Tag: The Griswolds

ARTIST INTERVIEW: Chris Whitehall of The Griswolds

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The other day I got to call frontman Chris Whitehall of the Griswolds to discuss the band’s new album, what it was like working with Kanye’s producer, and what member of the “Stranger Things” cast he related to the most.

The Aussie boys are back and better than ever with their sophomore album High Times for Low Lives, a refreshing, darker twist on their usual trop-pop tracks. In a somewhat shocking change of sound, the Griswolds manage to use songs like “Out of My Head” to reintroduce the band as well as ease into a record laden with R&B, electronic beats, and a hint of soul. Telling the different sides of stardom through each song, or the highs and lows to be more precise, listeners get a peek into the band’s private lives, which seem to be one non-stop party. However, even the more upbeat and playful tunes such as “Role Models” and “YDLM” hint that fame isn’t exactly all that it’s cracked up to be, and songs like “Rufio” really hit the point home with lyrics that describe some really destructive habits. While the new record definitely deviates from the norm, Chris mentioned how the daring move has paid off – “a lot of our fans loved our original sound… but the fan reactions especially have been overwhelming, they’ve been amazing.”

The cherry on top of this album is the fact that it was produced by Andrew Dawson, a Grammy Award winner most known for his work with Kanye, fun., and the Pet Shop Boys. Luckily for the Griswolds, thoughts of “oh God we’re working with Kanye’s producer” soon vanished as they realized how down to earth Dawson was; as Chris put it, “he’s kind of like this weird, crazy, freaky-genius kid when he sits at the recording desk… he’s boisterous and funny and gets distracted like every two seconds by YouTube.” Like Chris, we’re hoping to hear more collaborations between the band and Dawson in the future.

If you can’t seem to get enough of the Griswolds, you’re in luck – they’ve recently appeared in Apple Music’s new ad campaign, so keep an eye out for the Aussie lads on posters and billboards all across the country. Even if you don’t really know the band, if you happen to stumble across one of the members in a bar like one UCLA student did, at least you’ll know where you saw them! If you are familiar with the band, then it’s likely talk of tour in the spring of next year has hit your ears, so be sure to catch them along with DREAMERS on the “Low Lives” tour!

You can check out the full interview with Chris down below along with a link to the new album!

LIVE REVIEW: The Griswolds @ Warsaw

 

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Tim John - Griswolds
Tim John of The Griswolds

When Australian indie-pop quartet The Griswolds took the stage to Shania Twain’s “Man, I Feel Like A Woman,” I knew we’d be in for a fun night.

Opening with high-energy tracks like “Down and Out” and “If You Wanna Stay,” they set the stage for a high-energy performance.

“You better fucking sing along!” shouts lead singer Chris Whitehall, with flaming red hair and a slub knit sweater hanging freely off his shoulder. The dazzled crowd has no choice but to oblige.

Alongside their better known songs like “Right On Track” and “Beware the Dog,”  the band played a couple of new ones from the sophomore album currently in progress.  The first new song, “Get Into My Heart,” produced imperative screaming with lines like, “Get into my arms and into my home/Get out of your clothes and into my bed.”

Before premiering their second new track, “Role Models,” he first taught the audience how to sing along to the hook.  “We’ve got nothing to lose,” sang Whitehall. “Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah,” we followed.  Both tracks have a new dimension to them; the latter especially stood out compared to their more familiar songs, with a funk-inspired flavor.

And as a fun treat, we all got to sing “Happy Birthday” to drummer Lucky West before they closed with the classic “Heart of a Lion,” from their first EP.

Brooklyn’s Warsaw has a nice cinematic quality to it, and The Griswolds easily filled the air with bright energy.  On this Hotline Spring tour, the boys have undoubtedly gotten listeners pumped for a new record to come.

 

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Chris Whitehall 1
Chris Whitehall of The Griswolds

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Lucky West of Griswolds
Lucky West of The Griswolds

Photos by Gabby Salinardo.

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LIVE REVIEW: Lolo, The Griswolds, New Politics, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness @ Terminal 5

 

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Any show at Terminal 5 is always a big one, so when I came to see the four-artist, co-headlined Wilderness Politics tour, I knew I was in for one hell of a party.

First up was LOLO, a young Brooklyn native with a lot of soul. Getting on her knees with passion, it was clear she was having the time of her life, commanding the stage with her ability to belt and hold some strong high notes.

The Griswolds have the look of your favorite early 2000’s pop-punk groups with a nice danceable flavor. They put out happy vibes with their upbeat songs. The energy during the quick set was irresistible — “If You Wanna Stay” was especially fun for dancing along.

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Here’s what’s curious about The Griswolds — in spite of their incredibly fun tempos, giving the crowd all kinds of excuses to scream and dance, in songs like “16 Years,” lyrics like “I’m half the man I used to be/Tequila, lust and gambling/Oh, mama, I need rescuing” aren’t exactly the happiest upon closer listen.

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In any case, there’s no need for anything flashy to enjoy a Griswolds show — they’re simply a group of charming Aussie guys wowing the crowd by having the time of their lives.

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Journeys, the show’s sponsor, is holding a contest to win a pair of shoes hand-decorated by the band themselves.   Enter here!

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I was almost caught off guard when David Boyd burst out waving a bright red New Politics flag, displaying their tally mark logo.

Boyd (vocals) and Søren Hansen (guitar) originally hail from Copenhagen, but Boyd called Terminal 5 a hometown show, trying to get the New Yorkers to be the loudest crowd yet. They’ve been living in Williamsburg since ’09, and met current drummer “Long Island Louis” Vecchio here in the city.

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Boyd, a breakdancer, made the most of the beats center stage to showcase his skills, even if it doesn’t quite match up with the pop punk sound.

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For the crowd favorite “Fall Into these Arms,” Boyd came out to the audience’s hands to dance and surf the crowd right back to the stage, leading into the multitalented Hansen performing a powerful solo on the piano. “Girl Crush” brought the energy back up with Andrew McMahon joining the band on stage.

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The former lead singer for Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin, Andrew McMahon now performs solo under the moniker of Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. The set design, consisting of grass platforms for the keyboard and drums, and some turf to top the piano, was a rare display of greenery in the city, though it felt a little more like a suburban backyard, minus the picket fence.

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McMahon performed a diverse set of songs from his previous bands and solo work. Fans responded well to songs like Something Corporate’s “I Woke Up In A Car” and “Punk Rock Princess,” evident as everyone seemed to know all the words.  It felt as if you could hear the echo of the audience for the duration of the set.

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When I first walked into the venue, I was approached to have my cheek swabbed by volunteers of the Love Hope Strength foundation to register for bone marrow donation.  McMahon took time out of the show to talk about his own experience with cancer, having been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2005.  He announced that this marks ten years of being cancer-free, before performing the Jack’s Mannequin song “Swim” for “anybody who’s going through something.”

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There certainly were crazier moments during the show, like McMahon crowd surfing his way down to the bar to get a shot of Jäger. The highlight, however, was the childlike joy that fell across the room during the performance of “Cecilia and the Satellite,” penned for his daughter.  He brought everyone back to elementary school with a giant parachute, making for the perfect encore.

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All photos shot by Ysabella Monton for AudioFemme.