Today we catch-up Aussie indie rock band, The Griswolds. I’ve known the boys for a few years now and apart from wicked tunes, what’s struck me about The Griswolds is that they’re just 4 dudes with amazing energy who love life, the banter and who still manage to remain humble and true to who they are as people, despite rising international success signed to an American label slash and spending 9 out of the past 12 months on tour in the USA.

How we met is a bit of a longer tale, but a massive part of the past 8 years of my life has been working in the Australian music industry. Since 2006, I’ve been part of running music festivals & events around Australia, put a 900 square metre ice-rink on the sands of Bondi Beach, managed artists/bands, created a role as music supervisor on Ballistyx Snowboard Show on Channel GO!, shot photography for triple j, shot photography/written for Broadsheet and the list goes on.

Working in the music industry is fuckin’ amazing! For me, my foray started with my return to Australia with dreams of cities paved with gold and entertaining packed stadiums with people singing along to songs that I wrote (that hasn’t dulled :D), but the harsh reality is that within Australia the majority of artists don’t draw large crowds/make the Benjamins and generally survive on passion and juggling what little $$$ we do have coming in. The tight-knit Australian music community is made up of amazing individuals that bandy together to keep the independent Australian music scene churning.

And that, my friends, is how I met a few of the boys from The Griswolds… in 2011 I worked at Splendour In The Grass(Woodford) and then again in 2012 at Byron Byron and became buddies with a dude called Andy B, also working at the festival, who plays keys for Brisbane-based party dance crew The Belligerents.

I’d come across The Griswolds tunes through triple j unearthed and had initiated banter with the lads via the social medias, so when it turned out The Belligerents and The Griswolds lads were sharing a bill at The Workers Club in Melbourne one night, I decided to cruise down, sink a few beers, shoot a few pics and catch-up with the lads. We didn’t really hang out that night and I wouldn’t say that we really knew each other, but having worked with and around people for many years, I’m a person that survives and thrives on instinct. Give me 5 minutes with someone and I’ll quickly gauge who I think they are and what drives them; I love a dad joke, good people and the banter, and man, these boys have that in spades, so when I found out they were back in Melbourne this month to kick-off their debut album“Be Impressive”, I jumped at the opportunity to interview them for the Hot & Delicious: Rocks The Planet podcast and return the favour in kind by shooting a shitloads of cool pics for them and use the opportunity to plug The Griswolds – “Be Impressive” national Australian album launch tour, presented by triple j, the Harbour Agencyand Chugg Entertainment.

The Mile Guy Club, LA studio shenanigans recording a dream debut with producer Tony Hoffa, drowning as kids,jack-hammering concrete for a living, aeroplane mazz-es.. it’s all here  Truly a pleasure hanging out these lovely, talented guys who are working their arses off in the pursuit of their dreams.

Thanks for listening and joining us for what’s become a life-changing experience for me.

I hope you enjoy this podcast series as much as I love creating it for you.

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