Ingrid Griffin: From Nebraska to USC

If there’s one thing people can agree upon about Ingrid Griffin, a junior majoring in music industry, it’s that she’s nice. And it’s not fake nice; Griffin comes off as a genuine Midwestern girl with a passion for music that shines through in everything she says and does. Her eyes light up every time she describes the music she listened to growing up and her own songwriting process.

“I’ve always loved music, and I’ve always been a little obsessive over music, and I fell in love with performing through theater,” Griffin said. “I grew up doing musical theater. That’s how I got into singing.”

Griffin originally came to USC as a theater major, but then switched gears to focus solely on music after becoming more serious about it during the pandemic. She would perform for her neighbors from her porch with her dad, John Gessert, who is a percussionist and has played in several bands around Griffin’s hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska.

“You can see the genuine joy it brings her and so as an audience member or as somebody who’s walking by at a farmers market and sees us performing, they can tell pretty quickly that she’s really enjoying what she’s doing,” Gessert said.

Music is Griffin’s deepest passion. She has a deep breadth of musical knowledge, naming artists from the Laurel Canyon music scene from the ’60s to Taylor Swift as musical inspirations. The influence is definitely there: Griffin’s work shows care and appreciation for her craft. Her songs are fun but interesting examinations of her life at this exact moment. 

She wrote a song last year called “Red Cup,” which she said was inspired by feeling out of place at USC parties. It’s relatable, a little quirky and the sort of fun pop music that feels reminiscent of the late aughts. Griffin worked with Holly Hodges, a sophomore majoring in cinematic arts, film and television production, to make the music video for the track.

The video is a perfect encapsulation of Griffin’s personality. It’s honest and unguarded, as if she’s inviting the audience into an inside joke that everyone will easily get. The set design is sparkly, the actors seem like they’re having a good time and while it was clearly filmed on a student’s budget, it’s sharply shot and edited. Griffin and Hodges met several times to sketch out an idea for the video, with Hodges letting Griffin take the lead to realize her vision for the song.

“She’s constantly trying to put out good energy into the world, even if we’re a little stressed on set, like in the beginning, or I know that once the week out hit, we were like, ‘Oh, my gosh, we’re filming this weekend.’ And she just was very optimistic,” Hodges said. “That really worked well, for me being the director …  and it’s her song, then I should also feel good about it. If we’re both confident, then there’s nothing that can go wrong.”

Griffin’s good energy permeates her songs. Tracks like “John Cusack Movie” with its bouncy acoustic guitars bring a bright grin to one’s face as they listen. Griffin’s mix of old and new works fabulously together, as she’s singing about all those old ’80s movies parents across the world adore while simultaneously capturing her own experiences with love. 

The longing comes through as she sings “I want a love like a John Cusack Movie / I want to feel it in my soul I’m the only one for you.” Griffin’s not afraid to be a little vulnerable on her tracks, which makes them relatable to a wide variety of people. After all, who wouldn’t want to be loved like in a John Cusack movie?

There’s something refreshing about someone who’s unabashedly themself. Griffin said she feels like her time at USC has only strengthened her connection with her Nebraska roots. Her songs, with their wholesome country twang-twinged pop, are a breath of fresh air amid a school and a city where so many people are trying so hard to be super cool, Griffin said. 

Griffin is driven, hardworking and ready for the future, whether that be touring and making music full-time or working at Dollywood as a performer. She has plans to move to Nashville after she graduates next year, and she’ll be taking her well-earned confidence from Los Angeles to Tennessee.

“In both music and life, USC has really taught me to be authentic to myself,” Griffin said. “I feel like my first couple years here I felt like I had to fit a mold or do things just because other people like doing them. Or like things just because other people liked them. And I’ve learned that I can just be myself.”  

Griffin’s music is a reflection of her ability to communicate her genuine nature through her songwriting. By leaning on her education in Thornton and her own musical knowledge, Griffin has already shown that she has the potential to create great songs.

“The things about me that used to make me doubt myself are what I like to play into now. Like being from Nebraska or having a more stripped down sound to my music,” Griffin said. “I’ve learned that those aren’t weaknesses, but they’re strengths.”