Push to Fire: Alternative Music Webzine

Grinspoon

An interview by Meghan Player, photos by Emma Dean

With only a few shows left on their touring schedule, before buckling down to write a new album, Push To Fire contributor, Meghan Player, spoke to Grinspoon drummer, Kris Hopes about the year just past and what the future will hold.

Considered as one of Australia’s music industry heavy-weights, Grinspoon have always been recognised for their original sound and hard-rocking albums. While they haven’t gained the upmost attention from music-lovers around the world, ala Silverchair or The Living End, what they have gained in support throughout Australia has satisfied many of their needs.
After touring on the back of 2007's release, 'Alibis And Other Lies', playing The Big Day Out and various other festivals, including newcomer, Newton’s Playground, the past twelve months have been understandably busy for a band that was discovered during Triple J’s 'Unearthed' competition back in 1995 - and it seems that they aren’t prepared to slow down any time soon.
With the release of last years album, Grinspoon fulfilled their recording contract with Universal, leaving a variety of options available for future album production. "We’re in such a good position now, being out of our record deal. Everyone has sort of put their hand up to want to have a look at it [the new album]".

Grinspoon at Newton's Playground

But even after six full-length albums, and a couple of ARIA awards, the band will rely on the one ideal when it comes to choosing the next record company, "We want to work with people who want to work with us. That’s what the decision for us will be. We’ll go back to all the majors, and they’ll probably ‘wine and dine’ us, then tell us a whole lot of bullshit. [It will come down to] who really wants to work with us, aside from the financial point of view."
While the future record company may not be decided yet, this hasn’t dismissed any ideas on what the new album will sound like, with fellow band members already working on writing the follow up - "All the boys are off writing seperately at the moment. Every Grinspoon album we write is always fun to do. The pre-requisite from all of us is that its got to be a heavy rock record. We want to go out there and slam it again."
Perhaps an indication of re-visiting past successful albums, including debut album, 'Guide to Better Living', and 2003's 'New Detention'.
Whatever path the album ends up following is best left to speculation and anticipation, but rest assured, this future album may just be the one that grabs the attention of a wider audience, particularly within Europe and the UK - a region the band briefly toured back in 2003.

Grinspoon at Newton's Playground

"We are considering going back there at the moment. It was an eye-opener. When we go, we’ll do more gigs out in the suburbs - play to more UK people, and hopefully, get over to Europe as well."
However, Australian fans can rest easy that the Grinspoon will not leave out their legions of fans here - promising to revisit the rural and regional areas that have provided continuous support throughout their vast and longstanding career. "They’ve been good to us in the past, so we’ll keep going back. People that come to the regional gigs, and buy a ticket, they want to see you. We want to play to people who want to see us."
And whilst being a band for over a decade - one that has maintained the same, solid line-up of the past, the belief that you have to have a ‘smooth-sailing’ history to stay together is overrated - with one clear reason as to why Grinspoon have proved successful - "Lots of fights. In the early days, we had lots of fights, and we worked that out. We knew what we wanted to do, and after about 5 years, we knew we all wanted to keep playing music together". And it has clearly worked for the better, providing them with a lesson that will drive them solidly into the future.
To describe Grinspoon is not easy, and was best summed up by Kris as "Still here".
Evidently, after talks of upcoming albums and touring schedules, they will still be here for many years to come.

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Grinspoon An interview by Meghan Player, photos by Emma Dean With only a few shows left on their touring schedule, before buckling down to write a new album, Push To Fire contributor, Meghan Player, spoke to Grinspoon drummer, Kris Hopes about the year just past and what the future will hold.
Considered as one of Australia’s music industry heavy-weights, Grinspoon have always been recognised for their original sound and hard-rocking albums. While they haven’t gained the upmost attention from music-lovers around the world, ala Silverchair or The Living End, what they have gained in support throughout Australia has satisfied many of their needs. After touring on the back of 2007's release, 'Alibis And Other Lies', playing The Big Day Out and various other festivals, including newcomer, Newton’s Playground, the past twelve months have been understandably busy for a band that was discovered during Triple J’s 'Unearthed' competition back in 1995 - and it seems that they aren’t prepared to slow down any time soon. With the release of last years album, Grinspoon fulfilled their recording contract with Universal, leaving a variety of options available for future album production. "We’re in such a good position now, being out of our record deal. Everyone has sort of put their hand up to want to have a look at it [the new album]".
But even after six full-length albums, and a couple of ARIA awards, the band will rely on the one ideal when it comes to choosing the next record company, "We want to work with people who want to work with us. That’s what the decision for us will be. We’ll go back to all the majors, and they’ll probably ‘wine and dine’ us, then tell us a whole lot of bullshit. [It will come down to] who really wants to work with us, aside from the financial point of view." While the future record company may not be decided yet, this hasn’t dismissed any ideas on what the new album will sound like, with fellow band members already working on writing the follow up - "All the boys are off writing seperately at the moment. Every Grinspoon album we write is always fun to do. The pre-requisite from all of us is that its got to be a heavy rock record. We want to go out there and slam it again." Perhaps an indication of re-visiting past successful albums, including debut album, 'Guide to Better Living', and 2003's 'New Detention'. Whatever path the album ends up following is best left to speculation and anticipation, but rest assured, this future album may just be the one that grabs the attention of a wider audience, particularly within Europe and the UK - a region the band briefly toured back in 2003.
"We are considering going back there at the moment. It was an eye-opener. When we go, we’ll do more gigs out in the suburbs - play to more UK people, and hopefully, get over to Europe as well." However, Australian fans can rest easy that the Grinspoon will not leave out their legions of fans here - promising to revisit the rural and regional areas that have provided continuous support throughout their vast and longstanding career. "They’ve been good to us in the past, so we’ll keep going back. People that come to the regional gigs, and buy a ticket, they want to see you. We want to play to people who want to see us." And whilst being a band for over a decade - one that has maintained the same, solid line-up of the past, the belief that you have to have a ‘smooth-sailing’ history to stay together is overrated - with one clear reason as to why Grinspoon have proved successful - "Lots of fights. In the early days, we had lots of fights, and we worked that out. We knew what we wanted to do, and after about 5 years, we knew we all wanted to keep playing music together". And it has clearly worked for the better, providing them with a lesson that will drive them solidly into the future. To describe Grinspoon is not easy, and was best summed up by Kris as "Still here". Evidently, after talks of upcoming albums and touring schedules, they will still be here for many years to come.
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