Ryan Rabin - Grouplove (19/12/2013)
Since their conception in early 2010, LA’s Grouplove have been only going up. With hits like, Itching On a Photograph and Tongue Tied, Grouplove are becoming a big deal very quickly. They have had a rigorous and almost violent tour schedule, going non-stop for well over two years. And now, the alternative rock band is headed our way for Big Day Out!
“Big Day Out is by far the longest festival run we’ve done but we love Australia so we’re excited to be coming out for that long!” drummer Ryan Rabin (yes, he is son of Yes guitarist, Trevor Rabin) says from a “fucking freezing cold” Milwaukee.
The band, having done two festivals here previously, has fond memories of this country. “Splendour in the Grass was our first experience in Australia. I think it was the year Kanye [West] was headlining and we played early on at the main stage and it was just incredible!” Rabin says excitedly.
If you were lucky enough to catch Grouplove on one of their previous Aussie dates then you’ll know that the band has an energetic and crazy live show. “It’s a really shared, collaborative experience, the crowd feeds off us and we feed off them,” he says. But any new comers to the band’s live performance won’t miss out. “We’re definitely going to bring it for Big Day Out. It’s hard to not get excited when the crowd is getting involved to your music. So expect lots of energy, lots of movement and expect a good old rock and roll show!”
With such a huge BDO line up, one would think that Ryan, being in an alternative rock band would be excited for bands like Arcade Fire or Pearl Jam, but that falls to the other members. “I’m pretty pumped for Snoop Dogg [Lion] and Major Laser. I’m more of the EDM, hip-hop fan of the band; the others are really excited for Pearl Jam and all that though.”
Grouplove will also be performing with rock band CSS on a select few sideshows for BDO. “They’re apparently a really energetic and fun band live so it should be a good show.” Grouplove do however expect them to get the crowd warmed up. “[CSS] are a bit more funk and dance orientated I hear, so it should get the crowd moving and warmed up I hope. But then again, we did a few sideshows on the other festivals and they were mind blowing. The Australian crowds almost don’t need warming up! They just have an energy that’s really incredible.”
As anyone can see, Grouplove are doing phenomenally well, commercially and critically, for a band with only two albums. So has it all gone to their heads? Not one bit! “It feels amazing, to get all this attention and success. Everything has happened so fast for us in this band. Before it all came together, we were all, for a very long time, trying to get careers in music. It never really happened. We all became resigned to the fact it just wasn’t going to happen for us. But then there was that faithful encounter where we all met and formed this friendship on the island of Crete in Greece. And it’s funny, the one time you really make plans for something to happen is the one time it really works. Once we saw it was something special, we hit the ground running and haven’t stopped since!” the drummer says humbly.
‘Spreading Rumours’, the smashing sophomore from Grouplove, is out now and Rabin, who also produced the record, spoke proudly of what it was like doing the album independently .
“I think sometimes when you use an outside producer it’s helpful. You have that outside, objective opinion. But at the same time the producer is there to bridge that gap between what the band wants and what the label wants and also commercially what [the label] wants. So being in the band as well I try and keep that objective point of view; I also don’t need to align myself with a label or producer and we can do it how we want to. Our label is great, they came in and we said this is how it was and the respected that.”
You can catch Grouplove on all respective dates of Big Day Out next year plus their sideshows with CSS as their supports.
Matty Sievers
“Big Day Out is by far the longest festival run we’ve done but we love Australia so we’re excited to be coming out for that long!” drummer Ryan Rabin (yes, he is son of Yes guitarist, Trevor Rabin) says from a “fucking freezing cold” Milwaukee.
The band, having done two festivals here previously, has fond memories of this country. “Splendour in the Grass was our first experience in Australia. I think it was the year Kanye [West] was headlining and we played early on at the main stage and it was just incredible!” Rabin says excitedly.
If you were lucky enough to catch Grouplove on one of their previous Aussie dates then you’ll know that the band has an energetic and crazy live show. “It’s a really shared, collaborative experience, the crowd feeds off us and we feed off them,” he says. But any new comers to the band’s live performance won’t miss out. “We’re definitely going to bring it for Big Day Out. It’s hard to not get excited when the crowd is getting involved to your music. So expect lots of energy, lots of movement and expect a good old rock and roll show!”
With such a huge BDO line up, one would think that Ryan, being in an alternative rock band would be excited for bands like Arcade Fire or Pearl Jam, but that falls to the other members. “I’m pretty pumped for Snoop Dogg [Lion] and Major Laser. I’m more of the EDM, hip-hop fan of the band; the others are really excited for Pearl Jam and all that though.”
Grouplove will also be performing with rock band CSS on a select few sideshows for BDO. “They’re apparently a really energetic and fun band live so it should be a good show.” Grouplove do however expect them to get the crowd warmed up. “[CSS] are a bit more funk and dance orientated I hear, so it should get the crowd moving and warmed up I hope. But then again, we did a few sideshows on the other festivals and they were mind blowing. The Australian crowds almost don’t need warming up! They just have an energy that’s really incredible.”
As anyone can see, Grouplove are doing phenomenally well, commercially and critically, for a band with only two albums. So has it all gone to their heads? Not one bit! “It feels amazing, to get all this attention and success. Everything has happened so fast for us in this band. Before it all came together, we were all, for a very long time, trying to get careers in music. It never really happened. We all became resigned to the fact it just wasn’t going to happen for us. But then there was that faithful encounter where we all met and formed this friendship on the island of Crete in Greece. And it’s funny, the one time you really make plans for something to happen is the one time it really works. Once we saw it was something special, we hit the ground running and haven’t stopped since!” the drummer says humbly.
‘Spreading Rumours’, the smashing sophomore from Grouplove, is out now and Rabin, who also produced the record, spoke proudly of what it was like doing the album independently .
“I think sometimes when you use an outside producer it’s helpful. You have that outside, objective opinion. But at the same time the producer is there to bridge that gap between what the band wants and what the label wants and also commercially what [the label] wants. So being in the band as well I try and keep that objective point of view; I also don’t need to align myself with a label or producer and we can do it how we want to. Our label is great, they came in and we said this is how it was and the respected that.”
You can catch Grouplove on all respective dates of Big Day Out next year plus their sideshows with CSS as their supports.
Matty Sievers