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Aussie indie four-piece The Griswolds chat about musical goals and Milli Vanilli
Indie | Wednesday 10th June 2015 |
Hello guys and welcome to The Stillery in Camden! You’re touring with your album Be Impressive at the moment – excited?
The Be Impressive album that isn’t impressive at all haha! Yeah we are really excited and looking forward to playing in London tonight.
Do you find that the stories that come out through your music come from personal experience or group experiences you’ve had?
A mixture of all the things I guess. I mean some of them are really personal, a lot of them are really personal, but some are very topical, like things that have happened in history or to us as a group. A couple are about how we made the album. 'Beware The Dog' is about a friend that Chris and I had. We were all very close and sadly lost her to drugs so sometimes it really does cut to the bone. And then other times it's more about the pressure of starting a band and taking that leap into a life of the unknown, which is what making music is all about, you don’t start famous and you don’t start rich. You really have got to give up everything to do it and there is a lot of insecurity involved in that.
What do you feel you have given up to get to where you are today?
Well we all just gave up drinking like this morning, NOT! But seriously, friends. You don’t see them as often, relationships struggle, family, but we are doing this for a reason and you kinda just have to remind yourself of that from time to time. I guess the good thing out of it is that we are now all best friends! So it's not all bad!
Do you think you have the same connection as Ant and Dec?
Are they on Geordie Shore? If they aren’t on Neighbours we don’t know who you’re talking about!
Fair play! So going back to the album lads, I was listening to it again today, and my favourite song is ‘If You Wanna Stay’ because it has this brilliant synth-like sound at the beginning. Is this something that you are going to carry on doing throughout your music? Give that party anthem vibe to it?
I think we all just really like to party! And that comes out in the music at some point. It’s normally because we are partying when we are writing it and it’s really hard to write a song in a club when you’re singing to the beat of the DJ. There’s some toe tapping involved somewhere as well.That’s a really good question though. We will get back to you via email haha!
I’m looking forward to the email! But on a serious note guys, let’s discuss FIFA. You wrote a song for it but can any of you actually play?
Well I'm glad you asked this question. Chris is probably the veteran FIFA player, I’m fairly new to it.
So veteran Chris, are you up for having a match with the Guestlist. Maybe Guestlist v Griswolds?
You don’t want a match with me. It could get quite messy.
Ooohh that is fighting talk right there! And this definitely now needs to happen. But first back to the music, you may be a FIFA whizz but what do you think makes your music stand out?
We don’t know. I don’t think it even stands out, I feel like we just blend in.
I sense sarcasm...
We are like vanilla in an ice cream shop.
I like vanilla!
So do mums and dads, they like it.
So you made an album for your mums and dads?
Basically.
They are your biggest fans then?
No they don’t even listen.
Awkward! So you’ve toured America, and I read that you all have a really good relationship with a gentleman called Tony Hoffer? Tell me a bit about how you met.
Well he has worked with a lot of European artists, he did the first two or three Kooks albums, Fratellis, Phoenix etc. He’s just done all of this great music that we listened to so we loved him. One of our favourite producers, we put him in our top five of the ultimate grand stupid wish list and he happened to take a meeting with us and then later on said yes. He’s basically a musical genius and one of the nicest people we have ever worked with.
What are your music goals as a band?
I think the goal posts keep on changing all the time, we all said that if music could take us overseas we would be happy and that happened, so then you want something more. So they are constantly changing and I hope they always do.
How do you think your music will progress from the sounds you have now?
We don’t actually know yet, we have been touring so much that we haven’t really had time to think about it, which is exciting, but we listen to so much Dr Dre I wouldn’t be surprised if it ended up sounding like that! It’s going to be all about our roots and gangsta upbringing. It’s hard growing up in beautiful Sydney. We are tougher than you realise people!
I know you guys are heading to a few festivals this summer, what’s your favourite?
We love Secret Garden! And there’s a fruit and vegetable festival near where I live, that’s probably my favourite, agriculture at its greatest. I hope that answers your question.
Haha question answered. I really hope you guys get booked on the fruit and veg festival one day. I’ll be in the front row, promise.
You too can make your dreams come true.
Haha! So when you guys go to festivals who do you listen to? Who would you want to be the headlining act?
Milli Vanilli. Always. Total hair goals.
You all actually have very good hair – is this your own doing or the stylist?
We all do each other’s hair like a line of monkeys.
What’s the first record you guys ever bought?
Queens’s Greatest Hits, Jagged Little Pill and What’s The Story, Morning Glory.
If there was a song you could have written what would that have been?
The 'Macarena' – awesome song.
If you could have a super power what would it be and why?
I wanna grow big pumpkins and the power to give world peace at any given time but also take it away and fuck some shit up.
You guys are off to America next and some other exciting places, where are you most looking forward to playing?
Hmmmm difficult one apart from here in London obviously! I don’t really know, I think everywhere is a different experience but all equally as awesome.
Yeah all of them sound pretty exciting to be fair! Thank you so much for speaking to Guestlist and we hope to catch up with you soon!
