The Grand Rapids

The Grand Rapids are 60's influenced psych rock merchants from the near future. Droney walls of fuzz, reverb drenched vocals, caveman drums and Tax Man bass lines construct the sonic makeup whilst kaleidoscopic projections, lasers and smoke machines are used to create a visual feast that is creating a local groundswell for these paisley troubadours.

Following on from the 7” single release of Blow Up, The Grand Rapids are set to release debut album ‘Great Shakes’ in October on local label Psyche Ward. Recorded and mixed by Callum Barter, (British India, The Pictures, Money For Rope) at Melbourne's iconic Sing Sing Studios, the album is a sonic tour de force that is definitely no flower child. An upbeat sense of darkness exists in all corners of The Grand Rapids' world. The skull-laden Twiggy on the cover of Great Shakes points to the paradox of the beauty that lies within ugliness, and vice versa. The melodies are dark and brooding yet still have an uplifting appeal as can be experienced with the likes of The Cure, Joy Division, or even Leonard Cohen. The subject matter is no boy-meets-girl summer romance stuff either.

Though not their usual fuzz gun approach, third single from the album and dance floor shaker Julia Now will be released in September. Lead album track Dronemachine is the fantastical voyage of a Phoenix rising from a red-hot sun to lay waste to the non-believers of the psychedelic revolution. Only a Dronemachine can save you! Brian's Got a Rubber Soul takes a schizophrenic look at Brian Wilson's fear of the British invasion through the eyes of 8th Century monks at the approach of the marauding Norsemen. Title track Great Shakes is the wash up of an acid soaked weekend with a smashing one-chord wig out to end it all.

The Grand Rapids are Sasha L Smith (guitar & vox), Daniel Hallpike (guitar), Deon Slaviero (bass) and Keith Ratnan (drums); regularly joined on tambourine by shamanistic vibe dealer Fabian Camerino. Although formed over five years ago it is really only in the last year that things have started to happen for The Grand Rapids. Regular gigging in the healthy local psych scene has seen them develop an impressive live show, where jammy soundscapes are becoming a feature, along with their kaleidoscopic fractal soaked light shows.

Sonic experimentation drives their vision of channeling the 60's darkness of The Doors, the 80's minimalist psychedelia of Spacemen 3 through the modern take of The Warlocks, The Blue Angel Lounge, Vibravoid and The Brian Jonestown Massacre.

Get on board because the weekend starts here.