Poppy Griffin Finds Her Happy Place on Debut Single “Peace”

It is so refreshing to see a young songwriter who isn’t trying to change the world, save the world or tell us how terribly complicated the world has become, but simply wants to remind us that sometimes it is quite nice to sit down, have a cup of coffee and watch the trees move in the breeze. That is pretty much where Poppy Griffin is coming from on “Peace,” her debut single, and she makes a rather good case for it.

The song started life as a classroom assignment at the Idyllwild Arts Academy in California, where Griffin is currently in her senior year. The task was to write a poem about a feeling without actually naming it. She chose peace. A second assignment, this time to write a song beginning with the word “and,” brought the two ideas together, and before long she had a song she was genuinely excited to share.

Listen here:

There is a lovely, easy-going folk quality to “Peace,” with Beatles-esque chord changes and a melody that doesn't have to rush anywhere. Griffin has a warm voice that brings to mind Joni Mitchell and Norah Jones, with a little country and jazz finding their way into the mix. The lyrics are full of little observations about the natural world, including the rather lovely image of “branches wave to the sun,” inspired by Griffin watching the breeze move through the trees.

Of course, peace is a fairly big subject to tackle. A morning coffee before work, a day at the beach with a favourite book, a few hours without anywhere in particular to go. We all have our own version of it, and the song leaves enough room for listeners to find theirs.

Griffin's route to recording the song is worth a mention, too. Originally from South Freeport, Maine, she moved all the way across the country to attend the academy and spent much of her first month feeling homesick and wondering where she fitted in. Songwriting turned out to be the answer.

After entering a school performance competition, where she accompanied herself on guitar for the first time in public, she won a recording session with Nashville producer Grady James. They recorded “Peace,” and Griffin found herself falling in love with writing songs. Further sessions in Nashville followed, producing six more tracks and giving her plenty of material to work with as she looks towards her first album.

There is a lot of music out there made by people who seem determined to prove just how much they have to say. Griffin takes a rather different approach.

“Peace” is gentle, very melodic and unassuming. For a debut, this is a really good place to start. She is still finding her feet, of course, but there is a natural instinct for melody here, along with an appreciation for the little details that make a song worth coming back to.

Griffin is busy finishing high school, releasing more singles, writing her debut album, and playing more shows.

“Everything has built on itself, and I just keep seeing what is possible,” she says. “I want to do this for the rest of my life, and I am willing to work as hard as I possibly can to make that happen.”

About Poppy Griffin

Poppy Griffin is a singer-songwriter from South Freeport, Maine, and a senior at Idyllwild Arts Academy in California. Blending folk with jazz, pop, and country, she draws on nature, everyday moments, and real-life stories to create songs with a uniquely personal perspective.

“Peace” is the debut single from a series of recordings made in Nashville.

Follow Poppy Griffin on her Website