Posted on October 6, 2009 - by Editor

Gritty Bastards!: The Grit

The Grit © Imelda Michalczyk

With the great hype surrounding rockabilly and psycho a couple years ago, things have waned slightly in the genre. However throughout the ups and downs The Grit have been steadily growing a fan base appreciative of their diverse rockabilly, soulful and rocking sounds. With the release of their second album a couple months ago “Straight Out The Alley” we managed to quiz Louis on the release and its reaction to date from the band and fans alike.

So fill us on the on the current line-up. My understanding is you consider yourself a fully fledged band since 2005?

Louis: Big Lou (guitar / vox) Louis Ville (vox / guitar) little man Kurt (double bass) Matt Fox (drums) Charlie (acoustic guitar)   Yeah, we actually formed in 2002, but as with most bands, the first year or two are spent rehearsing,  feeling your way through and finding your sound.

The band is a mix of northerners and southern in terms of British geography- is that right? Is there a bit of internal band banter on this?

Louis: Always! Haha! You can’t have a band part Geordie part Cockney and not have a load of banter!  But we are the best of friends and couldn’t give a fuck where anybody is from.  In fact it’s nice to know that despite half of us being from the opposite end of the country from the other half; we could have been brought up on the same street. We all share similar views, opinions and humour. Generally speaking, it’s about good people not where you’re from for sure.

Your influences are varied, across genres and time- do you categorise yourself at all? What would be your ultimate one night only 4 band line-up?

Louis: We are punk rock at the core, but take in a wide variety of influences.  The ultimate gig?  Johnny cash would open up, followed by Fats Domino.  Then The Stray Cats would take the stage, and The Clash would headline.   Elvis would make an appearance, maybe singing “White Riot” on the encore!

The Grit © Imelda Michalczyk

Your new album “Straight Out The Alley” is a bit of a departure from your previous record- more elements in terms of styles and instruments especially. What motivated this decision and how did the recording process vary?

Louis: It wasn’t a set decision; it was a case of taking in more influences and wanting to bring in instruments to help create that style.  The five of us on our own would not be able to make a genuine attempt at a country track or a ska track for example, so we needed to bring in brass and mandolin and whatever was necessary to replicate what we had in mind. Luckily we have some talented friends and it was a pleasure to include them on the new album.

Your material about unity, friends, drinking, day-to-day stuff really too but it comes with a punk rock n roll twist. Do you find it easy to strike a chord with fans of your music?

Louis: We are regular people at the end of the day, working and struggling along but always having a good time and writing about it as we go.  So I’m sure it strikes a chord with a lot of people, but we’re not trying to do so. We’re writing what is true to us.  If we were very political people, we would be writing very political lyrics, but we’re not overly political day to day, so we wouldn’t feel confident going there to deeply and the same would apply to other subjects.

Your songs are very anthemic, sing-alongs are a positive pre-requisite it seems- does that come about naturally in the song writing?

Louis: We love nothing more than getting a load of acoustics, opening a few beers and singing tunes in the alley here in the West End.  Maybe it comes from that, who knows!

Being signed to People Like You- how does that help things in terms of your exposure as a band?

Louis: People Like You are a great label.  Certainly the best independent in Europe, and yeah it does help a lot to be signed to them, especially on the mainland.  In the UK, I feel people are too concerned with what’s happening in the states, when there is some real quality on their doorstep as well.  But it’s up to the bands here in the UK, and the labels to change that, and I think it will happen in time.

The Grit © Imelda Michalczyk

So the album has been out for a couple months now, have your fans had time to digest the album? What has the reaction to the new material been like?

Louis: The reaction has been great on the whole, although we haven’t been over to Germany yet since the release, so we are looking forward to our upcoming European tour with deadline to really gauge the reaction.

Are there are any stand out tracks form the record in your point of view?

Louis: Yeah, for me there’s plenty of standout tracks!  “Victim lives another day” is generally a band favourite, a rockabilly based, anthemic track with a real message to it.  It’s about knife crime here in London, which as everyone knows has become a really serious issue, so we’re quite proud of that one.

The live show has quite a reputation, what makes for a good live show in your opinion?

Louis: For me, energy is key.  If you can give everything but still hold it down musically, then you’ve got the perfect combination.  All you need after that is some decent songs!

I hear tours further afield from the UK are in the works- with Europe, US and Japan on the hit list?

Louis: Yeah, we’re hitting Europe again in October and November; it’s always great to go out there.  As for the U.S and Japan, it’s always tough.  The amount of “almost” is unreal, but that’s ok with us, it’s all still in the pipeline!

Final words?

Louis: Don’t let the bastards grind you down…

The Grit © Imelda Michalczyk