The indie-pop band formed at a Sydney house party in 2011, and the revelry hasn’t eased since. “It’s such bedlam; everyone’s so different to everyone else, it’s this chaos that kind of works,” says Whitehall. “There’s so much love in the band, and it just started out of chaos and it’s still going out of chaos.”
Crafting their live skills through consistent touring, The Griswolds signed to US label Wind-up Records in 2013, and there came an opportunity to shift focus to the North American market. Since the release of their debut album Be Impressive in August 2014 – featuring the single Beware The Dog – the four-piece have spent more time off Australian shores than on them.
“We’ve spent most of our time here,” says Whitehall. “We’re just riding the wave and no-one[knows] what to expect next – but we ain’t going to quit. I mean, we have huge expectations for ourselves. We want to do this forever, so we’re going to have fun doing it and love each other and just have a good time.”
You only need to take a glance at The Griswolds’ social media accounts to see they do exactly that. Their latest US headline dates marked their third tour across the States this year, alongside tours in Canada and Europe. “This year alone, playing 140 shows around the world has been a crazy experience,” says Whitehall. “I think we’ve all aged about five years this year, but it’s been such a fun journey – nothing we could have ever expected.”
Along the way, one particular gig gave The Griswolds the motivation to keep going in a notoriously difficult market. “Firefly Festival in Delaware. We walked out to 15,000 people all screaming our lyrics; they’d all brought beach balls and were throwing them around. It was the craziest gig we’ve ever played, the best feeling we’ve ever had. It was a life-changing moment when you weren’t really sure where you sat – you’re not really sure how much your work has paid off – and when you see something like that, you’re like, ‘Wow, yeah. We worked our arses off and here it is. This is the pay-off right here and now we’ve just set a whole new benchmark’.”
Returning home for the summer, The Griswolds will dive into writing their second album before jumping back on tour in January, supporting their new best friends, Ohio outfit Walk The Moon. Guitarist Eli Maiman requested The Griswolds’ support for their US tour in April and the two groups immediately clicked.
“We didn’t know who or what to expect,” says Whitehall. “Then as soon we met them, eight guys became best friends instantly; even our crew and their crew. Every night on tour over here was just a wild, crazy party playing music. It was nuts. We just fell in love with them.On the [next] tour, I’m sure it will be bedlam; we’ll be partying and getting crazy every night, I’m sure.”
BY EMILY GIBB
