For the seventh consecutive year, Steve Grand is offering a calendar for his fans and friends. But this year’s sexy, seductive pictorial almost did not happen.
“I had not been feeling well (or) sleeping well and was feeling really run down, and overall was not feeling at my best physically … and that often comes through on camera,” Grand said. “I was ready to cancel the flights (to Florida), but after talking with the photographer, Antony Kozz, we decided (to) give it our best shot.
“We usually do something during the shoot where we experiment with location, or get into some big waves, but this year we kept it low key in light of how I had been feeling.”
It worked – the 2024 Steve Grand Calendar truly brings “a real intimacy to a lot of these photos,” he said. “I must give a big shoutout to Antony for bringing out the best in me, even when I was feeling far from it. He is such a wonderful friend and collaborative partner.”
Grand said the annual calendar is a fun way to look back at his evolution, how he’s changed physically from year to year. “It’s wild how we change so subtly … you don’t notice from day to day, but when I look back on some of the early (calendars), I think ‘Wow … I forgot I looked like that.’
“I also notice and appreciate different things about myself that I didn’t at the time. I remember the things about my body I felt insecure about or didn’t like. I also see how young I looked, and it feels bittersweet. It seems it’s difficult or maybe even impossible to appreciate your own youth while you have it. It’s only something you can really appreciate in hindsight. It’s easy to wish you had that time back. We see the past through rose-colored glasses and it’s easy to forget how we felt at that time, the struggles we had.”
Grand added, “I think this calendar is special because I was in a more vulnerable place at the moment in time these photos were captured, and I think there is an intimate quality to a lot of the images because of it.”
Grand, 33, the muscle-packed singer/songwriter from suburban Lemont, Illinois, became an internet sensation when the music video of his first hit “All-American Boy” went viral on YouTube – 10 years ago. Yep, Grand has truly been living in the spotlight as the All-American Boy since July 2013.
“It was a good year overall, 2023,” he said. “I became a homeowner in the fall of 2022, so (2023) was my first full year in my new home. It was nice being able to enjoy the beautiful Chicago summer at my own place. I never feel like I spend enough time enjoying the lakefront, and this year I did, so I’m very happy about that.
“I set out to be more active and social this year and in a lot of ways I did that. I really enjoyed the time I spent with my friends from high school. A group of us are still close.
“We make a point to get together every year at the beach for the 4th of July. It’s getting interesting now because I’m the only one of my friends who doesn’t have kids. The older we get, the more difficult it is for us to all get together at the same place at the same time. So, I am very grateful everyone is still willing to try.
“As far as regrets (from 2023), I think I’m starting to spend too much time on my phone/plugged in. The apps make it so easy to just mindlessly scroll for those dopamine hits. So, I’m going to be trying in (2024) to be more disciplined about screen time.”
Grand is driven to further grow his underwear/swimwear business, GRAND-AXIS, in 2024, including launching new and different products. “I want to structure my time a little better, but since I am my own boss, that can be very hard to do,” he said. “I want to be more present; keep the phone down and take life in.”
Grand will be spending Christmas with family in the suburbs.
His New Year’s Eve plans are still undecided.
To order the 2024 Steve Grand Calendar and all GRAND-AXIS swimwear and underwear, go to
shopGrandAxis.com.
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