www.facebook.com/GrimGrinOfficial
Sounds like: Punk Rock/Pop Punk
From: Pennsylvania
1. How did you get started with music and how did you develop your sound? Who thought of the name "Grim Grin" and is there any meaning behind it?
All of us in the band come from a fairly musical background spanning bedroom play to cover bands to original projects. This specific project was a result of our bass player (me) and guitar/singer (Tim) going to rehab a couple months from each other. Being close friends both trying to get our lives together we found this to be a great creative outlet. Shortly after, we found Nick (our drummer) and the band became a real thing. Before we played our first show we auditioned our youngest member (Tyler) for rhythm guitar and it really opened us up for our live show and future writing.
Our drummer Nick came up with the name Grim Grin. We found naming the band to be an incredibly difficult project and had to do a tournament style elimination process and finally settled on Grim Grin. We liked the symmetry of it and we feel it fits our sound, overall happy sounds with harsh reality and melancholy lyrics.
2. What do you want people to take away from your music?
We want people to take away a message of perseverance, hope, and recovery. Embracing and accepting our past and our flaws and learning how to love and improve ourselves. Addiction, heartbreak, aging, no matter what your struggle in life is you can get through it. For us channeling that energy into some Punk Rock just made the process a little more fun.
3. How would you describe your sound to the average listener?
Our sound is a fairly straight forward driving Punk/Pop Punk sound. Simple chord progressions, harmonizing vocals, chants, and melodic guitar solos. We want Punk to be our base level and always ready to push it just a little further. There is alot of influence from 90s/2000s Punk, and a lot of Metal bands.
4. Who are three bands you’d like to tour with?
Bad Religion, Menzingers, and Ghost.
5. How has Covid affected what you do?
Luckily for us we formed after the initial brunt of Covid. I think the main thing we got out of it was a hunger to get back in a room and work with each other and perform for a live audience again.
6. What’s your take on the current state of Pop Punk?
I think Pop Punk currently has a lot going for it. There's alot to like and dislike but in this day and age there are so many incredible bands out there you would be hard pressed to not be able to find some that aren't what you are looking for.
7. What’s the current music scene like locally there in Pennsylvania?
We are in the Northeastern corner of PA. The local scene is fairly impressive for how small of a city Erie is. A huge plus is within 2-4 hours of driving there are quite a few major cities and no shortage of venues, bands, and people who want to see some live music.
8. What’s your take on the royalties that streaming services pay out to artists?
Personally I think I share most people's opinion on this. I am no expert but streaming seems like a path to exposure not money. So it really depends on what you want out of it. Getting rich would be lovely but we just want people to hear our music.
9. What's next for Grim Grin?
Tightening up our live show, writing and recording new material, and always looking for what we have to do to improve at every step.
10. Any shoutouts?
Jake Flaugh did the original mix and master of our first 3 songs. Zach Krahe gave us a ton of advice early on and came out to our first show. Dannielle Mcgahen has handled all of our online presence and merchandise. Jay Durnell booked us on our first show. And Robert Jensen hooked us up with a band space, put us on our second show, and helped connect us with our drummer Nick. So many people have supported and helped us along this journey so far I couldn't begin to name them all. We are so grateful for the reception we have received and we hope moving forward we can keep giving everyone some punk jams to bob their heads to.
