Great Grandpa on 10 albums that influenced ‘Patience, Moonbeam’

Great Grandpa are back from a five-year-long hiatus with their best album yet, Patience, Moonbeam, out today on Run For Cover. As I wrote in my review in Notable Releases, it’s an art rock journey that takes the band in all kinds of new directions, and to get a better idea of what was inspiring this bold new album, we asked the band to tell us about 10 albums that influenced it. This is Great Grandpa’s most collaborative album yet, and all five members contributed to the list, which includes albums by Sufjan Stevens, Caroline Polachek, Spirit of the Beehive, Strange Ranger, Sparklehorse, Elliott Smith, and more.

See what they had to say about each one below, and read my review of the album in Notable Releases.

Patience, Moonbeam by Great Grandpa

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10 ALBUMS THAT INFLUENCED GREAT GRANDPA’S PATIENCE, MOONBEAM

Caroline Polachek – Desire, I Want To Turn Into You (Dylan Hanwright, guitar/production)
A masterclass in pop songwriting with thoughtful and unique production. The sound design and sense of space on this record is such a huge reference for me.

Strange Ranger – Pure Music (Dylan)
This band went from making killer loud sloppy indie rock to detailed, world-built concept records soaking with nostalgia from an alternate timeline.

Dijon – Absolutely (Al Menne, lead vocals)
I felt inspired by the vocals throughout this album for the song “Kiss the Dice.” I had such a blast trying to emulate that vibe for the demo with Dylan and our buddy Alex Hubel at the Unknown in Anacortes, WA. Picture us going to town on the altar of an old church with a big skeleton behind us.

Sparklehorse – It’s a Wonderful Life (Al)
I’ve always felt personally inspired by this project from a writing and vibe perspective. I love when a work perfectly melds lo-fi and sophistication, and I’m always intrigued by a mix of self production and collaboration within the same album.

Moses Sumney – Aromanticism (Pat Goodwin, guitar)
I had this album on repeat during the pandemic. The mixture of compositional sophistication, adventurous arrangements, and emotional melodies really moved me in a way that few releases did during that time period.

Daniel Rossen – You Belong There (Pat)
Cam and Dylan recommended this album to me after I showed them one of the new songs off our [new] album (“Never Rest”). I listened to it obsessively for several months in awe at the combination of flamenco classical folk and medieval harmonic theory. It’s rooted in just enough tradition while never feeling derivative.

Sufjan Stevens – Carrie and Lowell (Carrie Goodwin, bass)
This album is one that I listened to frequently on tour- specifically when I drove the early morning stretch, enjoying the sunrise, the quiet, and the music while my bandmates slept. I had read that writing and creating this album was Sufjan’s way of processing his mother’s death, and I drew comfort and inspiration from that while writing the lyrics for “Kid.”

Elliott Smith – Either/Or (Carrie)
This album is a masterclass in how to write songs that tell a story, how to present arrangements that are complex but also humble, and how to speak honestly about the challenges and heartbreak of being human.

Lankum – False Lankum (Cam LaFlam, drums)
I started listening to this album a lot during the demoing process of our new record. It is dark and vast, but also sparse and beautiful. Oftentimes droning and repetitive, building up layers with exquisite details. Lankum reimagines old folk songs to great effect. Especially impactful for me are the rich melodies and the way their voices come together so powerfully at times. There is a togetherness in these songs, through the darkness, that stuck with me as we worked on Patience, Moonbeam.

Spirit of the Beehive – Hypnic Jerks (Cam)
This album is a stunning journey: unpredictable, noisy, densely layered, and really catchy. There’s both a precision and fluidity to the drums — and the songs themselves — that I’m drawn to. Hypnic Jerks is a record that I’ve returned to before, during, and after making our new album.