The Grandtours

You could say that The Grandtours are from Seattle, but that would be too simple. Singer-songwriter Aaron McDonnell lives in the city but hails from rural Oregon. Guitarist Myles Lundy lives on a ranch in Ellensburg, WA. When the two got together to start an alt-country band, they found Nate Bulter playing drums in the hills of Snoqualmie,WA to make the music that would become The Grandtours. The lineup settled in with the addition of more out-of-towners: Matt Arduini on bass (from Virginia), Dani Michalak singing (from Texas), and pedal steel player Jeremy Craft (from Montana, by way of Portland, OR).
With their members from all over the map, you could assume their music is too. And you'd be correct. They take their name from the classic country heartbreak tune by George Jones, and the
influence of the Nashville star and his cohorts can be heard in McDonnell's earnest and uncluttered vocals. Influenced by the country greats, they are by no means a throwback act. Lundy's guitar and mandolin sounds are more akin to what you'd hear halfway through a Radiohead album than sitting in an empty bar room. Butler and Arduini lock in on the sensitive tunes, but they can channel the spirits of Zepplin and Sabbath. Michalak
sings harmonies, but is by no means a background singer- she's got a voice the size of her home state, and the personality to match. Craft is a ringer- a pedal steel player most of the time, but equally adept on banjo and guitar.
The unifying factors of such a diverse group of people and influences are actually pretty simple-The Grandtours write good songs. They love to play music. And they love to play music together. So while its hard to codify exactly what they sound like, The Grandtours are okay with that. They play
roots inspired rock for a generation that doesn't really care what genre they're hearing. We want to hear something honest. And thats what The Grandtours are all about.