grentperez posing next to trees for his new single 'Us Without Me'

grentperez returns with melancholy ballad 'Us Without Me'

The Sydney-based bedroom pop artist returns with his first single of the year, a hypnotic tune of nostalgia and loss.

Preceding an upcoming sold-out headline tour in the U.S. in May and June, including shows in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles, grentperez shared a chilling and emotionally-mature song in Us Without Me.

"'Us Without Me' makes you stare out the window and into your own thoughts," grentperez said.

"This song takes on the perspective of a person who's lost their love to someone else.

"Heartbroken and forced to observe this newly formed couple, the main character wallows in the imagination of what could've been."

The mini music video was shot, edited and coloured by grentperez. While there is also an official music video available, which was released shortly after the song.

It effectively uses a nostalgic mix of old toys to showcase a battle in a playful way; a metaphor for the relationship between grentperez and the lost love.

The song starkly contrasts with other recent releases from grentperez, such as 'Day By Day', where the tones are more hopeful and about the feeling of love in a positive sense.

In contrast, 'Us Without Me' is about longing for lost love and observing the person one used to love, who is now in a new relationship.

That relationship is thriving in a made-up scene in grentperez's head, reminiscent of their old love.

The song is stripped back and rich with a simple guitar, with pleasing chord changes and the introduction of strings towards the end of the song.

The strings bring with them a sense of grandness and sadness, which encapsulates the themes of the song.

grentperez's voice, including his control, is a standout highlight in the song as he displays not only his songwriting ability but also his ability to convey emotions with high-quality singing throughout.

Following his headline U.S. tour, grentperez will join 'The Bittersweet Daze Tour' in the U.S. in July and August, supporting Cavetown alongside mxmtoon and Ricky Montgomery.

'Us Without Me' is now available worldwide.