Funk and Focus

With relatively few exceptions, musicians who prefer technicality to more commercially viable standards of songwriting (i.e., every piece of trash on the radio) end up with countless demos discarded in gold plated trash receptacles at many a record label. And though said musicians put entirely more brainpower and time into their finished product, they are routinely regarded as pretentious dinosaurs in the scheme of modern rock ‘n’ roll; destined to forever live in our tarnished reality that places image higher than prowess. While some decline to recognize the fact that innovative sounds are just as coveted as the shiny pop-nuggets forced down our collective air holes each day, still others are privy to the idea that a dedication and love of music shines brighter. Griswald’s approach to their music lies just in the middle of these two camps, and according to guitarist Darren Bruestle, they wouldn’t have it any other way.
After forming in Chico in 1998, Griswald decided last year to relocate to the Bay Area where they have a recording studio and numerous fans at their disposal. Intriguing is the fact that the band boasts a motto of “Moderation is for suckers; indulge in excess,” a profoundly risky ethos to have, but nevertheless one that has garnered them acclaim and success. With the addition of new vocalist Craig McMath, Bruestle asserts that the band has only gotten better. “We flew him out for a week from Canada. The vibe was really good; he had a hell of a lot of dedication. I mean that showed us a lot right there, that he was willing to fly out and audition for a week,” states Bruestle.
Griswald’s affinity for funk-infused jams, meshed with modern rock hooks have caught the attention of Fox Sports Net and ESPN television, companies who routinely incorporate their songs into varying telecasts. Other notable accomplishments include their first demo CD being recorded by Ryan Freeland (Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera), and opening for Aerosmith and Fuel at the Sleep Train Amphitheater in 2001. Typically, Griswald has been compared to bands that have trod down the path of indefinable but catchy funk/rock, namely Incubus and Hoobastank, an assessment that doesn’t bother the group one bit. “I think we just happen to sound a lot like them. It’s hard to make a classification, but I would absolutely align ourselves with that because I think if you don’t, then you’re trying to put yourself out where you’re not and I’m not gonna sit here and say something we’re not; we sound a lot like those bands, and I’m totally cool with that,” asserts Bruestle. And with a new album on the horizon, Bruestle and the rest of the band seem poised to enjoy the life that comes along with massive amounts of overachieving. “We have most of the album already written, we’re just taking our time with the vocals because [Craig] has only been here for five months,” says Bruestle.
The group’s last full-length release, The Goods, came out in 2001 and featured Charlie Schonwasser on vocals. “The predicament is if you’re not signed, you don’t get your bills paid. We work all week, and we jam almost every night. So, you know, it takes a lot longer. If we were signed, we’d have the album done by now,” adds Bruestle. Currently, the group is in fact signed to Half Pint Records, based out of Santa Cruz, CA, and is even sponsored by Santa Cruz clothing. “I’d say pop-punk is the scene in San Jose. But we haven’t even really played San Jose; we’ve been too busy playing every other city in California. Comparatively speaking to the scene in Chico, the San Jose scene is dead,” states Bruestle. What this means to Chico fans is that they will be bringing their decidedly positive, lose-yourself-in-the-music ambiance north more consistently.
If stamina and perseverance have meaning anymore, then Griswald should lead the charge of those groups who have their eyes set on the ultimate prize: your pure and unabashed adoration.

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