For GRIM-VIRUs, the challenge of making an album starts with finding a shape for the experiences he wants to share.
His forthcoming project uses different parts of a haunted house to explore stories from his life, bringing a more focused approach to the unpredictable writing heard on “Tick Tock.” He wants those songs to reach listeners who recognize something of their own struggles in his. Speaking with Rolling Hype, he reflects on the moment he began taking music seriously, the difficulty of maintaining a writing pace, and the feedback shaping his next steps. He also shares what success would mean beyond streams and recognition.
When did making music become something you wanted to pursue seriously?
GRIM-VIRUs: When I finally felt like I’d written something halfway decent. In my song “Snow Makes Me Glitch,” I wrote this chorus:
“Dancing with the devil, damn, I let the thing free. He’s gonna cause so much panic in the streets. Went from guarded to voiceless, ’cause every time I tweak, the devil makes my choices, and he won’t let me sleep.”
I still think that chorus is fire. I just wish I hadn’t wasted it on that song. The bars are shit. Seriously, please don’t listen to that trash song.
What draws you to horror themes, and which films or other influences have helped shape that side of your work?
GRIM-VIRUs: I’ve watched a lot of horror movies, but honestly, I’m usually more focused on figuring out how to keep my bars unique. I want my writing to be so recognizable that someone could read a verse on paper, without ever hearing the song, and still say, “Oh, that’s a GRIM-VIRUs verse.”
That’s the kind of identity I’m trying to build with my music.
Your upcoming album uses different parts of a haunted house to tell stories from your life. How did that concept come together?
GRIM-VIRUs: I was thinking about some serious topics I wanted to cover, and different parts of a house just started popping into my mind. Eventually, I said, “Fuck it, a haunted house.”
And that’s pretty much how the concept came together.
What do you want this album to tell listeners about you that they haven’t heard in your singles?
GRIM-VIRUs: I want this album to be less chaotic and more focused on specific things that happened to me before I became GRIM-VIRUs: things I’ve experienced, situations I’ve survived, and struggles I’ve dealt with.
Hopefully, by putting those experiences into songs, I can help people who are going through similar situations or have been through the same things.
What has been the biggest challenge of putting the album together so far?
GRIM-VIRUs: Writing, without a doubt. I was averaging about one song every three months, and I can’t keep working at that pace if I want to finish an entire album.
I’ve gotta pick up the pace.
How do you stay inspired and keep the momentum going while working on a project this size?
GRIM-VIRUs: I think about the people who might find comfort in these songs, or the possibility that something I’ve written could genuinely help someone going through the same situations I went through.
Knowing my music could make that kind of difference keeps me motivated.
And come on, you all know GRIM. Obviously, I wanna get paid too.
How does “Tick Tock” represent where you are creatively right now?
GRIM-VIRUs: “Tick Tock” represents how well I’ve learned to control chaos within a song. I can take something completely unpredictable, aim it at different subjects, and still make everything work together without losing control of the track.
That’s just GRIM-VIRUs. Take it or leave it.
Which of your songs would you recommend to a first-time listener, and why?
GRIM-VIRUs: Well, if you’re a bit of a snowflake and can’t handle mean words, I’d recommend “Spare Lense” or “Dancing with the Devil.”
“Spare Lense” is less chaotic and takes a more serious approach to my struggles with addiction.
“Dancing with the Devil,” on the other hand, tells a true story from when I was around 15 years old.
Someone very close to me, who was also using drugs at the time, had apparently set me up. They arranged for people we both knew and bought from to put chemicals in my needle while telling me it was dope.
When I used it, I went completely blind.
I couldn’t see a damn thing for hours. Somehow, I managed to get out of the house, and a random car came down the road. Someone stopped, helped me into their car, and tried to take me to the hospital.
But I was around 15, scared, and all I wanted was to go home.
Hours later, after I’d finally regained my vision, I heard the person who had set me up talking on the phone in another room to the same people we both knew, discussing what had happened.
Here’s a detail I’ve never been entirely sure whether I wanted to reveal publicly: that person’s nickname was actually “Gihad.”
I honestly didn’t know if I was ever going to reveal that little detail or just keep it as a personal joke.
What has the response to your music been like, and has any feedback stayed with you?
GRIM-VIRUs: It’s been pretty mixed, honestly.
Some people don’t like the fact that certain tracks have had AI-assisted vocals or beats. Other people don’t give a flying fuck and still bump my shit. I’ve gotten attention from radio stations, celebrities, and all kinds of different listeners.
But one piece of feedback has definitely stuck with me, and I’ve made a decision because of it.
From this point forward, there will never again be AI assistance in my music, even in the slightest.
You guys want all GRIM-VIRUs, all the time?
That’s exactly what you’re gonna get.
Beyond releasing music, what would you like to explore next, whether that’s videos, collaborations, or live shows?
GRIM-VIRUs: Music videos and live shows are definitely at the top of my list.
I’m interested in collaborations too, but they’re a lot lower on my list of priorities. Honestly, they just don’t seem nearly as interesting to me right now.
Unless Diggy Graves ever happens to want a collaboration.
I’m just saying…
What would make this album a success for you personally?
GRIM-VIRUs: If I had fans DM me and tell me how or why one of my songs helped them, or how something I wrote got them through a difficult situation, that alone would make the album a success to me.
I couldn’t give a fuck less about the numbers.
Sure, getting streams and recognition is great, but what I really want is to know that I’m helping people, that someone out there can relate to my experiences, hear what I’ve been through, and realize they’re not alone.
If even a few people can genuinely say my music helped them, then I’ve accomplished what I wanted to accomplish.
The album GRIM-VIRUs describes is still taking shape, but his priorities are clear. He wants to write with greater focus, move beyond his previous pace, and make music that listeners can connect to during difficult periods in their lives. Music videos and live shows are also high on his list. Throughout the conversation, he returns to the same measure of success: hearing directly from someone who found comfort or recognition in a song.
Follow GRIM-VIRUs on Instagram and X for updates as he develops the project. His existing songs offer different sides of the artist, from the controlled chaos of “Tick Tock” to the more personal material he discusses in this interview.
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