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Screenshot via YouTube
Song Exploder is a podcast hosted and created by Hrishikesh Hirway, which allows artists to break down one of their songs piece by piece to tell the story of how it all came together. The latest episode features Grimes speaking on how “Kill V. Maim” from her 2015 album Art Angels was created.
Grimes explained that after being told she made “cute music” she wanted to prove that she could make something harder. Aiming for a sound that would be fitting for “an action sequence in a movie,” Grimes went home to record the lead guitar chords, although admitting she didn’t know much about playing the guitar. “Everything about the guitars in this song are the by-product of me knowing nothing about guitars,” she explains. “It’s just a complete mess of unprofessionalism.”
“Kill V. Maim” has quite the indescribable sound, and the reason for that is because of the blended influences that inspired Grimes while recording. “I had been watching Godfather and Godfather 2, and I just had this thought in my mind of this insane movie that would just be like the Godfather with vampires,” Grimes explained. She went on to say that she wanted to make a song that would play during the trailer of this fictional Godfather meets Twilight movie in her mind. And as a result, “Kill V. Maim” came to life.
Listen to the full explanation of how “Kill V. Maim” came together below.
