Grizfolk discusses recording process, touring with Bastille
Grizfolk made a lasting impression on music fans after touring with Bastille and the release of its From The Spark EP, which came out March 2014 through Virgin Records.
December 1, 2014
Grizfolk, a five-piece alternative band, was founded by Swedish producers—keyboardist Sebastian Fritze and guitarist Fredrik Eriksson—and Florida-native songwriter and lead vocalist Adam Roth. After moving to Los Angeles, the three musicians united to start the band and soon found the last two pieces of the puzzle: drummer Bill Delia and bassist Brendan Willing James.
The band released its digital EP Indian Summer in 2013 and introduced its popular song “Vagabonds,” to the radio in Los Angeles. Soon after Indian Summer dropped, the band signed with Virgin Records and released “The Struggle,” its first single. Grizfolk went on to support English rock band Bastille as the opening act for its “Bad Blood: The Last Stand” tour in October. The tour gave Grizfolk a chance to perform songs from its From The Spark EP that dropped in March and showcase the band’s blended arrangement of pop, folk and rock.
The Chronicle spoke with Grizfolk about the band’s catchy pop-folk sound, recording its From The Spark EP and what it was like touring with Bastille.
THE CHRONICLE: How did the band initially come together?
ADAM ROTH: We all met in Los Angeles while we were working on different projects. I was in a band with [Delia] and [Willing James] before, and at the same time I was working with the Swedes [Fritze and Eriksson] on writing songs. Then, we started writing a couple songs and that turned into a band. I pulled [Delia] and [Willing James] in and here we are.
How did you come up with the name Grizfolk?
SEBASTIAN FRITZE: It was a nickname we had for [Roth]. We called him Griz Adams. When we realized this was turning into a band, we changed it up and called ourselves Grizfolk to encompass the community of people around us and the people that have helped us along the way.
Where do you get inspiration?
AR: Traveling and life experiences. We’ve been touring a lot lately, so I feel like a lot of the tour life experiences come through in our music.
What was the writing and recording process like for From The Spark?
AR: We were on the road a lot during [the time we were writing and recording]. A lot of it was written in the van and hotel rooms. We were just working on laptops. When we got back to LA, we recorded the instruments and blended it together.
How was the initial response to From The Spark?
AR: It opened up a lot of doors for us. It led to being on the road with Bastille. A lot of really good opportunities and film, TV—stuff like that. It’s just a good starting point to introduce us to the world.
How would you describe your band’s distinct sound?
SF: A blend of… what is it we call it? Electronic meets Americana. We come from different musical backgrounds, so it’s hard to put a name to it. [Eriksson] comes from a rock and electronic [background] and I’m from a hip-hop background. It’s Americana. It’s a blend of a lot of genres, so I guess we would call it—
AR: North meets South.
SF: Sweet South?
AR: No, I said North meets South. But I kind of like sweet South.
What was it like touring with Bastille this fall?
BILL DELIA: It [was] great. We played some amazing rooms. In New York, we played Radio City Music Hall for two nights. Montreal was the best show we’ve played as a band, and it was the first time we’ve been to Canada.
What is next for Grizfolk?
AR: We’re finishing the full-length album right now. Then we will probably just be on the road again.