Words by Art Jefferson
Photography by Jory Lee Cordy
If it was one word to describe the Australian band The Griswolds, it would be fun. Comprised of Christopher Whitehall, Daniel Duque-Perez, Tim John and Lachlan West, the Sydney-based group have built a worldwide following, all absorbed in their upbeat and energetic hybrid of pop, indie and electronica, wrapped in a jovial package of musical goodness.
What began simply as a riff challenge from Whitehall to Duque-Perez, manifested into the single ‘Mississippi’, with their band name inspired from the classic 1983 film National Lampoon’s Vacation, starring comedian Chevy Chase. The Grisworlds went on to release their EP Heart of a Lion followed by their massive 2014 debut LP Be Impressive, a vibrant collage of ear-grabbing melodies backed with infectious lyrics and hooks, making for one stunning and grandioso pop offering. The album landed in the US charts, spawning the hit ‘Beware The Dog’, with their track ’16 Years’ featured on the FIFA 15 soundtrack.
Having toured multiple countries spreading their festive energy to crowds in droves, The Griswolds are currently crafting their next arsenal of magic that will probably have our spirits lifted with joy.
I’m interested in the comment that was made pertaining to the film National Lampoon’s Vacation with Chevy Chase, which references The Griswolds name. How did that movie even pop up in conversation?
The Griswolds – We were all chatting about 80s movies and the idea of calling our self Weekend at Bernie’s or even The Chevy Chasers, in the madness of the conversation we landed on The Griswolds.
You’ve stated that ‘Mississippi’ was based on a challenge at a house party, which also helped to launch the vision to create the band. Please talk about that night because that has to be one of the more interesting starts of a group.
The Griswolds – Dan and I used to drink in the park a lot when we were younger and bring guitars. One particular night we decided to quit our bands and start a new one basically all based off hearing the ‘Mississippi’ guitar riff.
Talk about your involvement in music before The Griswolds. You were each in previous bands correct?
The Griswolds – Yeah we’d all been slogging away in Australia for a while, we’d all played in bands since we were 15. We all used to play with each other’s bands and do session work together, so when we started The Griswolds we literally just handpicked our favourite dudes from around Sydney.
Although the band was formed through fun, your music careers took off rather quickly. Was there loads of pressure with having to adjust so rapidly from jamming with friends to performing in front of large crowds at Parklife Festival?
The Griswolds – We were so naive back then, we probably thought we played great at Parklife Festival but looking back we were probably horrific.
With a song like ‘Beware The Dog’, it actually deals with quite a heavy topic, which is someone’s lost battle to drugs. Although musically you could have gone with a much darker sound, what made you decide to keep the production upbeat, even though the content deals with a really touching subject?
The Griswolds – Just a really happy mistake, kind of a fluke I guess. We started the music and the lyrics just rolled out and before we even realised, we were like “geez this is really dark” but it worked.
Have you already started the writing process for your second album?
The Griswolds – Yep, Tim and I are currently in Austin Texas having a writing retreat/party.
Having toured the globe now, what’s one of the wildest things that you’ve ever seen at one of your shows?
The Griswolds – Once saw a guy in a wheelchair crowd surfing in his chair, that was really special sight!
http://wearethegriswolds.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thegriswolds
https://twitter.com/wethegriswolds
https://wearethegriswolds.bandcamp.com/
https://soundcloud.com/thegriswolds
https://instagram.com/thegriswolds/
https://www.youtube.com/user/wearethegriswolds