Mt. Gribley turns everyday ache into understated beauty on “Mourning Light” - a raw, resilient folk meditation that lingers long after the last chord.
MILFORD, CT (October 3, 2025) - Alternative folk artist Mt. Gribley (the musical moniker of singer-songwriter Matt Jarrett) returns with “Mourning Light”, the poignant opening track from his forthcoming album Moss on the Stone via indie label Resonating Wood Recordings. With stark, slow-burning honesty and a voice that cuts through the noise, Mt. Gribley’s “Mourning Light” sets the tone for a breakup album without the breakup - marking the return of an artist whose quiet resilience speaks volumes.
Written in a moment of early-morning haze, “Mourning Light” sets the emotional landscape for the album to come - capturing the disoriented, quietly heroic mindset of a man carrying the weight of solo parenthood, grief, and the deep ache of separation. “This song came quick and fast one early morning, and yes, I wrote it from bed, staring out the window,” says Jarrett. “It’s about getting up and doing what needs to be done, even when you feel like disappearing.”
Sonically, Mt. Gribley weaves understated acoustic textures with introspective, sharp-edged lyricism, drawing influence from artists like Frightened Rabbit, The Tallest Man on Earth, and The Cave Singers. His sound has been described as “soft-shoed folk” and “uptempo sad songs,” but Jarrett insists there’s light at the end of each track... even if the mood starts dark, the songs always land in a place of resolve.
Single Artwork - "Mourning Light" by Mt. Gribley
“Mourning Light” was produced and engineered by Eric Michael Lichter, mixed by Guido Falivene, and mastered by Steve Wytas. The track showcases Jarrett’s evolved songwriting voice, steeped in vulnerability and resilience. Lyrically, “Mourning Light” finds Jarrett reckoning with emotional inertia, grief, and familial tension, all while forging ahead. The chorus rings like a mantra: “Hey, you mourning light / Leave me in the dark, I’ll be quite all right.”
This sentiment lays the groundwork for what Jarrett describes as “a breakup album without the breakup.” While Moss on the Stone touches on themes of heartbreak and emotional distance, its roots are more nuanced. When his wife moved to the UK to pursue a PhD, Jarrett remained in Connecticut -suddenly navigating long-distance partnership, full-time work, and the unexpected role of solo caregiving for his teenage stepchild. “In a way, I became a single parent overnight - working, paying bills, holding down the fort, and dealing with the emptiness that comes from not having your person around. That’s where this record comes from.” What emerged is a full-length album shaped by three years of quiet transformation marked by separation, responsibility, and the quiet, often unnoticed resilience it takes to keep moving forward. Moss on the Stone is a weathered collection of songs carved from sleepless nights, distant love, and the stubborn ache of continuing on when your heart would rather not.
Mt. Gribley, courtesy of artist
About Mt. Gribley:
Mt. Gribley is the minimalist folk project of Milford, Connecticut-based singer-songwriter Matt Jarrett. With finger-picked rhythms, stripped-back arrangements, and lyrics that wrestle with self-doubt and quiet resilience, his songs blend the warmth of folk’s roots with a subtle left turn - introspective, off-kilter, and emotionally raw.
The name Mt. Gribley is a nod to My Side of the Mountain, a favorite childhood book. Jarrett grew up in a divided musical household - his mother raised him on a steady dose of John Denver and Neil Diamond, while his father, a Methodist minister, brought home Wagner operas and hymns. His parents split by the time he was four.
Like many a pastor’s kid, Jarrett started his musical life behind a drum kit in metal bands, then rode the wave of ‘90s grunge. After graduating film school, he moved to New York City, where he spent 18 years editing television shows and chasing dreams of directing movies, all while quietly writing songs on a battered acoustic guitar. His turning point came in the late 2000s, when discovering artists like The Tallest Man on Earth and Iron & Wine sparked a deeper dive into the 1960s folk canon - Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Nick Drake - and ignited a musical reawakening.
Later, a divorce and the death of his father caused him to reassess everything, including his career in reality TV. “After my dad died, there was a piece of his history that I’d never understand,” Jarrett said, “in that he went to college pursuing music, and at some point changed his major to religion and never looked back. I never got a reason why from him. Now, of course, I never will. But I’ve always felt baffled by that decision.”
The encouragement of his wife - now pursuing a PhD overseas - was a crucial push to pursue music more seriously. Her move abroad meant Jarrett took on a new role at home, stepping into full-time parenthood for his teenage stepchild, and finding songwriting material in the silence, responsibility, and longing that followed.
Mt. Gribley’s debut album, Semblance, arrived in 2019 via indie label Resonating Wood Recordings. Originally written, recorded, and mixed entirely by Jarrett, he later had it remixed and re-released as reSemblance - a hard-earned lesson in DIY production. In 2022, he followed up with The Milksop EP, a three-song collection tackling confidence, depression, and learning to get out of your own way. Once again, Jarrett recorded all the parts himself, this time handing off mixing duties to Tony Calabro at Astoria Park Recording. Now he is anticipating his third release - a full length album Moss on The Stone that chronicles the last three years navigating sudden life changes, depression, loneliness, and the art of “keep on keepin' on” even when your heart would rather not.