Grand Paradise

"Grand Paradise" is the opening track on the album Nearer My God by Foxing. The song has been described by critics as a festival-ready stomp that builds from its sombre opening to become a forceful onslaught. The track received a new mix by Mike Shinoda for its single release on November 22, 2019. An EP titled Nearer My God Remixes was released on December December 31, 2019 with the remix as its first track.

Background

"Grand Paradise" has been noted as a novel integration of pop and R&B influences which pits punk guitars against slinky beats and Conor Murphy’s fetching, soulful falsetto. The track utilizes elements not previously used in Foxing records, including a drum machine track and recurring background glitches.

It is Murphy's favorite song to play live from Nearer My God. He states, “As far as live performance [goes], I don’t think I’ve ever had more fun than when we play ‘Grand Paradise’ live. That may be the rowdiest live song we’ve written.” When questioned what the song is about, he answered, “‘Grand Paradise’ is all about lack of control. Even though we can hear and see everything happening wrong around us, sometimes, you just can’t do anything about it. It’s about anxiety and sleep and drinking and giving up.” He further explained, “We’re very paranoid and fearful people. Rather than writing about love and relationships on this record, we focused a lot more on anxiety and paranoia and control, and fear that the world is going to end. That’s really what we thought about more than anything on this record, mostly because we were reading the news every day.”

In an interview with Noisey, Murphy attributes the dystopian metaphors about heaven throughout the album to his Catholic upbringing. “Nothing feels as scary to me as Revelations or Biblical references because they were the horror stories I was told as a child. Where you know, what hell is like and what the end of the world will be like, what sin is and where it gets you. So when it comes to telling a scary story, I think the biggest influence I have is that stuff, the Bible, because it’s the scariest book in the world to me.”

"Grand Paradise" was reinterpreted and remixed by Mike Shinoda in 2019 for a single release. The song was previously featured on his "The Soundtrack To My Life" playlist created for Kerrang! Magazine in February 2019. On the occasion, he wrote, “Foxing are this cool, little [St. Louis] indie band that I think are at the start of something special. I remember mentioning them on social media and being told they were shocked. I think they’ve got a [unique] style, and they’re still growing into it. It sounds, to me, like a band who have a lot of potential to make something really special in the future. In the meantime, Nearer My God is really great.”

The band said about the remix, "Having been lifelong fans of Mike’s work both in & outside of Linkin Park & Fort Minor, we were extremely flattered when we found out he enjoyed our record. We quite literally said “fuck it” and DM’d him on Instagram asking if he would remix a song not expecting a response. So, needless to say, it’s an incredibly surreal moment for us to be sharing his version of our song with the world today. He’s been a dream collaborator of all of ours and we are floored with what he’s done with ‘Grand Paradise’. This is just the first track in a series of remixes to be released throughout the remainder of the year. More incredible work coming from Chain Gang of 1974, Psychic Babble, Bas Relief & Chris P. Thompson." Mike added, "Grand Paradise’ is my favorite track off of Nearer My God, and I’m grateful the band let me remix it. The original has so many spectacular tracks and melodies, and I loved reinterpreting them."

Versions

Note: Only the date of the very first release of each version is listed.

Title	Album	Length	Recorded	Released	Notes
Grand Paradise	Nearer My God	4:46	2018	August 10, 2018
Grand Paradise (Mike Shinoda Mix)	Grand Paradise (Mike Shinoda Mix) Nearer My God Remixes	4:17	2018	November 22, 2019	Remix by Mike Shinoda.

Personnel

• Produced and Engineered by Chris Walla and E.M. Hudson
• Additional production by Mike V. Davis
• Additional Engineering by Conor Murphy, Enrique Sampson, Joe Reinhart, Mike V. Davis
• Editing by Ryan Wasoba, Mike V. Davis
• Mastered by Joe Lambert
• Arrangements by E.M. Hudson
• Lyrics by Conor Murphy
• Foxing is Conor Murphy, E.M. Hudson, Enrique Sampson, Jon Hellwig

Lyrics

Album Version

I can be romantic
When I'm starving for sleep
When I try but I can't seem
To remember anything
With hair from a dog
I’ve got a fistful of its mane
It’s too coarse to stomach
So I shove it down my throat
Luck left late Saturday and now

Jesus Christ I'm wrecked to bed
They watch me sleeping in the kennel again
I can't recall the bark but the bay, I admit
If I was listening I could hear it

I’m shock-collared at the gates of heaven
25 years that I’ve been trying to shake loose
And if I try to sit still
Then someone's breathing down my neck
So I'm embarrassing myself again
I should see myself out
Lay me down in the tub
Throw away my phone
Strap a muzzle to my mouth now

And Jesus Christ I'm wrecked to bed
They watch me sleeping in the kennel again
I can't recall the bark but the bay, I admit
If I was listening I could hear it
If I was listening I could hear it

If I listen I can hear
Palms kept white hot gold rings folded like a
Knot tied tight sweat leave sleep take me now
I've done nothing right
I've gone wrong beside
I can't see what's there
But if I listen I can hear
Luck bent low roar drum pressed to the glass
The glass pressed loose soft spots marked on the wall
Wall an empty stomach
I've done nothing right
I can't see what's there
If I listen I can hear it

Palms kept white hot gold rings folding like a
Knot tied tight sweat leave sleep take me now
I've done nothing right
I've gone wrong beside
I can't see what's there
I can't see anything at all

Gallery

• 

  Single

• 

  Nearer My God Remixes

External Links

• Grand Paradise (Official Audio): YouTube
• Grand Paradise (Mike Shinoda Mix): YouTube