Madding Crowd
Hartford, Connecticut, United States | SELF
Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Well, I was able to snag a copy of the new Madding Crowd release before all of you could get your ravenous little paws on it, and it should be the only thing on the hot side of the hot or not column. The quality of the recording, production, and music put together just blows you away, like an F5 tornado. This 3 track EP is a tight demo featuring the eclectic stylings that make up Madding Crowd. It's sort of a rock-jazz fusion, a little like The Living End meets the Police meets Aretha Franklin. Nothing is too heavy-handed or too quiet. When they pull in a few sprinklings of piano in the track titled, "In Bed Alone" it fits flawlessly with the rest of the music. There are all kinds of underlying subtleties like that that really make this EP well worth the listen, If you can believe it this is even better than their previous self-titled album; these guys deserve a big break more than any other local group I’ve heard… ever. - Pontefract, by Chris Riel
Discography
Debut self titled release MADDING CROWD available on iTunes & CDBaby.com
Be looking for the new disk "Understand Problem Perfect"
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
MADDING CROWD is a square kick in the pants and then the teeth while doubled over trying to recover from the unenviable stomach ache following such a humbling blow. The band is about boundless songwriting, an ever-evolving amalgamation of styles and thoughts coming together in a flawless live performance and precise, sharp & deliberate studio recordings. MADDING CROWD is a beautiful marraige of artists that inspire them like King's X, Jeff Buckley, Foo Fighters, The Police and Massive Attack.
As a cellist, classical guitarist and electric guitarist capable of anything from seductive slide guitar work to the most spontaneous and heartfelt chordal and solo jams, Greigh Gri Pearce will bring crowds to its collective weakened knees. He brings to MADDING CROWD pop/rock songwriting impregnated by a very hip ethnic feel brought on by the influence of flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucia, percussionist Manu Katche, his former teacher Ricardo Cobo, & Cuban guitarist Leo Brouwer. This, fused with the modernistic vibe of Chris Cornell, The Police, Paul McCartney & Peter Gabriel can give your mind a chance to swallow down the workings of the MADDING CROWD mind before you hear a sound.
Greigh Gri has worked with such high profile producers and engineers as Jon Siket (Sonic Youth & Phish) and Jason Corsaro of Soundgarden fame. He has played with T.M. Stevens (bassist for Steve Vai & Billy Joel), drove Bernie Worrel from Parliament to get cigarettes in a right hand drive Subaru, auditioned for a band led by Mick Sweda of the Bulletboys but didn't know it until afterwards, and been invited to Paul Gilberts Las Vegas home to remove refuse from the bowels of his kitchen, but then they played piano and talked about how great Elton John was. He has performed at clubs & colleges from Hartford to Las Vegas & was a featured artist at the 2001 Eat'M conference in Las Vegas. Greigh Gri has also had 6 number one songs run no fewer than 4 weeks in the alternative rock genre at MP3.com. I swear if anyone else says I sound like Gordon Sumner I'm gonna le freak.
Michael Goodspeed is a monster upright & electric bassist. An instructor and touring musician, his life dedicated to writing, performing and recording music. He has performed with jazz trios and rock outfits inside out and across New England and worked most recently performing original compositions for a national ad campaign.
Nick Toscano...the most musical and rhythmically provocative drummer to ever grace a rock trio. Nick toured the country with the alternative rock quartet Lotus and blues band Ryan Hartt and the Bluehearts. He graces back alley, dimly lit jazz clubs of Hartford & New Haven interpreting standards played by mentors like Jimmy Cobb & Elvin Jones. On an EP that Greigh Gri recorded in college, the collective essence of Stuart Copeland, Mitch Mitchell & Andy Sturmer were dancing about as Nick graced the live room of Power Station with glorious polyrhythms and the most hip, laid back grooves.
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