Nate Ruess Searches for His Voice in the Short Film, ‘The Grand Romantic’

Nate Ruess plays a challenging role in his new 30-minute short film: himself. The Grand Romantic, directed by Anthony Mandler, premiered exclusively on Apple Music and features material from the fun. frontman's solo album, Grand Romantic.

In the retro, '70s-style short, Ruess can't find his vocal pitch in the wake of success and is cursed to sing off key. During the adventure, he falls in love with his record label boss' assistant (played by Tess Thompson) and she helps him rediscover himself. It's all semi-autobiographical and although fun. is never mentioned, it's pretty clear it could be about the pressure Ruess felt while making Grand Romantic.

At one point during the film, Ruess says, "I sit down to write, anything I've ever felt, it's so much and I just can't find it. I can't put it in a song, I can't sing it. It's like being a blind pilot."

The video will likely show up elsewhere, but for now, you can only see it here. Meanwhile, we can attempt to appease you with the video below (which was also directed by Mandler).

Nate Ruess – 'Nothing Without Love' (Official Music Video)