Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Grundemann (Staytus).
Hi Sam, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m a musician, producer, and songwriter originally from Arizona. Earlier this year, I moved to Los Angeles to immerse myself in its creative scene and keep pushing my sound forward. Music has always been my way of processing life — transforming emotion, chaos, and pain into something meaningful.
I started Staytus as a personal project — a way to turn dark emotions into art and explore the human experience through sound. My music blends industrial, electronic, and nu-metal influences, drawing inspiration from artists like Nine Inch Nails and Garbage while carving out my own identity built on raw honesty and emotional intensity.
My debut album, Disease of the Mind, was written during one of the hardest chapters of my life. It was cathartic — a way to confront my struggles head-on. I followed it with my sophomore album, Wasteland of Broken Hearts, which expanded that world even further, pairing visceral storytelling with immersive sound design.
Earlier this year, I released my cinematic concept series Twisted Frames, inspired by the films of Matthew Gray Gubler — 68 Kill, Suburban Gothic, King Knight, and How to Be a Serial Killer. Each song captures the emotional undercurrent of those films — identity, transformation, defiance — through a dark industrial lens. These tracks were produced by Matt McJunkins (A Perfect Circle, Puscifer), and working with him really helped bring a new level of intensity and precision to my sound.
I’ve also had the opportunity to collaborate with Sean Beavan (Nine Inch Nails, 8mm), who produced “Headache,” “Heart Attack” and “Can You Hear Me?,” and Grammy Award-winning producer Mikal Blue (OneRepublic, Colbie Caillat, Jason Mraz), who produced my newest single “Kiss N Tell,” now streaming. That track features Jeff Friedl (A Perfect Circle, Puscifer, DEVO) on drums and Anthony Laurie (Thredge) on guitar, and it explores obsession, secrecy, and emotional reckoning through a dark, seductive energy. The studio music video for “Kiss N Tell” premiered October 30.
At the heart of Staytus is transformation — turning trauma, grief, and rebellion into something powerful and authentic. My hope is that my music resonates with people who have struggled to find their voice, and that it reminds them there’s strength in vulnerability.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road — but I don’t think it’s supposed to be. My path as an artist has been shaped by both personal and creative struggles. Music became the only language that made sense to me — a way to turn chaos into something that could be understood.
Every obstacle — whether emotional, financial, or creative — ended up pushing me to dig deeper and find a stronger sense of self. Learning to produce, write, and perform my own music was empowering, but it also meant facing a lot of vulnerability head-on.
Those experiences shaped the person and the artist I’ve become. The journey has always been part of the art — and I think that’s what gives Staytus its honesty and intensity.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I create music under the name Staytus — a project that fuses industrial, electronic, and nu-metal elements into dark, cinematic storytelling. I write, produce, and perform my own work, using sound as a way to explore emotion, vulnerability, and transformation. My music dives into themes like identity, isolation, obsession, and power — all the messy parts of being human that often go unspoken.
What I’m most proud of is that I’ve stayed completely hands-on and independent throughout my journey. I produce and engineer my own material, collaborating with legendary artists like Sean Beavan (Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson), Matt McJunkins (A Perfect Circle, Puscifer), and Grammy Award-winner Mikal Blue (OneRepublic, Colbie Caillat, Jason Mraz), but the vision always starts with me in the studio, shaping every sound and lyric.
I think what sets me apart is my commitment to emotional honesty. I don’t write for trends — I write from experience. Every song is a reflection of real life: the trauma, the healing, and the self-discovery that come with surviving and growing. My work isn’t meant to be perfect — it’s meant to be real.
At the end of the day, Staytus isn’t just about music; it’s about connection. If someone listens and feels seen, understood, or less alone — that’s what matters most to me.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I think being an artist is one of the biggest risks you can take — because you’re putting your entire self out there with no guarantees. Every song I release feels like opening a part of my soul to the world and hoping it connects with someone. That level of vulnerability can be terrifying, but it’s also what makes art powerful.
One of the biggest risks I’ve taken was moving from Arizona to Los Angeles earlier this year. I left behind stability and familiarity to chase something uncertain — the chance to grow creatively and collaborate with people who inspire me. It wasn’t an easy decision, but I knew staying in my comfort zone would have been a bigger risk in the long run.
To me, risk and art are inseparable. You can’t create something honest without facing fear — fear of rejection, failure, or even success. But when you take those leaps anyway, that’s when real growth happens. I’ve learned that the scariest choices often lead to the most meaningful breakthroughs.
Pricing:
- management: [email protected]
Contact Info:
- Website: https://staytusmusic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/staytusmusic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/staytusmusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd5Vn2_HSw22wOgNFaBPWFg
Image Credits
Jessica Christian (Lovesquish)
