Grouplove

When the members of Grouplove met it was like a dream. The setting was
a remote artist colony on the exotic, mysterious Greek island of Crete.
Drummer/producer Ryan Rabin and his childhood friend and former
bandmate, guitarist Andrew Wessen came from California, guitarist
Christian Zucconi and keyboarist Hannah Hooper traveled from New York,
and bassist Sean Gadd was the lone Brit. Each member went to Greece for
their own independent reasons but over time they gravitated towards each
other and discovered the sound that unified them: a merging of richly
narrated, intricate songs with anthemic classic pop production. It took the
band the better part of a year to reunite after they left the island, but as
they prepare to release their debut album Never Trust A Happy Song, they’re
starting to realize what began as a fantasy has now become very real.
The story begins in the grimy, grey urbanscape of New York City. Hannah
was a painter living in a tiny apartment in Chinatown. Christian was living
in Brooklyn, realizing the band he’d been in for several years was coming to
its natural end. Forty-eight hours after they met the couple decided to
abandon the going-nowhere struggle of city life for the idyllic restfulness of
Greece. “When we first got there we didn’t know what to make of it,”
Christian remembers, laughing. “We were sharing a single bed and there
was no real shower. It took a few days to adjust.” They soon settled into a
rhythm – Christian wrote songs and Hannah painted, but eventually they
started mingling with the other residents. “To begin with, we just sat
around on the beach or in caves, playing each other songs,” Sean recalls. “I
thought Christian and Hannah were very eccentric and very artistic. I liked
their style. And right away we were all very supportive of each other’s
music and really enjoyed being together. That was the beginning of
Grouplove, we just didn’t know it then.”
The colony, which Andrew’s brother founded, allowed the members of
Grouplove to step outside their comfort zones. “We spent our days
together at a secluded beach far from the tourist traps, passing around the
guitar or ukulele and sharing our songs with each other,” Andrew
remembers. “At night, we would spend time in the town or the zen garden,
continuing to hang out. The fact that we met as individual artists and
songwriters is a dynamic that has remained to this day.” The individuality
factor was huge. “In New York you’re limited to what you’ve defined
yourself as,” Hannah laments. For the affirmed visual artist, this was a
particularly powerful revelation. “I’d been surrounded by the same people
for so long, which at a certain point becomes stifling,” she explains. “Even
though I was bright red the first few times I sang, it became an immediate
way to be creative with the people around me. We were making something
together.”
It wasn’t just the unusual circumstances that set these artists free, it was
also each other's company. “We are all so different,” Hannah explains. “Sean
is the traditional rock and roller. He’s got humor and style.” “And he’s the
guy you want in your corner,” Christian seconds. “Andrew is the free-spirit,
blonde, California surfer boy,” Hannah says fondly. “And the ambassador of
the band – he’s very social,” Christian adds. “Ryan seems serious at first but
he’s actually really funny and weird and has an exceptional ear,” Hannah
says. When it comes to describing each other, the couple keep it short but
sweet. “Christian writes the purest songs I’ve ever heard,” Hannah says.
“She’s the real rockstar of the band,” Christian responds.
It’s one thing to play around with a new art project from the comfort of a
supportive community, and quite another to transport that delicate synergy
to the real world. Ryan, who’d come to Greece after attending an exchange
program in the Czech Republic, went back to LA, thinking of Crete as
nothing more than the cherry on top of an eye-opening year abroad. Sean
went back to play with bands he’d been with, but just like with Christian, it
became clear those projects had run their course. And Andrew, a surfer,
went home to California where he picked up the chirango and ukulele,
adding to his repertoire of stringed instruments. “We kept in touch in a
summer camp way,” Hannah recalls. “But people started getting back to
their lives working their crappy jobs. Christian and I just really didn’t want
Greece to become just a memory.” After an impromptu reunion in LA,
during which they all stayed at Andrew’s place in Venice and Ryan’s garage
recording studio, jamming for a few days, it became clear this was
something special. “We just cancelled our flights back to NY,” Christian
remembers. “That was it.”
Never Trust A Happy Song is a brawny, ecstatic album filled with ambitious,
varied, expansive, tunes underscored by crisp percussion and killer
harmonies. “The variety in the musical taste and writing styles of each
member really makes each of our songs unique,” Ryan explains. “The
honest, open-minded process we go through in rehearsal and in the studio
brings the songs home and gives them the 'Grouplove' sound.” Under the
Grouplove banner, “Colours,” became a delicate but powerful slow/fast jam.
“Itchin On A Photograph” is a soaring epic propelled by spacey guitar licks
and vigorous handclaps. And “Tongue Tied,” is an electronic infused dance
anthem that showcases the band’s obsession with careening harmonies. In
keeping with the progressive context of their meeting, Hannah, Andrew,
and Sean all share vocal duties and take their turn fronting the band -
though Christian sings lead on most songs – Ryan produces all of their
material, and all five bandmembers receive songwriting credit on every
tune: Grouplove is a true collaboration.
The album’s title initially seems ironic: On the surface the band’s vibe
comes off as happy, the songs soar with a kind of shimmering, youthful
exuberance. But just beneath that sunny sheen, there is a reservoir of
longing and melancholy. The Grouplove signature is blending those two
pillars of life: sorrow and joy. Hannah explains, “As individuals we are
heavier, darker, but when we are together we bring the love.”