Blaine Counter, known by his stage name Graffick, was born in San Francisco, CA and raised in Oakland by his mother along side with his older sister. From an early age he showed much interest in music, but it wasn’t until he obtained a free computer in junior high school that he began to explore and teach himself the craft of audio production.

 

He quickly gravitated to the computers audio recorder and began experimenting with recording sounds; speeding them up, slowing them down, and reversing them. In high school he took classes on guitar playing and music production. He would record his own music using rudimentary home recording rigs and demo versions of audio production software. His recordings caught the interest of a fellow classmate who asked him to join his band. Blaine agreed and played in the band for several years before they eventually disbanded.

 

Blaine graduated at the age of 16 and began working straight out of high school, taking classes at community colleges but often dropping out due to financial stress. He continued to record his own music, played in several bands, and eventually began to write and sing his own songs. Over the years he honed his musical abilities both in production and on stage, experimenting with loopers and different styles of music. 

 

In 2015 Blaine was in a near fatal accident. While riding his bike after work he was struck and run over by a semi-truck leaving him with many broken bones and unable to walk.“It was the scariest time of my life. I felt helpless. Laying beneath that truck, seeing the wheels coming at me. I thought that was the end.” After several surgeries, a couple weeks in the hospital, and months of recovery, including learning how to walk again, he dedicated his life to telling stories through music. He came up with the name Graffick and began diving deeper into his relationship with electronic music and sound design.

 

Blaine rebranded a few previous releases as Graffick (Crusher EP, Accelerator EP, and the Venus Live Single) and began writing all new music. His first official EP as Graffick “Fundamentals” was an evolution in his sound. It’s heavy hip-hop influence along with its biting electronic energy began to pave the way for his next project, “Images.”

 

“Images” was a labor of love. A three year journey that yielded a very colorful and diverse listening experience. The music is dark and emotional. Every track tells a story and every story leads to a bigger picture. Tales of pain, triumph, love, and growth are only a few of the themes expressed in the 45 minute, ten track record. The album was accompanied by a music video for the single “Cavern.”  The video, written and directed by his long time friends Brendan Cleak and Caryn Sandoval of One Apparatus, tells the story of Blaine’s journey in overcoming personal traumas. The dancer in the video, Charley Fierro, portrays this beautifully as she ignites the screen with a raw and emotional performance as she dances through expansive deserts, dusty caves, and solemn beaches. The release of “Images” was also accompanied by a bonus release of eight b-sides.

 

The next major project for Graffick was the “Southern California EP.” Originally planned to be a three song release, this nine track EP boast a big sound with relatable themes. In “Southern California” Graffick tells stories of moving to San Diego, falling in and out of love, friendship, climate change, and growing up without a father. “Southern California” was written in early 2020 over the span of several months. “I wanted to do something simple. I didn’t want to spend another three years writing music. And I ended up with something completely unexpected that I’m very proud of.”

 

Graffick currently lives in San Diego where he continues to write music. He has begun expanding his career into writing music for content creators and original commercial music for clients. You can catch him DJ’ing at Portal Coffee on weekends and occasionally on a live stream.