Grimes, born Claire Elise Boucher on March 17, 1988, in Vancouver, British Columbia, is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and visual artist.
Her work blends elements of electronic, pop, hip-hop, and experimental genres, often incorporating science fiction and feminist themes.
Grimes gained prominence with her unique sound and visually striking music videos, which she often directs and illustrates herself, drawing inspiration from Japanese anime, manga, and comic artists.
Raised in a Roman Catholic household by her parents, Sandy Garossino, a former Crown prosecutor and arts advocate, and Maurice Boucher, a former banker working in biotech, Grimes was the eldest child in her family.
Her early exposure to music and art, combined with her self-taught skills, shaped her distinctive career.
After graduating from Lord Byng Secondary School in 2006, she moved to Montreal to attend McGill University, initially studying neuroscience and Russian language, but dropped out in 2010 to focus on her music career.
Siblings
Grimes grew up with three brothers, two of whom are publicly known Mac Boucher and Daniel Boucher.
She also has a stepbrother, Jay Worthy, a rapper who has made a name for himself in the music industry.
Mac Boucher is a filmmaker and cinematographer who has played a significant role in Grimes’ career, directing several of her music videos, including those for “Genesis,” “Oblivion,” and “Kill V. Maim.”
His creative collaboration with Grimes extends to serving as her creative director, contributing to the visual aesthetic that defines her work.
Jay Worthy, Grimes’ stepbrother, emerged in the music scene with a debut appearance at Boiler Room in Los Angeles in 2016 and toured across America in 2018 alongside artists like Freddie Gibbs.
He has released solo projects and collaborated with LNDN DRGS on the album Burnout 4 in 2020/21.
Grimes’ relationship with her siblings, particularly Mac, has been influential, with their shared artistic endeavors strengthening their bond.
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Career
Grimes began writing music under her stage name in 2007, initially unaware that “grime” referred to a specific music genre, having chosen it for her MySpace profile.
Her debut album, Geidi Primes, a concept album inspired by the Dune series, was released on cassette in 2010 through Arbutus Records.
That same year, she released her second album, Halfaxa, also through Arbutus, showcasing her experimental sound.
In 2011, she collaborated with d’Eon on the split EP Darkbloom, and her debut album was re-released in CD and vinyl formats by No Pain in Pop Records.
Her breakthrough came with her third album, Visions, released in 2012 through Arbutus Records in Canada and 4AD elsewhere.
Recorded in isolation in her Montreal apartment, Visions marked a turning point, earning widespread acclaim for its innovative sound.
Following extensive touring, she signed with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation for management in 2013 while remaining with 4AD.
Her fourth album, Art Angels (2015), was hailed as one of the year’s best by several publications, and her fifth, Miss Anthropocene (2020), continued her exploration of dystopian themes.
Beyond music, Grimes voiced a character in the 2020 video game Cyberpunk 2077 and served as a judge on the music competition show Alter Ego.
She has also created album art for all her releases, designed merchandise, and contributed to projects like a capsule collection of T-shirts for Saint Laurent in 2013.
Accolades
Grimes’ 2012 album Visions won the Juno Award for Electronic Album of the Year and was included in NME’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2013.
The album’s single “Oblivion” was named the best song of 2012 by Pitchfork and ranked number one on their 200 Best Tracks of the Decade So Far list in 2014, also appearing on NME’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.
Grimes herself was nominated for Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the Juno Awards and won the Artist of the Year Award at the 2013 Webby Awards.
Her 2014 single Go, featuring Blood Diamonds, reached number 14 on Rolling Stone’s Best Songs of the Year list.
The 2015 album Art Angels received widespread praise, with multiple publications naming it the best album of the year.
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