‘Summer’ is the album that helped propel punk rockers Grenadiers to the national level, with Triple J featuring it as its Album Of The Week last year.
The band have toured nationally and internationally, but will play a local show when they play the four-day boutique music and arts event Semaphore Music Festival later this month. "It's nice when people start to notice what you're doing and like it,” lead singer Jesse Coulter says.
“For us the reaction is beyond anything we could have expected. We kinda thought we might sell a few hundred records, but then we got picked up on Triple J and the reception was amazing. From that point we started to consider the band in a more serious light."
Although the boys welcome the positive response, they're aware of not allowing outside expectations to control the band. "We try not to take notice of it,” Jesse explains, “but it does add pressure.
"When you're just starting to put stuff out, there is no pressure because there aren’t any pre-conceived ideas about what to expect. But if we worry too much about the pressure, then we would just kill ourselves with doubt. So we focus on making the best possible music."
Grenadiers style blends a number of different genres. “I have no idea how we developed our style. All three of us have such different styles, but we all have a base in punk, metal and rock, which we then try to create a new sound from.
“We have a sort of classic rock or punk sound, but we don't want it to be one, specific genre. Rather, we want to create a sound that is recognisable as us."
The group's songwriting decisions are a collective effort with no egos allowed to flourish. "It's really collaborative. We are very critical of each other, which is good. We aren't shitting on each other's ideas, we are critically looking at the songs to make them the best they can be.”
The boys are part of the Semaphore Music Festival line-up, a show Jesse says they are happy to be a part of. “We have great friends playing there as well, which will be great to watch and support from. For us we will be stepping out of our comfort zone in SA. We usually have only played gigs in the CBD, so it'll be good to play to a slightly different audience in a different setting."
Jesse says the band are addicted to playing. “Touring and playing live lets you connect with an audience past a basic level. The fact that people turn up and love your creation is an indescribable feeling and something that none of us will ever be able to let go.
“You know, even when we can hardly get out of our wheelchairs we will still perform. It's such a great feeling to connect with an audience past the conversational point."
The next step for Grenadiers is the release of their third album. “It is being mixed; I think it’s the most interesting and colourful album we have made. We never stop working towards the end goal; we will work on new material and tour. We want to continue to make music in the studio while also reminding people that we still exist.”
