Brooklyn Soul: Big Apple-Based R&B Rockers GRITS Drop Newest Spirited Single ‘You’ve Seen It All’

With a heavy R&B influence, GRITS has a natural feel for soulful melodies and vocals that hit you at your core.

Founded in 2017 in Brooklyn, NYC, Eric Breeding (vocals), James Ruffino (lead guitar), Nolan Williams (keyboards+guitar), Will Whatley (drums), and Mike Straus (bass), formed the band with the intention of delivering that vintage sound they held dear. Now, with almost 61,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, it’s clear more and more people are catching on and engaging with the band’s unique, spirited sound that is spreading in the NYC music scene and beyond. 

Their feel-good debut single, “Darlin’”, has gained over two million streams, some of which include a growing international audience, after being grabbed by the attention of the KEXP radio station in Los Angeles. Released in 2018 along with “Dead for a While”, the duo pair well together, mixing the high production with the smooth and sultry lyrics and vocals. Later that year, the slower tune “Po’ Boy”, was released, which can conjure images of a band playing it in a movie while the crowd shuffles along the dance floor. 

Jumping ahead to 2020, “Lay in Blue” reminds us of how much concertgoers miss live events and how they used to be, with the video capturing authentic footage of producing and playing an intimate show. The single marked the first time working with Vince Chiarito, who has worked with artists such as the band Black Pumas and the late great Charles Bradley. The uptempo beat and catchy vocals bring about feelings of rolling down the windows and letting the uplifting energy ring through the air. 

“You’ve Seen It All” is the latest addition to their catalog of hits, taking on a slower but still powerful soul-soaked vibe. It captures the feeling of just wanting to be loved by someone who makes you a better person, and changes others for the better as well. Breeding’s impressive raw and deep vocals sing, “And you held me like you’ve seen it all/ Oh but you’re just a face without a name/ And everyone you love changes/ Oh somehow you feel the same”. The light-hearted music video shows the band’s care-free disposition and brings you to the cold streets of New York, walking you around the snowy downtown streets. It’s a whole feel for sure.

You can find “You’ve Seen It All” and their other releases wherever you get your music, so if heart and soul-rock is your jam, then you’ll want to fire up these tracks.