Rob Grant (Del Rey)'s Debut Album

Lana Del Rey’s father, Rob Grant, has announced the release of his debut album ‘Lost at Sea’ on June 9^th. The album will document the freedom he feels at sea through the means of piano, and vocals from his daughter on a couple of tracks.

The album art slightly nods to Norman F****** Rockwell as he positions himself on a boast looking out to sea. But he is not draped around a lover or looking into the camera, instead, he is steadfast into the sea wind and looking into the horizon. Like his daughter’s recent movement, however, the art is taken by family and seems extremely personal, taken by his daughter Chuck Grant.

Lana will feature on two tracks; ‘Hollywood Bowl’ and ‘Lost at Sea’. The two tracks nod to familiar Del-Rey tropes; Hollywood, personal moments, and reflections in solitude. This father-and-daughter collaboration has produced beautiful art in the past. He is named as a songwriter on Blue Banisters’ lullaby-like Sweet Carolina and also worked on the piano for the piece. This song expresses the need for familial love and support and is dedicated to Lana’s sister Chuck Grant who recently had a baby when the song was written. The collaboration of father and daughter makes the lyrics and sentiment poignant and moving and knowing his passion and love for the album’s muse, we can surely see more of this.

Other tracks include ‘Setting Sail on a Distant Horizon’ which he describes to Rolling Stone as an audio representation of the feeling of sailing; wind in sails, sloop gaining speeds, and sails filling with wind - told through the piano. This was released at midnight on Friday 24^th February. Despite not being able to read music and having no music qualifications or history, his press release reeds, ‘when he sits down at the piano, notes flow from him. Melodies become unbidden. Emotion overwhelms thought and outpours composition after composition.

The melody and chords are heart-wrenching and pull from the orchestral influences and notes of his daughter. The piece is melancholy but hopeful, such as being alone at sea with the prospect of beauty and solitude awaiting. Where Lana uses her voice to haunt and evoke, Rob has a beautiful command of the piano to create poignancy without words.

Lana can be heard in the background of a video where her sister takes her father’s album art “You are the sea. And the sea is you. There’s no separating you two.” I hope for the album to be a love letter to the sea. Following in the style of his eldest daughter, I believe he will be able to create poignant and beautiful tracks of poetry and evocative melodies.