John Grant On World Cafe

Michigan-born singer-songwriter John Grant has dealt with his share of hardship, including a rough upbringing and family life, a struggle to come to terms with his own sexuality, alcoholism and HIV. But in spite of all that, he's blossomed with three critically praised solo albums and found stability and happiness in Iceland, where he now lives.

Grant's new album, Grey Tickles, Black Pressure, finds him tackling his midlife crisis. ("Grey tickles" is the literal translation of the Icelandic for "midlife crisis"; "black pressure" refers to the Turkish for "nightmare.") Hear him play solo versions of a few new songs and download his World Cafe performance of "Geraldine" on this page.