For Rhode Island-based folk artist Yuben Grey, every song starts with whatever is going on in his life at the time. His songs, moody and intimate, are built around stripped-back acoustic sounds with vulnerable lyrics to match. “Whether it’s a tougher time or a happier one, these are soundtracks for my life in a way,” he explains.
His entry into the industry was unconventional. During high school, Grey experimented with beat-making in GarageBand for personal enjoyment until a peer encouraged him to monetize his work. This early experience, while focused on collaborative production, ultimately served as a catalyst for him to take his own artistic vision more seriously. “I kind of just would make these beats, and that was the majority of my music before,” he explained.
As his personal circumstances shifted, so did his sonic identity. After exploring different genres, including indie pop, he found his footing in folk music following a divorce. This transition sparked the creation of his debut album, The Moon Room, released earlier this year. “I wrote the whole album during that time. And it was literally just a really cheap mic and a guitar that I was borrowing from somebody,” he noted.
The seven tracks on The Moon Room—such as "The Night You Came Undone" and "Roman's Song"—rely on minimalist guitar arrangements and reverb to explore themes of transience and loss. These choices reflect his early exposure to his parents' eclectic record collection, which spanned from Jack Johnson and Dave Matthews Band to classical compositions. He credits classical music with teaching him to visualize narratives within sound. “My dad would play classical music and be like, close your eyes and try to picture it,” he explains. “And that’s how I feel like I started using the imagery in my head to figure out songs.”
Grey’s current workflow remains grounded in simplicity. He typically begins with a basic acoustic melody, allowing himself to enter a flow state that often results in a completed track within hours. While he now incorporates elements like bass, banjo, and electric guitar, his focus remains on restraint. Digital tools like BandLab have further streamlined this process, allowing him to quickly capture ideas by layering reverb and recording directly through his headset. “It’s honestly great. They’ve contributed so much when it comes to the simplicity of my process,” he says.
Looking ahead, Grey is developing a new project titled Paper Bones. While the format—EP or full-length—remains undecided, the emotional core is clear. He aims to channel the persistent anxiety he has experienced over the past year into the music. “I feel like this the last year or so I’ve been feeling very anxious, almost like when you feel too much,” he explains. “And that’s kind of what I want to capture. That feeling like your bones could crumble at any moment.”
Ultimately, Grey measures his success by the connection his audience finds within his work. By externalizing his internal struggles, he provides a space for listeners to process their own experiences. “When I write a song, whatever that feeling was in here, now it’s in [the song] instead,” he says. “It’s like a place to feel like yourself and be in the moment. It makes me feel super grateful when people can connect with that.”
