Posted on March 17, 2010 - by Mark Zonda

The Grip Weeds: meet the band!

Bands like Grip Weeds are pure joy for the heart. At least for anyone who grew up listening to Beatles, Byrds, Creedence Clearwater Revival and the finest stuff the ’60s wave managed to bring to our youth. Because, let’s admitt it, which of you didn’t start from there? So here we are. Revolution#2 is starting over form some distant flats in New Jersey. Can you dig it John Francis? Let’s meet the band!

Mark Zonda: The Grip Weeds: which of you picked the name, and how did you guys begin to write songs and play?

Kristin Pinell: From what I understand the name was given to the boys by a naked women at one of their gigs that turned into an orgy… or perhaps  the early version of The Grip Weeds (Pre Kristin & MK) was looking for a hard edged/ organic kind of name. And someone remembered that John Lennon had done a role in a movie where his character was named “Private Grip Weed”. That may have had something to do with it. Kurt and Rick are brothers so they have been playing together in basements, building studios in their bedrooms and just plain driving their Mum crazy for years. I also know that both brothers started on drums but the  winner of a fist fight got to stay behind the skins. The other had to buy a Telecaster and the circus has continued.

Mark Zonda: What about the first incarnation of Grips? What were they like?

Kurt Reil: The first incarnation of The Grip Weeds was Rick and I getting our act together with two other guys who are no longer in the band. This was our first “serious” band, and we really had to set the ground rules as to musical direction, image, etc. Originally, The Grip Weeds formed when I was in College at Rutger University, and we started out as a cover band playing very obscure songs by The Zombies, The Hollies, The Byrds and The Who- the more obscure, the better. We based our band on those Sixties rock groups, right down to the pointy Beatle boots, which I still wear, and wanted for The Grip Weeds to pick up right where they left off. Only my Brother Rick had ever really written a song, so being an original band was a little beyond us at first, even though that’s where we wanted to go. I basically learned how to write songs as we went along- my first songs were very derivative, and eventually I found my way. So it was a real learning experience- how to sing and play drums at the same time, how to sing 3-part harmonies in key, on stage with loud guitars and drums, not really being able to hear yourself. We also had to learn how to make records. Pretty much right off the bat we made song demos, and so the studio was another mountain for us to climb- we made a lot of mistakes as you do, but thank god we’re where we need to be now.
Mark Zonda: What about Traveling Wilburies? Which pop band influenced your sound the most?

Kristin Pinell: Roy, George, Jeff, Tom, Bob….man what can you say? A real cool boys club. A few of our influences: The Byrds, The Beatles, Zeppelin, The Who, The Move….hard edge pop psych stuff with harmonies. MK’s influences are not to be discussed as per our contract.
Mark Zonda: Who’s your manager?!

Kurt Reil: The Grip Weeds are self-managed. I spend much of my time doing business for the band- getting shows, coordinating promotion, publicity, etc. We’ve had one or two people over the years help us, but by and large The Grip Weeds are a DIY act- very self-contained. When we started we had no idea that this DIY model we’d developed for ourselves has turned out to be the way a band now has to navigate the music industry, whatever is left of it!

Mark Zonda: What’s so special ’bout Christmas songs? Aren’t them a waste of time? I mean… they ask for all your care and attention to get written and recorder properly, then they got forgotten for most of the time of the year after few glittering and glorious days. Does they deserve such an effort?

Kristin Pinell: Having a Christmas song ensures that it comes back around for play at least once every year!   “Christmas Bring Us” is one of our best songs…worth every tear and bloody finger it took! And really, wouldn’t your rather here that than “Grandma got run over by a Reindeer?”

Mark Zonda: “Life and Love Times to Come” opening reminds me of Extreme “Hole Hearted”. This band apex was possibly their live tribute to Freddie Mercury. Having to pick a song by Queen, in which one would you fit?

Kristin Pinell: I’m really into the energy of their early 1973/74 songs. We could do a killer version of “Liar” or “Now I’m Here”…that big guitar riff and the harmonies. We used a “Killer Queen” Brian May guitar sound in of one of our songs called “Sight Unseen”.  Rick loves “Long Away” or “Tie Your Mother Down”, both from A Day At The Races, MK: “Your My Best Friend”.

Mark Zonda:  Is “New Jersey” by Bon Jovi still the most representative album of that state or Grip Weed’s got something to say?

Kristin Pinell: Springsteen and the E Street Band or The Smithereens are NJ for me Rick and Kurt, MK believes that band would be TRIXTER, thus the rider in his contract about his influences. Both bands are still doing kick ass rock shows and their songs have more “depth” and less”hair”. We have a hell of  “a lot” to say on our new record… 23 songs worth. That’s a huge amount of words and hair. People everywhere will find it inspiring….or just damn good music.
Also our shows are still vital and high energy even though we’ve been breathing NJ air for many years.

The Grip Weeds – “Love’s lost on you”

Waiting for our sight:

• What Will Replace MTV? (15)
• Our last year of independent? (7)
• Indie O’Clock: Tiny Tide and Nothing Meets All (7)
• Funny Little Bunny (6)
• Christmas Indie Ep from Japan (6)