Grenadina

The Lawrence, Kansas girl-core outfit Grenadina make the jump from math-rock, alterna-punk to sweet grooves and pop rhythms with their new single "Locomotion"
It's a clean transition from gritty, lo-fi, rawness to a smoother, hi-fidelity, commercial sound.
This is a tamer Grenadina; a band searching for a hook within their intricate arrangements. A band who appear to have embraced a Chili-Peppers-esque metamorphosis into a high-fidelity focus on songwriting & quality. This is not to diminish the greatness of their first recording-which was a brilliant foray into the limits of lo-fidelity, boiling estrogen.
"Locomotion" is a concise, well-constructed, war-plan. A manifesto of a band properly lubricated for a career in lavish tour buses & bustling amphitheaters.

-Lucy McPherson

Hear "Locomotion" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0ZODIXR36o
"Locomotion" is available for purchase on itunes. - Kill Your TV KC

The fierce foursome of fiery females in Grenadina have finished their sophomore EP, “Get Shallow,” and have released their lead single, “Locomotion.” The band has filmed their music video for “Locomotion” with Express Media, and will premiere it later this summer.

“Locomotion” moves at an intriguing pace, and with a funky bass, intricate guitars, and a soulful vocalist, the song should have no trouble finding its way into the hearts of many. Buy the single here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/locomotion/id669193238?i=669193554

“Get Shallow” was recorded in Vibe Studios in Cleveland in May with Johnny Burke (Abandon All Hope, Modern Day Escape). The album is expected to drop this August.

Let’s get shallow… - Truth or Sarah

In fact let me just break a rule here and interject something. Grenadina, Man Bear, & Slum Party are three bands that are really underrated in Kansas City. All three of these bands deserve to be in the upper echelon of the hipster pyramid of popularity. Every Volvo bumper in midtown should be adorned with vinyl stickers of these bands. Every jean vest should don their buttons. Nights like these are rare. Three fantastic fucking bands played near flawless sets. How goddamn often does that happen?

Grenadina was up last. It was their one year anniversary and they tore the stage apart with ferocity & fearlessness. Singer Katie Ford-now seasoned is a whirlwind of pleasant, piercing emotion and emo-thrash. Steph Castor's guitar playing is truly a unique experience to watch and hear-it's a self-taught hurricane of orgasm. Exploding and collapsing into wondrous chords. Mia Morrow lays down bass lines thick and smooth like an endless milkshake-finely coating all the heart-pounding, genital shaking rhythm of Stef Petroz. Who gives a fuck that they are girls? When they pick up their instruments they are conduits of alt-pop-emo-thrash pleasure.

Do I even need to mention the spectacle? Slum Party's guitarist playing his guitar with a mic stand. Man Bear's bassist playing bass on his back? A heckler getting checked by a rabid fan during the Grenadina set? It was a punk rock promenade of pulchritude and it was a goddamn solid night for music. You'll just have to enjoy Chad Cogdill's pics like they were "Wish You Were Here" postcards! - Kill Your TV KC

Coming out of the closet is a unique experience for every individual. Some stories are happy ones of acceptance, ending in personal celebration. Others can be very negative, with family problems and lost friendships among the possible reactions.

Members of the Lawrence, Kan., band Grenadina are well-aware of the spectrum of possibilities. Three of the band’s four members identify as LGBTQ, and the one who doesn’t is an informed ally who accepts them for who they are — a group of dedicated musicians who want to rock and who just so happen to not be straight.

These stories start way before the existence of Grenadina, which formed in 2011. They begin in the band members’ late middle school to early high school years, and that’s really the only thing these stories have in common.

Guitarist Steph Castor was 14 when she began to question her sexuality.

“Long story short,” she says, “I became friends with someone who identified as bisexual, and I just kind of started wondering things about myself. I came out to my friends when I was 14 as bisexual, but I really still wasn’t into dudes at all.”

She hid her girlfriend from her mom until one morning when her mom picked her up from her “friend’s” house. Her mother asked, “‘So, are you and so-and-so dating?’ And I was like, ‘Well, what would you do if I said yes?’ and she was like ‘I guess I just have to learn how to accept it.’ So basically my coming-out story — it was very, very smooth.”

The only negative, according to Castor, was that her mother eventually told the rest of her family for her.

“It was kind of awesome, but also really crappy, because it was not on my terms necessarily. But luckily they were all totally OK with it.”

Castor says, “My mom treats my partner like another daughter now. It’s pretty amazing.”

The bassist of the band, Mia Morrow, has a different positive story. At the end of her freshman year of high school, she met a lesbian.

“To impress her, I told her I was bi, and we ended up talking and keeping it a secret from my parents, from my mom at least,” Morrow said.

One day, she decided she couldn’t keep her girlfriend from her mother any longer. The two of them went together and told her, and later, when Morrow and her mom were alone, “She sat me down and made me a make a pro and con list of dating that girl, and I was bawling. I felt really bad for not telling her.”

The situation quickly became much more lighthearted.

“So basically, I made the list, and after that, she took the list from me. She said ‘Uh, no possibility of grandchildren unless a turkey baster is involved.’ And basically made a big joke about the whole thing, and she said that she would love me no matter what. She was really accepting of the whole thing, so it was a pretty great experience on my end.”

Stef Petrozz, the drummer, has a much different take on coming out to her family. She didn’t choose when to come out, and the experience was negative for quite some time.

She says, “To make it short, basically in the eighth grade, I had my first girlfriend and I was also making my Catholic confirmation. My parents found out via childish eighth-grade girlfriend letters, stuff like that. It really was not good. They were not happy. I ended up getting punished for it. Basically, after that, I just hadn’t shared my life with them. According to them, I was just kind of asexual.”

Though this characterized their relationship for nearly 10 years, recently everything changed.

“Just recently with my mother, there was a family illness and all of a sudden everything was OK. I just wanted to tell her that I was happy, because I’ve had a partner for over three years now and I don’t know, when somebody gets an illness, you just really want to make sure that they know you’re OK. I told her that I love somebody, and she knew exactly who my partner was, and she was just like ‘I’m so happy for you two. I love you guys. I totally support you. You mean the world to me.’”

For some parents it just takes time, and patience can be tough, but for Petrozz things are looking up.

“So basically, now it’s like nothing ever happened. It’s like she and my father supported me the whole time,” she says.

Singer Katie Ford says being a straight girl in a band with musicians who are all out and proud has positively impacted her.

“It really has,” Ford says. “I actually have a little brother who is out and gay. So it’s always been something that I felt passionate about, and gay rights have always meant something to me. But until I got into this band, it just changed the way that I approach various situations. It changes the way that I talk about it, and it changes my arguments.”

She didn’t have any lesbian friends before joining Grenadina.

“I actually hadn’t really known any lesbians until I was in a super lesbian band, and now it’s just not even a thing. Whenever I talk about my band, I don’t say we’re a lesbian band, I’m like ‘we’re a girl band.’ It’s been really organic. It’s been really wonderful.”

Though the story of Grenadina as a group began in 2011, their roots go back at least three years, according to Petrozz.

“I moved down here from Chicago a little over three years ago because I met Castor. We started doing music together under a different name. That didn’t work out, so eventually we just kind of had Grenadina in 2011, just last year, and after trial and error of a couple people, we came into the amazing presence of Katie and Mia and now it’s just Grenadina — solid ever since.”

Petrozz met Morrow in culinary school, and then Morrow’s partner at the time was how they met Ford.

Castor adds, “It took like five minutes of jamming with both of them at different times -- they were definitely in the band. Mia, well, she was in the band before she even played with us, and Katie showed up for band practice, sang one of her own originals, and we were like, ‘OK, we’re keeping her!”

Grenadina’s musical style can be described a number of ways — from alternative rock to psychedelic punk, if you can imagine that. In the band’s opinion, their style is best described by their fans.

According to Castor, “Girl-core, we kind of coined that term, that kind of started off as kind of a joke because we listen to metal, but we know deep down we can never be a metal band. It’s just fun, it’s a lighthearted joke. Also, somebody called us ‘melodramatic indie punk’ one time and I thought that was a pretty specific description.”

They are influenced by a variety of musical styles.

Castor says, “My main musical influence, my idol since I’ve been playing in a band, has been Brand New. But lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of Mike Snow and actually a lot of hip-hop, too. We listen to a lot of Travis Barker’s hip-hop stuff and Kid Cudi, stuff like that. We’re all over the place. I think a few of us are really into Say Anything as well, at least lyrically and I think dynamically.”

Morrow agrees. “I’ve always listened to, like, reggae and Sublime. I’m kind of all over the place, but definitely, Brand New is a big influence.”

Petrozz adds, “I grew up listening to Queens of the Stone Age, Alkaline Trio and hip-hop.”

It’s no surprise that Ford ended up a singer with the kinds of artists she grew up idolizing: “Growing up, the people I always wanted to be were Shirley Manson and Alanis Morissette, for sure. I just wanted to be them, and I think they had an effect on what I do.”

Recently, the band recorded a demo CD called Pretend For Me. Ford says, “It was an awesome experience. Since we’re a kind of D.I.Y band we tried to look at this and say, ‘How can we do this in the most inexpensive way and still have solid enough sound to get our point across?’ So my stepdad, he has a four-track recorder, an interface, and Garage Band, and we all piled into my living room with our various instruments and the kitchen, yeah, the kitchen recordings, and we all just did our thing.”

Ford’s stepdad, William Chaffin, has really stepped up to the plate for the band.

Castor adds, “It’s really crazy. He’s just so supportive and he’s just endlessly trying to help us out. He designed our album art, too. He’s constantly creating stuff for the band.”

The band members seem to agree on their personal favorite song on the CD.

Ford says, “Definitely ‘Glamour Angst’ is my number one today. It’s just one of those songs. I wrote it in like two seconds, because the second I heard the music, it was like, it’s not even a question, these words just belong to this music.”

Morrow feels the same way. “I have to agree with Katie. God, ‘Glamour Angst’ is just so good. Petrozz mentioned earlier that this song, it has simple complexities that ring true with Katie’s lyrics flowing so naturally. [..."> That song, every time we play it’s just such a pleasure. It flows really well.”

Castor says that the members of the band aren’t the only ones who prefer that song: “‘Glamour Angst’ seems to be the one that everybody else comments on as well. I think it’s just the one that has the best and most identifiable and relatable message to it.”

Petrozz agrees. “Everything they said is completely true for me, too, but it’s one of those songs where I can shut off my brain, stop counting, and just literally play, and somehow it turns out right every time.”

Grenadina has two shows coming up. One is on Nov. 23 at The Bottleneck in Lawrence, and the other is Dec. 15 at the Kill Your TV KC Awards at Club 906 in Liberty, Mo. To find out more about Grenadina, check out www.facebook.com/grenadinamusic.
- CAMP Kansas City Magazine

Grenadina
Pretend For Me
(Unsigned)
The thing I instantly noticed about the Lawrence, Kan., band Grenadina and their new E.P. was that I loved their ambiance. The dramatic atmosphere is lightly coated over the guitar’s intricate and delightfully complex melodies. If you’re looking for something simple and obvious, this isn’t it. But if you’re in the mood for a little alternative rock, with indie and hip-hop influences, these girls have what it takes and more. Their ambition is made clear in their compositions and they are still in their early days. The singer sounds best when she is belting it out like her lungs would collapse if she didn’t, and her supporting musicians don’t take the easy way out when it comes to mid-song changes and melody. Fans of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Wolfmother, Deftones, and Paramore need to venture over to grenadina.bandcamp.com and check out their seven-song E.P. My favorite songs are “Eight Up” and “Spit & Sting.” - CAMP Kansas City Magazine

Grenadina is the newest all-girl band to hit the Kansas City /Lawrence music scene. With a swirling, post-punk rhythm section, delay-guitar wizardry & blues fueled vocals-these "ladies" are re-paving alternative rock & re-claiming it as "girl-core"



Mia Morrow, Katie Ford, Steph Castor, Stef Petrozz


William Chaffin sent 10 questions via email to Steph Castor; Grenadina's guitarist:


Please tell us a little about the band & it's members.

Grenadina was initially formed in Spring 2011 by me and Stef Petrozz, but after several months of trial and error, we stumbled upon Mia who we knew to play bass and had attended culinary school with Stef. Mia had actually started out playing the upright bass for the band, but after weighing the options of having some more convenient and efficient equipment, she switched to playing electric bass. She and Stef, together, provide the perfect balance of groove and harshness to our music. We had some difficulties with our previous singer as well as scheduling complications, so Mia reached out to her friend, Katie Ford, who had been the front woman for Boy in a Bear Costume. I think it took maybe five minutes of Katie jamming with us before we decided that she was perfect for our sound and had been what we wanted all along. It wasn’t even a month before we had our first show with Katie, and by our second gig, we found ourselves opening for Eve 6. I’m pretty sure the opportunities we’ve received thus far in the band have surpassed anything we had ever expected, and it’s safe to say that Grenadina would not be Grenadina without Katie Ford, Mia Morrow, Stefanie Petrozz, and Steph Castor.

What is "Girlcore"? How does your band (Grenadina) fit into the "Girlcore" movement?

Girlcore is actually entirely made up. It started as a joke, because I’m pretty sure nearly all of us have wanted to be in a metal band at one point or another. Truthfully, we could never be metal musicians. It’s just not who we are. Girlcore was intended to be sarcastic and funny. We all have at least one common denominator—estrogen. Nowadays, kids are tying the word “core” to anything they think is heavy or trendy. In reality, we were just mocking them in the most lighthearted and loving manner, but somehow, the term seems to have stuck. It suits us, and people are noticing it. As for a movement, we’d love for it to go somewhere someday.

The female musicians in rock bands appear to be on the incline. What do you attribute this increase to?

While sexism is still a huge issue in many industries, I think that gender roles are beginning to matter less. There is still a lot of work to be done in terms of the levels of acceptance within people, but if someone—man, woman, neither, or in-between—wants to play music, then they should damn well do it. Talent has no gender. The four of us make music, and we know our instruments very well. People don’t see that we’re all women until we’re on a stage. I guess you could say that the ratios between sexes, in terms of music, are becoming more balanced because more and more women are understanding of that.

In the past, many all male rock bands have, at times incorporated sexuality into their stage shows-how do you see sexuality playing a role in an all-girl band?

I think that sexuality and appeal come with confidence. If you look at the front woman for Uh Huh Her, Camilla Grey—she is entirely sexy, but it stems from the control she has over her instruments and her voice. She can seduce a crowd simply by the way she holds her mic. It all has to do with a level of intensity and intimidation that the performers give off. We don’t need to bounce our chests around or make-out with a guitar neck to get that same attention.

After hearing demos for your upcoming debut I would like to ask specifically about your guitar playing style-which owes a great deal to the delay-work of The Edge (U2) -can you explain a little about your style of playing guitar & your choice of effects?

I grew up listening to bands like AFI and Brand New, so I attribute most of my style to them—guitarists like Jade Puget and Vinnie Accardi. I’ve talked to a lot of guitarists about their philosophy behind writing music, and I can agree with many of them in saying that I just want to write something tasteful. I’ve never been a “shredder,” and I’ve never known how to be one. My style doesn’t include soloing but more so rhythmic complexity and unconventional structures. I also believe that simplicity goes a long way, and I love to have songs that are dominated by drums and bass in which I am just a background melody. Up until recently, I had always been the type of guitarist to write off of somebody else. Being in a four-piece, I now let the rhythm section play the part of the rhythm guitar. Stef Petrozz and Mia Morrow are vital to everything I write. In terms of effects and other gear, I use: a Vox Time Machine delay, an MXR Classic Overdrive, a TC Electronic PolyTune, a 1976 Fender Super Twin amp, a custom Fender Telecaster, and a Thinline Telecaster Deluxe from the Fender Modern Player Series.

What can you tell me about your upcoming album "Pretend For Me"? What are your hopes for the debut of the Grenadina album?

This album would not exist had Katie Ford not joined the band. The idea of “Pretend For Me” comes from the first song that we collectively finished as our current roster, and it was just the unifying factor that set everything in stone for the band’s immediate future. Each song is a little bit different, stylistically. Some songs are super-mellow at first and conclude with this dramatic build up. Others are more Southern-influenced and have a heavier approach. Katie has worked her tail off to complement our previously written material, and it shows. While her lyrics deal with the insanity of relationships, family matters, and social inefficiencies, the EP as a whole embodies Grenadina as this force that lies outside of everything we’ve deemed as fucked up.

Who are some of your favorite bands in Kansas City / Lawrence area & why?

I absolutely adore We Are Voices, Le Grand, Bears and Company, and The Cherry Tree Parade. They all consist of really fun and great guys, and their music is far beyond the amount of attention they receive. I could easily picture each and every one of them as headliners at SXSW or Bamboozle someday.

Desert Island Picks: What 5 albums would you bring?

It’s entirely dependent of how I am feeling that day, but let’s just say that if it happened today, I would choose:

1. Brand New- “The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me”

2. Lydia- "Illuminate”

3. Miike Snow- “Miike Snow [Deluxe Edition]”

4. City and Colour- "Bring Me Your Love"

5. Say Anything- “Say Anything”


Tell me a little about your writing process in the band.

Our best songs tend to follow our improvised full-band jam sessions. Usually, I’ll ask Stef to play something and just keep it consistent. Mia might chime in first, and I will add some kind of ostinato-type lead part. It will just keep building and building, and then we’ll pause for a bit to map out where we want to go next or if we feel that it is something worth the energy. Katie will start by writing a vocal melody, and then she will seclude herself for about twenty minutes to write the lyrics while we hammer out the fine details of the instrumentals. When we all reconvene, it’s always that pure bliss and excitement of having a new song that is seemingly always on a higher plane than what we wrote the week before.

Has the band planned to do any touring?

We would all like to someday, but it becomes increasingly difficult to find the means to do so when we all work full-time and some of us are still students. As of right now, we are just working on building a local fan base. Soon, we’ll be able to expand outward to a regional audience, and hopefully we’ll have the transportation means to start doing weekend tours throughout the Midwest. - Kill Your TV KC

GRENADINA
Pretend For Me
[Self Released]
Verdict: 8.5/10

This Kansas City quartet, going by the name of Grenadina, is composed of four experimental rock musicians. Blending indie, punk, alternative, and other variations, this all-girl band has created something very rhythmic and memorable. There’s a demo quality to the recordings that actually adds to the atmosphere surrounding Pretend For Me, and the lyrical content is top notch. While the writing is very smart and gritty throughout, none is better than that found on the well spiraling “Glamour Angst”. Lines like “I can’t take this noise / What have I become?”, “What I really don’t get is why we all complain / We all got shit, but that’s the name of the game”, and “If the children are the future, then I’m scared as shit” just jump out at the listener as if they were being spoken loudly in front of a crowd. Instrumentally, Grenadina are mostly experimental, fueled by strong beats. The blending of genre styles never sounds forced, and even the bongos found during the “Living Room Sessions” version of “Glamour Angst” feel right at home. In fact, where are the other LRS versions for the rest of the EP? Those I would like to hear. Grenadina have a very cool edge to their independent sound, and the fact that it’s an all-girl band strikes even more flame to the match. This is definitely a band deserving of attention. – by Nathaniel Lay

>> Classification: Experimental Alt/Punk
>> Recommended Tracks: “Eight Up”, “Nice Girls (Finish Last)”, “Glamour Angst”
>> In Conclusion: Ranging in styles, Grenadina are definitely original and exciting. While some may wish to hear them with better quality recordings, this garage session-sounding EP is a real joy to explore. - Lexington Music Press

Simple complexities.

After many listens of Grenadinas latest EP Pretend For Me, the best way to describe them came after I received those lovely words from drummer Stephanie Petrozz in the interview below. In a world that is still not used to having a fully fledged female band, this group of musicians seem to be set on ignoring the fact that the world is that shallow by giving us music that demands full attention.

Vocalist Katie Ford sings each song with enough conviction and attitude you can’t help but pay attention to what she has to say. Guitarist Steph Castor delivers energetic guitar sounds that range from the haunting to the heavy. Bassist Mia Morrow and drummer Stephanie Petrozz hold down a solid backbone to the ever changing sounds which become Grenadina.

The album starts off with the energetic “Eight Up.” A playfully haunting and energy filled groove with some great guitar work and brilliant word play. “Spit & Sting” and “Nice Girls (Finish Last)” follow suit with enough energy to shoot one to the moon and back. I can’t help but to compare the sound of this album to the sounds of the old school punk vinyls from back in the day with the reverbed vocals and non-stop in your face music. “Glamour Angst” takes on a very different structure than the rest of the album showing just how diverse Grenadina can be. The album is rounded out by the songs “Merriweather,” “Don’t Flatter Yourself,” and a bonus acoustic track of the song “Glamour Angst.”

Pretend For Me is really a great album with showing so much potential for a band that is bound and determined to get their point across with powerful lyrics and energetic music. I got the chance to ask drummer Stephanie Petrozz a few questions about her band and their unique sound…

I’ve seen a lot of people try to describe your sound, but I’m more interested on how you would describe your sound…

Trying to put a name to your own sound is terribly hard. Indie-girl-rock with a flare—I guess would have to be my best answer. We’re something different, so it’s hard to pinpoint it, but I’ll admit we tend to enjoy that.

How did you come up with the band name Grenadina?

After failing at picking words out of a hat as well as being foodies, we thought Grenadine was intriguing but we only found out that was a previous band from the early 90’s. Slap an ‘A’ at the end of the word instead and there you go. At least it shows some femininity.

You’ve been together since 2011 and you’ve already opened up for bands like Eve 6, Rehab, The Shondes. What has been the most memorable show for you so far and why?

Every show is memorable in it’s own light, but I’d have to say our dear bassist Mia’s birthday show at The Riot Room. Everyone had an amazing time, and there’s no better feeling than when people are singing along to your songs.

What did producer Scott Chaffin bring to the table when you went to record your album?

Literally everything. He’s a wonderful guy to have as an inspiration and to work along with. It’s as if his creativity is at a constant flow, and I’m glad we could be a part of it.

How long did it take to record Pretend for Me and what was that whole experience like for you?

It was incredibly different from past recording experiences, especially because we had to make a lot with very little. With work schedules and what not, it took us two separate weekend days to complete the album. With it being a DIY type of setting you really have to push yourself to do as well as possible in one take.

What’s your favorite song on the album and why?

Surprisingly, I think “Glamour Angst” ended up being my favorite. It’s one of those songs that I’ve always enjoyed playing but ended up loving even more throughout recording. It’s powerful with simple complexities.

There is mention in your bio that Grenadina are focusing on the dynamics that united the: love, sex, friendship, and revenge. What does that mean to you?

Haha, you forgot the food part. We’re kind of a bold group of gals to be honest, but we have strong roots. We’d be nothing without those dynamics. Someone once told us to “Stay humble, stay fearless,” and we’ve lived by it ever since. Expect that quote to be tattooed to all four of us for life, literally.

Finally, what are your goals for the band for the next year, what are you looking forward to the most?

For sure more shows, meeting new people, and getting new fans. I have so much trust in these gals that I think anything can happen. We have a lot to give and a lot to say. The Pretend For Me EP is only the beginning.

Rating: 4/5 Stars!
- Indie Music Reviewer