Folky Turtle Grenade's "Drummer/Plumber/Homestar Runner"

Moving to Athens just a short six months ago, Miami-transplant Denise Gorrio has quickly made their way onto stages around town as the solo folk project Turtle Grenade. Describing their music as “diary-like lyrics over simple guitar arrangements,” Denise also creates a variety of visual art that can be seen on Instagram. A mix of genuine creativity and a desire to relate to others is strongly felt in Turtle Grenade’s recent music video release for the single “Drummer/Plumber/Homestar Runner.”

This track appears on the EP Painflower, which was written and mixed by Turtle Grenade complete with their artwork on the cover. For the music video, Denise worked alongside friends Caitlyn Riesinger (the pink cat, choreography), Gabriel Nasca (camerawork), Jackson McLendon (dog one), and Patrick Matistic (dog two) to bring their vision and story alive. Much like the rest of Denise’s art and music, the video can be described as “dark yet lighthearted, and almost never completely serious or polished.”

It’s certainly entertaining and charming, creating a realm reminiscent of childlike wonder on the surface. However, there’s an uncomfortable and foreboding underbelly that creeps in at moments, particularly at the end.

Overall, the music scene has been supportive of taking in Turtle Grenade, including hip hop powerhouse Linqua Franqa. They will be performing together at Flicker Bar & Theatre in downtown Athens Saturday, January 22. Be sure to check out the EP Painflower before heading to the show, and follow Turtle Grenade on Instagram for updates and new music on the way.