After a HUUUGE 2016 including shows opening for Atlas Genius, The Mowglis & Little Hurricane, the new single from the boys in Grizzly Business “Alcoholic Synonymous” launches them to excellence, manhood and a very promising new year.
Ahead of their Album Release show at Soda Bar w/ ListenSD favorites Inspired & the Sleep and Spero on Saturday, January 7th, I threw back some IPA and Organic Beet Juice with dashing lead singer Walter at Swami’s Cafe in Point Loma:
The spicy single “Alcoholic Synonymous” has a very intriguing title. What was the inspiration for this tune and what is your choice beverage to drink while listening to it?
Behind our happy jingles and melodies most of our songs are actually very sad. From “Puebla” where we’re getting a glimpse of an abusive relationship in a small town in Mexico or “New Dogs Old Tricks” where I’m singing about the sadness of everything people give up about themselves to fit in, “Alcoholic Synonymous” is probably the best embodiment of that. It’s essentially the story of a girl throwing her life away and partying too hard, told from the perspective of her alcoholism. The alcoholism selfishly wants to keep existing, so he puts a positive twist on everything she’s doing. There are moments in there where it’s like “hey good job you waited until noon to start drinking and you’re tripping over your bed but it’s all good cause at least you made it to your house” and “your dreams are shot but that’s supposed to happen and your liver sucks but hey these shots aren’t going to take themselves.” Even the title is a fun play on words of something that really shouldn’t be played on by words. After saying all that I kinda just wanna drink water and eat Flintstones vitamins and go to bed at a reasonable time.
The Griz Boys have been making great musical magic together now for over a few years. What keeps your collective spark burning so bright and tell me something nice that you appreciate about each of your musical brothers.
I hate everything about them and I’m sure they’d say the same about me if not worse. I think for me and Matt who’ve been around the longest, this is our very first band endeavor and so we have more of a childlike aww of everything. We know that this could end at any moment so we try and soak everything in and stay present instead of looking ahead for the next fix. Getting to play all these amazing venues and be in the same backstage where we’ve seen our favorite bands in is ridiculous. Now we’re going to Europe and we just feel extremely lucky to be as small a group of guppies we are in this massive pond of musical creatures. To my band boyfriends, I love Brian’s secret gumpiness. He’s this tall behemoth of a studly man but secretly he’s one of the most sensitive and kind hearted humans I know who loves everything in it’s right place. Corey is moving to South America and will no longer be with us, but I’d say that I love his positivity. No matter what the situation we’re in or who I’m fighting with in the band he’s always been the one to say “everything’ll be fiiiiine” He’s also the one who it takes longest for me to anger so his patience has always been great. Matty is like a little brother to me as I’m sure he is to a lot of people. I don’t think much of him has changed since I met him as a 19 year old kid. His childlike, free spirited ways (although frustrate the shit out of me sometimes) is my favorite thing about him. He’s like a real life Winnie the Pooh, only way more of a fatass doughboy.
Your new album releasing in early January is called “Spanish Old-Fashion” and I hear there is a song on there that you sing entirely in Spanish. Is this your bilingual pivot into La Vida Loca or rather a playful expression of your Mexican heritage?
Although Ricky Martin’s World Cup 98’ will forever be the anthem to my existence, I guess you could say “the Spanish Song” is a perfect representation of my Mexicaniality. I grew up in a family where mariachis are a thing at parties and have always loved the beautiful romantic melodies that come of them. Never really understood what any of the songs were about and I think all of that is encompassed in this song. The lyrics are complete dog shit (almost literally) and made of english euphemisms that mean nothing in Spanish. My cousins will probably hate me after hearing it, but I think it sounds nice so it is what it is. I tend to play it a little loose with English songs as well. Also interesting fact, that song was recorded in my bathroom using my cellular device.
What does Grizzly Business have planned for 2017 besides the big Album Release show?
Well we release the CD and play our release show on the 7th then we are flying across the country to play some shows in New York and go on a motha fuckin’ tour de Europe yaaaaaaaal. We are beyond stoked to be spreading our terrible music across another continent and bringing shame and embarrassment to great name that is San Diego. Unfortunately, we will be missing the inauguration of Donald Trump and the Chargers nonexistent playoff run but I think we’ll manage. If anyone has friends or enemies they wanna send our way out there, our schedule is as follows:
Jan 7 – Album Release w/ Inspired & the Sleep and Spero @ Soda Bar (San Diego)
Jan 12 – Friends and Lovers (Brooklyn, NY)
Jan 13 – The Delancey (Manhattan, NY)
Jan 17th – The Windmill (Brixton, England)
Jan 18th – The Bedford (Balham, England)
Jan 19th – The Dog and Whistle Pub (Hertford, England)
Jan 21st – Brussels Pub Crawl (Brussels, Belgium)
Jan 23rd – TBD (Berlin, Germany)
Jan 25th – CC Muziekcafe (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Jan 26th – Le Truskel (Paris, France)
Jan 28th – The Good Ship (London, England)
