THE GRISWOLDS play Observatory North Park May 7, Fonda May 10, Observatory Santa Ana May 11; photo Andy Garcia
Australian Indie-rockers The Griswolds return to SoCal for shows at The Observatory North Park May 7, The Observatory Santa Ana May 11 and make a stop at The Fonda in between on May 10. Magic Man will co-headline.
Their debut album Be Impressive, released in August 2014, featured a cocktail of 80’s-inspired synth-pop with crisp guitar lines, catchy choruses and Christopher Whitehall’s soft falsetto vocals.
Concert Guide Live spoke with Whitehall to discuss touring, their active social media presence and the importance of avoiding the sophomore slump.
CONCERT GUIDE LIVE: You guys have risen relatively fast in the music world, from performing at a bar in Sydney as your first gig a few years ago, to headlining your own tour across the U.S. Despite the rapid success, was there ever a low point during your band’s journey?
CHRISTOPHER WHITEHALL: There have been plenty of highs and lows I’d say, but the whole experience has been pretty positive so far. No complaints at all.
CGL: How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together in 2012?
CW: We’ve really started listening to everything and made sure we don’t have any rules when it comes to writing. We just want to write what feels good.
CGL: What is your favorite song to perform live? Why?
CW: “Beware the Dog” always goes down well. The crowd all sings along and it’s always a shit ton of fun.
CGL: What are the most notable differences between an American and Australian crowd at one of your concerts?
CW: To be honest, not a whole lot.
CGL: You guys have a very active social media presence (Snapchat, Tumblr, Facebook). How important is it to be able to interact with your fans?
CW: We love it. It’s cool to be able to have a direct line to the fans and interact together.
CGL: Are there any current artists you’d like to collaborate with?
CW: Yeah we’d love to do some writing with Walk The Moon in the near future.
CGL: Your song “16 Years” is featured on the FIFA 15 soundtrack. Have you had the chance to play the game and hear your song?
CW: Yeah for sure. It’s a total spin out and one of the coolest things that’s ever happened to us. We’re all big fans of the game.
CGL: Is there a particular venue or city in the United States that you would still like to play at?
CW: Miami and Hawaii would be awesome.
CGL: The second album for a lot of bands is a letdown, especially after a strong debut album. A few months ago you guys confirmed that once you return to Australia at the end of the tour, you will begin work on the second album. How do you avoid the dreaded sophomore slump?
CW: I think you try and ignore what people expect of you and just have fun with it. You write songs you love which is what we did with album one and that’s what we’ll do again.