Nick Walker
“The Middle,” by Maren Morris, Zedd and Grey, has received three Grammy nominations, including Record and Song of the Year. Maren sounds like she was born to sing the track, but it turns out she was just one of a number of top female pop stars who tried their hand at recording it. So why did Maren get the job? According to Grey, the reason is simple: “She sounded perfect.”
Kyle Trewatha, one of the two brothers who make up the duo Grey, tells ABC Radio. “First of all, everyone who sang it sounded amazing, it’s not that people didn’t sound good. It’s that they just weren’t the exact perfect fit for the song. And, us and Zedd, we’re really picky about vocals and having the right person on the song.”
Specifically, Kyle says, he, his brother Michael, and Zedd wanted someone who sounded just like the woman who originally sang on the demo version of the track.
“We were just trying to find the exact match for the longest time,” Michael Trewatha explains. “And then there were just some other things, where people had other things going on, so they couldn’t do it. And then we landed on Maren, ’cause she sounded, like, perfect.”
Everyone else seems to agree, including the Recording Academy, which nominated “The Middle” for those three Grammys.
“We had read on some website somewhere that it was possible that we might get nominated for one, but we woke up to three and that was just crazy!” Kyle laughs.
“I was freaking out,” adds Michael.
Kyle and Michael’s parents must also be pretty stoked that both their sons are up for music’s biggest honor, right?
“They’re pretty proud,” confirms Kyle.
Michael adds, “Yeah, that’s the validation that parents like, I think.”
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