Meet The Griswolds! Named after the National Lampoon family headed by Chevy Chase, the Sydney band was formed in 2012 when Christopher Whitehall challenged drinking buddy Daniel Duque-Perez to write a riff on the spot.
“That was how the band started,” laughs Dan. “Chris thought that riff was really fun and interesting, and it turned into our first single, ’Mississippi’. The two of us realised that perhaps we could do something really cool, that the way we wrote songs together was something neither of us wanted to waste.”
Picking up other band members Tim John and Lachlan West, things moved swiftly to them recording their first EP, “Heart of a Lion”. The rest as they say, is history.
With Chris on lead vocals and guitar, Dan on guitar/synth, and Tim and Lachlan on bass and drums respectively, The Griswolds simply posted “Mississippi” online, and found themselves picked up by music blogs all over the world. Suddenly they were supporting the likes of San Cisco and Last Dinosaurs, and touring Australia to ever-increasing crowds.
Following forays to the UK and US, the band signed with top American indie label, Wind-Up Records, and recorded their debut album, “Be Impressive”. Written in two parts in Sydney and New York, “Be Impressive” is an album about growing up, about finding your own way and the challenges that come with that:
“What we found is the songs started to take on our personality,” says Dan. “As we were writing these songs we were growing up, and then as we were recording them our musical tastes were developing into something deeper, and often a bit darker.”
Says Chris, “We wanted to make a fun record that touches on deeper feelings we all have from time to time; that idea of balancing out maturing and wanting to have fun and live life the way you want to. Knowing that growing up can be painful, but those experiences add up to something fun. It’s about that cusp of being a carefree kid and an adult.”
“Be Impressive” is set for release in the UK on May 25, having already smashed the US charts with their single “Beware of the Dog”, which charted in the top 5 on iTunes’ alternative chart and in top 10 on the Heatseeker charts. It’s had 6 million streams worldwide so far and finished in the top 3 of the Spotify Emerge campaign.
Currently on tour in the US, The Griswolds are coming to Europe this spring, starting with the London Calling Festival in Amsterdam on the 19th of May, then winding their way through to the UK via Paris. They finish up on the 30th of May at Prinzenbar, in Hamburg Germany. All details of their tour, including tickets, are available on their website. You can also find The Griswolds online on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Soundcloud, and various streaming sites.
Check out the video for “Beware the Dog”, and see what all the fuss is about!
[youtube https://youtu.be/UlbU1VeqpqU]
