I had no clue that Grizfolk even existed; however, they gained a new fan in me when they opened for Bastille in January. They’ve also opened up for American singer-songwriter Brett Dennen. Grizfolk will continue their spring tour in support of their debut four-song EP From The Spark with ZZ Ward on her Last Love Tour, which ends in April.
Grizfolk, currently residing in Los Angeles, consists of two members from Stockholm, Fredrik Eriksson and Sebastian Fritze, and three Americans: Adam Roth from Louisiana, Bill Delia from Pennsylvania, and Brendan Willing James from California. Each of them united by their passion for music, these gentlemen have been emerging as one of 2014’s top new acts after releasing the first single “The Struggle” of off From The Spark.
From the thumping beats of electro-pop to the junkyard twang of southern rock “Hymnals” begins From The Spark off on a good note. Frontman Adam Roth has an edgy vocal tone, which certainly lets us hear his southern roots, “Outside these walls we’re criminals / They chase us down, we’re singing hymnals.” The catchy hooks and boot-stomping guitar lines will get you dancing in your seat. Their single, “The Struggle” enforces how important our voices are and that we need to be heard, no matter how scary it may be, “Don’t turn around when you’re alone running in the dark / The struggle you are up against makes you what you are.”
Grizfolk slows things down with “Vegabonds,” a song about struggling to find your place in life: “Oh this bag of bones, just wondering / Oh, nowhere to run, I guess we’re just falling / And we’re all just searching, not knowing where we’re going / And it makes us nervous so we try to find a way out.” Grizfolk wraps up From The Spark showcasing their country music heritage during “Waiting For You,” a love song that will definitely have you dreaming of bonfires on cool summer nights.
This diverse group of musicians created an EP that definitely follows ‘quality over quantity’—each of these songs powerful enough to all be singles. Grizfolk’s hard work is finally starting to pay off and I’m excited to watch these guys climb up the musical totem pole. I’m betting they won’t ‘struggle’ one bit.
Rating: 5/5
For more from Jaci go check out Under Bright Lights.