Paul Grimstad

Paul Grimstad in the studio

Paul Grimstad is an American composer, writer, actor and academic known for his work in film scoring, avant-pop music and cultural commentary. He has contributed music to several independent films, published essays in prominent venues, and teaches in the Humanities Program at Yale University.

Early life and education

Grimstad earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He later earned a Ph.D at New York University, where he began developing his interdisciplinary interests in literature, music, and philosophy.

Academic career

Grimstad joined the faculty at Yale University in 2007, initially in the Department of English, and later moved to the Humanities Program. In 2013 he published the book Experience and Experimental Writing with Oxford University Press. He currently serves as the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Humanities major. In 2014, he received the Sarai Ribicoff ’79 Award for Teaching Excellence. He has also taught at Columbia University and New York University.

Music and film composition

Grimstad is noted for his film scores, which blend analog synthesizers, ambient textures, fusing avant-pop and classical influences. He composed the original scores for several independent films, including:

• Frownland (2007)
• Heaven Knows What (2014)
• Jobe’z World (2018)
• Thirst Street (2017)
• The Sweet East (2023)

For Thirst Street, Grimstad composed a synth-heavy score inspired by Gabriel Yared, and contributed an original song performed in the film by actress Lindsay Burdge.

The Sweet East's opening credits sequence features actress Talia Ryder singing Grimstad's original song "Evening Mirror," composed specifically for the film.

Outside of film, Grimstad has composed and produced over 500 original songs in the avant-pop genre. His solo album Mysteroid was created over 10 months using sample-based drum programming, analog summing, and experimental compositional techniques.

Acting career

In addition to composing the film's score, Grimstad played a supporting role in Ronald Bronstein’s 2007 independent film Frownland. The film, a dark and unsettling portrait of social alienation, gained a cult following and was later added to the Criterion Collection. Grimstad's dual contributions to the film—as both composer and actor—underscore his multifaceted engagement with experimental cinema.

Writing and cultural criticism

Grimstad is also a literary and cultural critic whose essays have appeared in numerous prominent publications. His work covers topics such as jazz, contemporary music, literary aesthetics, and audiobook culture. Select contributions include:

• "Jazz Is Freedom" — The Baffler (2022)
• "Leave Alexa Alone" — The Paris Review (2016)
• "Confessions of an Audiobook Addict" — The New Yorker
• "On Frank Zappa", "On Tom Verlaine", "On Robert Ashley" — n+1

Style and influence

Grimstad’s artistic output reflects a fusion of avant-garde music, 19th-century literature, analytic philosophy and analog production methods. His scores and compositions are often described as psychedelic, layered, playful and conceptually rigorous.

Podcasts

Grimstad has appeared on various podcasts discussing music and cultural theory, including:

• Natural Method – Episode 33: "Stalking the Dread Moray Eel"
• n+1 Podcast – "On Frank Zappa"

External links

• Paul Grimstad at IMDb
• Yale Faculty Profile
• Interview on Thirst Street
• Filmmaker Magazine Interview
• A Conversation with Donald Fagen