McCain Chose Palin

GRYSKLL was three songs deep into a mini project called Project 2025 before it was cancelled. What didn't get shut down was the reason those songs got made in the first place. That and the need for more like them.

For close to a year after the last election, it seemed like something had silently shifted in everyone. Family, work, the news cycle, all of it sitting heavier than usual. Nobody wanted to keep talking about it, so mostly, they didn't.

Recognizing this made way for the project that looked like it was going to be abandoned to be revived with new purpose. We leaned on the Creative Wellbeing practices we’ve been building thanks, in part through GRYSpace. Using music as a tool for self mastery has been helping us process what had been bottled up so we can better meet the moment.

The project became McCain Chose Palin, GRYSKLL’s first full-length album. Crafting and curating it has given the Crew something close to a relief valve, and it forged a firmer focus in a few members.

It's the follow-up A Tension Deficit alluded to in its closing moments, and it's dropping on Election Day.

The songs carry each artist’s own perspective. The project around them isn’t a campaign. It doesn’t endorse candidates or parties, and it isn’t built to change anyone’s vote. It’s built to give people a healthy way to carry what they’re carrying.

The Music. 16 songs from 12 GRYSKLL artists across the country, five years in the making.

The Conversations. The MCP Listening Study brings small groups together, in person and on Zoom, to listen and talk through how the music lands.

The Tools. Free games in the GRYSKLL Arcade, built to sharpen critical thinking and help players spot misinformation.