Rob Grant, Lana Del Rey’s father, is carving a name for himself in the industry, even if it means following in his daughter’s footsteps. In the title track of his debut album Lost At Sea, Grant’s piano work is accompanied by Del Rey’s hypnotic vocals that evoke the breeziness of a sailing trip. Co-written by Grant and Del Rey with accompanying soundscapes from the Budapest Art Orchestra, “Lost At Sea” is a taste of what listeners can expect from Grant’s maritime-inspired album.
When Grant first announced his debut project in February, the internet dubbed him a “nepo daddy,” but he dotingly embraced the title. Despite not having any formal musical training or ability to read sheet music, Grant’s natural talent at the piano has led him to create compositions that are both ethereal and ambient. “I mean let’s get real,” Del Rey wrote in an Instagram post. “He’s always been the star.”
On “Lost At Sea,” the father-daughter duo creates an atmospheric ballad. The track opens with a soft piano that sets the ambiance as Del Rey’s whispery lyrics detail a story of being guided by the north star while adrift: Heavenly, I hear / Found my way to the beach / And there were waves over me / I was lost at sea / Till you found me. Del Rey’s angelic vocals float across the entirety of the song, mimicking the delicacy of sea mist, while Grant’s piano work maintains a steadiness akin to calm ocean waves.
In the track’s accompanying visual, Grant and Del Rey navigate their boat trip on the Pacific while enjoying each other’s company. Clips of Del Rey and her father at sea are interspersed with family home videos that show the Grants’ tight-knit closeness throughout the years. Nostalgia courses through the sentimental footage, proving that family has always been the anchor amidst all their endeavors.
The release of Grant’s debut LP arrives on the heels of Del Rey’s Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, and features many of the same collaborators, including Jack Antonoff, Zach Dawes, and Luke Howard. Perhaps the first tease of nautical themes was on “Grandfather please stand on the shoulders of my father while he’s deep-sea fishing,” the eleventh track on Del Rey’s recent release, pointing toward the family’s longstanding love of the ocean. At its core, “Lost At Sea” is a snapshot of the endearing connection between Grant and his daughter, and conveys a message of hope for those that may feel lost in the world.
