
Musically, Death of an Optimist pulls from every corner of Grandson’s restless imagination: the aggression of Rage Against the Machine, the electronic pulse of trap, the industrial grit of Nine Inch Nails. “I’m part of the first generation of albumless kids,” he says. “I grew up on LimeWire. You could find anything you wanted with a search bar. So my music reflects that—rock, hip-hop, electronic, all mashed together.”
The record’s collaborations with Travis Barker and Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda underline that hybrid DNA. “Those guys defined the late-’90s era that raised me,” he says. “They came from a time when America was at its most indulgent—pre-9/11, skyscrapers and money and tech booms—and yet their music warned of the darkness underneath. That sarcasm, that sense of unease—I feel like we’re living in a very similar moment.”
He pauses for a beat, then grins. “So yeah, Death of an Optimist sounds heavy. But it’s not about giving up—it’s about learning how to keep going when everything’s falling apart.”
Watch the interview above and then check out the videos below.
