Brothers Grymn

By STEFANIE THOMAS sthomas@hcnonline.com
Posted on February 9, 2013
by Stefanie Thomas
A Kingwood-based band has claimed a top ten spot among Houstons independent music artists, recently rising to number two on Reverbnation, an online portal designed to support up and coming musicians in their quest to share their work and hopefully land a record label.
Brothers Grymn in its current makeup is comprised of front man Jeff Miller, 42, of Kingwood, songwriter and vocalist; Nate Schmidt, 43, of Kingwood, on the lead guitar; bass player Carol Cabrero, 24, of The Woodlands; DJ Gabe Sandoval, of Kingwood, and Clint Simmons, of Austin, on the drums. Together, the five artists amass a combined musical experience of several decades. The group, born only a few months ago in 2012, is about to release an 8-song CD independently.
Reviewers say Brother Grymn's type of music is hard to fit into a box. With elements of hard rock and heavy metal, hip-hop and rap, the occasional blues and jazz influence, and just about every other genre but country, the group delivers a unique blend of styles.
"Imagine putting the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against the Machine, Sublime, 311, and a little Van Halen, all into a melting pot and see what comes out.There is no one particular style that grossly outweighs the other; it’s really a fine balance," says lead guitarist Schmidt. "If you look at bands that played funk and rap funk 20 years ago, the thing that sets us apart now is the introduction of electronic beats and ambient noises through some of our producing programs. We add new flavor and layers to the music. You can hear a lot of funk, a lot of hip hop, and a lot of hard rock when the guitar comes in. "
Schmidt says the band hopes to convey an attitude of "taking charge of life, don't dwell on the past, work for the future."
Miller, the band's songwriter likes to draw his lyrics from life experiences, especially in overcoming difficulties. Although perhaps not always squeaky clean, yet far from explicit, Miller's song texts are designed to send positive messages to listeners.
"I want to look at life as the glass being half full," Miller says. "There’s so much negativity and bad influences out there, especially for kids, and I don’t want our music to be like that. I want to deliver more encouraging messages."
All band members, with the exception of Sandoval, have participated in the Houston music scene for years with other bands, some for as many as 20 years. Not long ago, they turned to each other and what was already there - family and friends - and together created a new sound. Miller, Simmons and Carol are cousins; Miller, Schmidt and Sandoval long-time neighbors and friends.
"I'm working with my best friends and my family," Miller says. "It’s been a bonding experience for all of us, and we are closer because of it."
During its brief existence, Brothers Grymn already caught the attention of notable groups such as Everclear and MC Overlord, opening for their respective shows. In the near future, the group will be working with major record label rap artists Z Ro and Slim Thug.
Brothers Grymn is a self-contained unit that produces all its music at an in-home recording studio at Schmidt's residence in Kingwood.
"For all intents and purposes I have a fully functioning and professional recording studio right here. We don’t have to pay for studio time or any other outsourcing," Schmidt says. "We also do our own website and merchandise printing right here."
Signed to Snoring Gorilla Management but so far without a recording contract, the band hopes its upcoming CD release will catch the attention of a major record label.
More than anything, however, the members of Brothers Grymn enjoy playing for a live audience.
Schmidt says whether he performs for 10 or 1,000 people, getting onto the stage is a rush. Miller perceives live performances as an almost spiritual experience.
"There’s nothing more thrilling for an artist than to have an audience that enjoys his work," Miller says. "That’s beautiful. It’s what it’s all about."
While in recent years Houston's music scene saw an abundance of cover and tribute bands, Schmidt says the popularity of original music is once again on the rise.
"Houston is becoming a more supportive community for original music again, and we’re giving it one heck of an effort," Schmidt says. "We're excited, and grateful to everyone who takes the time to come out and see us and supports us on Facebook or Reverbnation. We’re nothing without our fans."
Brothers Grymn is next scheduled to perform at Dan Electro's Guitar Bar in Houston on Saturday, Feb. 16, at 8 p.m.
To learn more about Brothers Grym or to check on more upcoming shows, visit www.brothersgrymn.com. They can also be found on Facebook under "Brothers Grymn" or at www.reverbnation.com/brothersgrymn. - The Humble Observer

If there is one band that is going to make an impact and help change the perception of live original Houston Texas music scene in 2012, it is going to be Brothers Grymn from Houston.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


PRLog (Press Release) - Nov 29, 2011 -
The newest band to hit the "H-Town" music scene is Brothers Grymn. I had the chance to see these guys play the other night for Kinky Friedman's Texas Road House Live television program and was completely blown away. I find it a little difficult to describe the musical style but the combination of 311, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against The Machine, The Beastie Boys, and a touch of hard rock guitar styling’s come to mind but all in a good balanced way.

The bands vocalist Jeff Miller delivered such an explosive set that it looked to me at times that he was going to collapse from sheer delivery on his vocals. He worked the crowd the entire time and is a true front man. They employ the sounds from Gabe "DJ Regalia" Sandoval who was definitely helping to drop the beats. The rhythm section with Clint Simmons on drums and Rumaldo Saenz on bass and occasional acoustic guitar keep the electricity level to maximum during the entire set.

One of the hugest surprises of the evening was the blistering set given to us by guitarist "Nasty" Nate Schmidt. It's been a long time since the Houston music scene has been given a true showman on guitar. His sound was phenomenal, but came in short in comparison to his skills on guitar. He displayed elements of Steve Ray Vaughn and Eddie Van Halen but made their style work into his own. His screaming guitar solos are a great compliment to the songs that the Brothers Grymn have in their set.

I was shocked to find out that this was their entirely first show as songs such as "Its Tha Bros" and they spell it, had the crowd singing along by the end of the first chorus. The Bros also slow it down for a couple of really cool acoustic tunes proving to this journalist that they are not a one trick pony.

All in all, I'll be looking out for this band to make a huge impact on the scene in 2012. You should too.
- Texas Top Shelf