Interview: Grandeur is Shedding Their Skin Around The Region
(Photo credit Lo Fitzsimmons)
A long career in music requires that an artist forms a long lasting connection with their fans. An artist must reach down deep and pull out their insides for the audience to see and connect on a deeper level. That’s exactly what you’ll see at a Grandeur show, literally. This Newark band along with their Meatman mascot have been playing music and encouraging listeners to shed their skin and enjoy their shows as a collective. We caught up with the band amidst touring and music releases to chat about their origins and where this group of guys are going next. If you didn’t get tickets for their sold out show at Elkton Music Hall opening for Boysetsfire in September, get to know them here and catch them live August 22 at Rainbow Records to support their friends in Spring State from NJ on tour.
How did the band form?
Jessee (Vocals and guitar): A mixture of the pandemic and me having back surgery. Ample time and a lot of unused riffs. Kenny (bass and vocals) and I have been in bands since 2007 together so it was a no brainer to start a project in our adult life. Horse (drums) joined in January when our original drummer stepped down to start a family. Horse and I have also been in bands together so the chemistry was instant.
Where did the name Grandeur come from?
Jessee: Everyone has had that one friend. They always retell a story in front of you and you know it didn't happen like that. It just made me focus on the word grandeur. I've always liked it, so it was on the list of bands, and ended up being our pick.
(Photo by Jessee Lee edited by Swnhrtvisuals)
What inspired your Lady Gaga covers?
Kenny: We played a halloween show at Makers Alley a few years ago, and really wanted to attract people that would want to go to the show whether they knew our band or not. We mainly wanted to focus on entertaining the crowd as opposed to playing our favorite obscure band that no one else knows. While transposing the songs into guitar band songs, we decided to go all out and write them the way we write our songs. Plus Jessee was obsessed with her album The Fame.
How has playing live and touring been?
Kenny: Touring has been a blast, except the driving and traffic elements! The best part is getting to see how different scenes all along the east coast all do it differently. Believe it or not, we haven't had a bad show on these tours yet. Every city has been treating us right, and we deff want to give a shout out to Virginia especially.
“ It’s kind of come to represent shedding your skin of labels and judgments. All are welcome to rip their skin off with us!”
-Kenny
What the heck is up with the infamous meat man at live gigs!?
Kenny: The Meatmen started off as something I wore in our early acoustic Instagram video's but slowly turned into something that came to represent getting to go wild at shows without feeling vulnerable or judged. It’s kind of come to represent shedding your skin of labels and judgments. All are welcome to rip their skin off with us!
(Photo Credit William Urgiles)
What are you as a band looking forward to at this moment?
Horse: What we’re looking forward to in this moment as a band is being a part of the growth of the local music scene and trying to keep people as interested in coming out to shows as it used to be when we were growing up. Seeing people engaged in our shows with our Meatmen and treasure chest but still enjoying the music just as much.
