Interview by: Tracy Lewis
TL: How did you come up with the name GROOVESHIRE?
GS: Our name is simply synonomous with our sound. It was pretty easy to come up with the “groove part”, but the word “shire” actually took some thought. No, it has nothing to do with the “Lord of the Rings”…It was one of those rare unique ideas that Mike (drums), Jason (guitar) and myself came up with years ago when we first put the group together.
TL: Please tell us a little about the members of the group and how you all met.
GS: Myself, Jason (guitar) and Mike (drums) started the group back in 2003. We met while playing locally with other Cincinnati-based bands. We all had a great deal of respect for one another and decided to kick back and write some fresh tunes together. At the time, we were a good ole’ fashioned rock n’ roll outfit blending together multiple genres of blues, grunge, funk and metal…edgy guitar riffs with soul induced vocals and ambient drumming.
Through the years, the three of us continued to identify an original sound not common to the Ohio Valley region. That’s always been our goal though, to stand out and be different. We hired another guitar player (Jacob Jones) in 2006 for that very reason. Man, Jake blew us away! He was a young and fearless musician that could play the shit out of the slide guitar! Instantly, our sound was polished and Louisiana Bayou Grunge was born!
Our largest roadblock, however, was securing a consistent bass player, four quality musicians in four years, but nothing permanent. Finally, in late 2007, we landed Bryan Berwanger. What a great catch! Smooth as hell. He plays the bass the right way and is a great songwriter. The group has been pretty solid ever since.
photo by: Scott Preston
TL: What do you think attracted you guys to make music together and how did it all begin?
GS: We all share an equal passion for music. This group has always worked extremely well together, although, I’d be lying if I said being in a band is nothing like being married…it is! What attracted us to make music together was our equal dedication to song writing. We love being creative and controversial, but at the same time, organized and professional.
TL: Who would you say has been the biggest influence on your sound?
GS: Wow… there are so many. Our influences are very diverse. What makes our sound so unique is the fact that we have successfully incorporated multiple musical genres into a collaboration that is based specifically on roots-rock n’ roll. If you smash Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Humble Pie into a blender and then toss a little Pearl Jam, Gov’t Mule and the Black Crowes on top you’ll get Grooveshire. It’s what we like to call “ Louisiana Bayou Grunge”.
TL: Are there any members who write their own material, or is it a joint effort?
GS: Ideas seem to flow easiest when the six of us work collectively. We write about what’s real. Everything from lyrics to the music tells a story. I think that’s what makes our music honest.
TL: From your performances so far, is there any that stand out more than the other? If so, how and why?
GS: Wow…there’s definitely a lot that stick out. We love to play, so every show to us is special, but I we’d have to say one of the more memorable performances was last Halloween with Blues Traveler. The show was in Cincy and couldn’t have been more fun. Popper and the boys are great! It was nice to be back home and play with a band as successful as Blues Traveler.
TL: What inspires the lyrics for your songs the most?
GS: Our lyrics are honest. We write about things that can affect anyone at anytime. It’s a very old school approach, but it keeps the listeners interested.
TL: Where do you see the band in say about 5 years?
GS: Like any determined band, we have specific goals that we strive to accomplish. We have been very fortunate over the past few years to play with some of music’s most hardworking and successful acts. Whether on the road or playing at home, we always put 100% effort into our song writing and performances. Five years from now we can only hope to continue to make good records and spread our music to various markets around the world.
TL: You’ve just been informed that for one night only, your band have the pick of any venue [around the world] to perform. Where/what would it be and why?
GS: That’s a tough question. There are so many great venues around the world. Being able to sell out Madison Square Garden would be amazing. Call me crazy, but playing the Colosseum in Rome would absolutely blow our minds!
TL: What has been your most favorite venue so far?
GS: We have played some great venues. On the home front though, I think it’s safe to say that we all collectively love playing at the Madison Theater in Covington.
TL: Do you have a record label?
GS: Not at the moment. We are shopping though. We have been doing the independent thing for quite some time now.
TL: Where can our readers find out more about you online, and any downloads?
GS: You will never have a hard time finding us online. We have all the major social networking sites available to our fans (Myspace, Facebook, etc.), including, grooveshire.com.
TL: Last thoughts/message for our readers?
GS: We are a complete rock band. For those root-rock enthusiasts, we truly believe this band has something for everyone. We are a dedicated set of musicians that love what we do and hope that our unique blend of blues, rock and soul will continue to spread throughout various markets around the world.
Flip Side to Music would like to thank you for this interview and we wish you much success!
Grooveshire -Debut EP American Son
Flip Side to Music recently had the pleasure of listening to this EP from this Cincinnati, Ohio band and from the jams of Southern type Rock, to the more funky rhythms, to the bluesier guitar riffs, I found it giving a taste of the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd, but with their own unique twist making me anticipate the next song and where it would lead me rhythm wise and the emotion it would touch my soul with.
I think listeners have to be touched by an artist’s music and to be able to relate and feel the song. The blend of music the guys use on the EP has something that almost everyone can feel and enjoy, it is incredible and definitely a unique sound that I can see taking these guys far!
In Flip Side to Music’s opinion this music really rocks!
Tracy Lewis
Be sure to check out their music over at our studio too!
http://www.livestream.com/flipsidetomusic
