To announce the EP, Jesse Mac Cormack revealed “La Vérité” on October 24th, a collaborative single featuring Toronto’s Charlie Houston and French artist BRÖ. With its infectious, up-tempo energy, “La Vérité” was the perfect teaser, setting the stage for GRIP’s complex themes of memory, nostalgia, and the fleeting nature of connection. Now with the full release, Jesse is ready to share the EP’s emotional breadth and dance-floor appeal.

The title track, “Grip”, takes center stage on the EP. Featuring Kaya Hoax, the song is both introspective and urgent, a digital banger that explores the insecurity of repeating past mistakes while propelling listeners to the dance floor. Reflecting on his evolving approach to music, Jesse shares, “The energy that you can find in a live show like that…there’s a crowd that can really give it back to you,” highlighting his move toward solo-at-the-decks performances and their reciprocal energy.

On “In The Open,” Jesse’s layered synths create an entrancing atmosphere as he reflects on his need for honest connection. Meanwhile, “Not 4 U” builds on the dizzying intensity of early romance, capturing the essence of longing with a delicate, celebratory pulse.

Heavily influenced by Caribou, Fourtet, Duskus, Weval — Jesse is seeing how everything he’s learned so far can be recontextualized in a wider and livelier frame, to get him closer to the sound that reels him into his highest alignment.

Jesse’s artistic direction, marked by his own words, creates a theater-like quality in his music: “Songs are like theatre. They’re a place to exaggerate how you feel but to also squeeze it all out.” This EP captures the duality of intense vulnerability and energetic escapism, crafting an experience that resonates deeply.