Grand Island

Two brothers have spent the most of their lifetime plucking strings and hammering pianos and beatup drums in the ways of mountain music and deltablues. As Grand Island sprouted three more musicians after the brothers returned from overseas, they grew tired of the limitations in the Appalachian music legacy. And so more and more of the deliciously eccentric sides of music appeared as the bands sound grew from straight ahead amerigrass to a tight, energetic and dirty hybrid in the mesh made from hardsoul-bluegrass-disco, hardcore and rocknroll; southern indie. Sulphur vocals, heavy organs, banjo fingers from 76, desert bass and big city drums. Its a joyous, uncompromising melodic rhythm-galore, with two brothers on skins and bass and two brothers in front on strings and wails, with one fifth of keys on the side. The band has one foot in west coast glamorama and the other in Georgia, with its head pushed down in the sand of 29 Palms, one arm from Motor City, Appalachian revival-folk and gospel. Sin songs and sin-alongs. Grand Island released their debut-album 'Say no to sin' in 2006, and the album was nothing less than a summer storm of a record, or a mountain dam cracking open perhaps. 'Amiss are norms, order and respect for expectations. Loath of narrative logic, temperance and a structure of recognition, Grand Island’s dual pair of brothers -with an unrelated fifth member constituting the genetic freak- pour into the cauldron of their music frantic banjos, jungle beats and primal veils, blood-line precision, crystal-meth energy and general hysteria. The songs are not symmetrical and rounded entities, nay, they are more reminiscent of the path of a drugged, or inbred, mind, leaping ever-on never back. They are complex, fragmented and most of all frantic sequences of music. Like caustic soda and milk, the true mountain dew, Grand Island is not something to hold on to: you must go along and pick up the speed as it gathers, and then, when the chorus sets in, everything lifts like a vast flock of birds. The choruses tend to be catchy beyond imagination (“sin-song, sin-along” as they aptly put it themselves) and constitute some kind of recurring comment on the madness, or a promise: “there is always a party near for those who dare!” (mic.no)' After the release of 'Say no to sin' the band finished three European tours, performances at larger festivals on the continent as well as invitations to South by Southwest and Eurosonic. The band also received nominations for Spellemann- (Norwegian Grammy) and Alarmawards. Grand Island then started to prepare for the release of their second album. Sweet and tears had been left behind, and blood had been spilt. Cars crashed and bridges burned. All so that the band with pride and humility could present “Boys & Brutes”, an album for those that wish to cry, dance or fight. The album was recorded and mixed in the famous Propeller studios with Mike Hartung (A-ha, Shining, Satyricon, JR Ewing and more) as producer. The album was mastered in Los Angeles by Dave Collins (Queens of the stone age, Madonna, Black Sabbath, Sting, and more.) The music of Grand Island can be described as an unrelenting mix of pumping string-handling, subtle yet insanely shifts in tempo, mood and intensity. The band has on the new album worked hard to keep their originality and trademarks, but at the same time sought to expand their musical expression in a more melodic, manifoldly and dynamic direction. In short, it is very much Grand Island, but with a further dimension. Grand Island finsihed a Norwegian tour in the spring of 2008, followed by a European tour as well as selected festivals through-out northern Europe. The album received great reviews and was nominated for a norwegian Grammy (Spellemann) for best Rock album. The band released their 3rd album 'Songs from Östra Knoll 1:22 25th of january 2010. A norwegian tour will begin in february. Hope to see you out on the road! “There are two choices; you either love them to pieces or you want to bust their heads from confusion” ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 'Selv om alle radiolyttere med respekt for seg selv har hørt låter som «Us Annexed» og «Love in Decay» flerfoldige ganger, har Grand Island av en eller annen syk grunn unnlatt å bli et skikkelig stort band i Norge. Ganske mye ligger jo til rette for nettopp dét; hitene, særegenheten og viljen er på plass. Og tro nå heller ikke at den biten med «live» mangler! Grand Island er uten tvil et av Norges beste band for tiden, og å se dem på en festivalscene er fantastisk moro. 9/10' (anmeldelse fra øyafestivalen 2008 - musikknyheter.no http://www.musikknyheter.no/concert/4224) 'Grand Island stiller i en egen liga i Norge da det er svært få eller ingen som spiller en slik form for musikk. Bandet er anno 2008 i storform og utstråler en energi som få er forunt. (puls.no)' 'Grand Island har et altoppslukende og frittenkende forhold til sjangere, og de har musikaliteten til å gi krumspringene både høyde og retning. De er sjeldent originale fugler i den utvidede norske rockfaunanen. (dagbladet)' 'Grand Island er ikke et band du kan mislike, for de river deg med seg med kreativitet, humør og tempo. De har låter og vendinger som engasjerer, og materiale nok til å avslutte med platas mulige høydepunkt, «Death And Dying». (dagsavisen)' 'Grand Island har referansene i orden. Enkelte ganger er det som om Franz Ferdinand har brutt seg inn i en Grateful Dead-konsert, andre ganger er det som en ørkenrock paret med kammerpop - her nekter man seg ingenting. Når vokalen strekker seg på tå i "The Flux Of History", er det et lite stykke himmel som berøres. (aftenposten)' 'Grand Island har kreativiteten til Beach Boys (perioden 65-67) og så har de hentet galskapen og energien til Stones (63-66). Det hele oser av spilleglede og det sprudler som champagne. Når året 2008 skal oppsummeres så tror jeg Boys & Brutes vil være langt framme. Et glimrende album har dette blitt. (groove.no)' 'Det er nettopp måten Grand Island hopper bukk over sjangergrenser som gjør dem til et så interessant band. Det å aldri kunne vite hva som kommer eller hvilken vei låtene vil ta. Få om noen norske band som kan vise en slik energi og musikalske kromspring som det Grand Island gjør på sitt beste. (musikknyheter.no)'