Robex Lundgren virkblogg.

What´s the name of your band? GRINCHFINGER

How was the band formed?
CARL: My brother George has played guitar for a long time, so when I acquired a drumkit and we decided to try and play some oldschool-sounding raw grindcore.
GEORGE: Well, we just decided to make a grind band one night, so that’s what we did.

Can you tell about your band?
CARL: We started out as a two-piece, but have found some bass players to fill in over the years.
GEORGE: We are a power trio from Macon, GA and we are all ridiculously good looking fellers.

Where are all band members from?/Who does what in the band?

CARL: We are all from central Georgia in the United States. I play drums and do some vocals on our recordings. Our buddy Clay is currently playing bass for us.
GEORGE: I’m on guitar, Carl’s on drums and Clay’s on the the bass guitar.  I handle vocals with help from Carl and other brave souls.

What was the ambitions of the band when you started?

CARL: We wanted to sound like some of our favorite grindcore bands such as ROT, AGATHOCLES, ASSUCK, etc. Now we have taken the music in a little different direction.
GEORGE: Get high, make noise, confuse the locals.  I still basically have the same ambitions.

Could you explain your music to someone that haven't heard you? CARL: We play morbidly intoxicated grindcore.

Where was your first gig?
CARL: A local dive bar called GRANT'S LOUNGE in Macon, Georgia back in October 2010.

GEORGE: Lots of great musicians have played there. Look it up.

Where was the latest gig? CARL: Our last gig was at FRESH PRODUCE RECORDS, a local record shop owned by a longtime friend. It operates beneath our practice space.

Who writes your songs?/ who writes the music who writes lyrics?
CARL: My brother, George, writes all of the guitar parts, and writes all the lyrics. We collaborate to come up with suitable drum parts and vocals.
GEORGE:I come in with the basic melodies and lyrics, then we just jam it out and fill in the gaps.

Who has the best since of humor in the band? CARL: We are all a bunch of chuckleheads.

What's good/bad with the band?/What genre do you feel you are?

CARL: The band is well received amongst true grindcore afficionados, but other people do not understand or support this shit. Who needs them, anyways?! We play grindcore influenced by all of our musical tastes (death metal, thrash, punk, hardcore, etc.)
GEORGE: We are a grindcore band.  I think it’s cool that we get better at songwriting with time, and have made friends all over the earth via this little group.

Why did you pick that particular style?/What are your songs about?
CARL: We picked it because it is fun and challenging music to play. We are all passionate about extreme music; and feel free to express all kinds of ideas and styles with this genre.
GEORGE:  Lyrically I try to bring a narrative together.  I’m really fascinated with extreme horror movies, true crime paperbacks, and the strange southern culture I live in, so those things influence the stories I tell.

Do you write your own material or mainly covers? CARL: Mostly original songs are written, but we have a few covers over the years from bands such as FEAR OF GOD, CRIPPLE BASTARDS, UNHOLY GRAVE, etc.

Have you made any albums?/If yes what are they?
DISCOGRAPHY:

Releases:
2008 - Demo (CD-R)

2010 - Acid Satan (mCD)

2012 - In Tune With Grind (CS)

2013 - Split w/ Obliteração (CS)

2013 - Split w/ Compulsion to Kill (7")

2013 - Split w/ Lt.Dan (CS)

Comp Appearances:

2010 - An International Tribute to Anal Cunt (CS)

2010 - Splitting Your Head & Grinding Your Mind (CS)

2010 - Macon Noise Vol. 1 Comp (2xCD)

2011 - Sore Throat, Nausea, & Headache Vol. 1 (Online)

2011 - Grinding Aftermath (Online)

2011 - Operation Grindcore Vol. 1 (CD & CS)

2012 - The South Shall Shit Again (CD)

2012 - Collective Sound Vol. 1 (CD)

2014 - L.A.T.F.O. Mixtape Vol. 1 (CDr)

Future:

- Split Live CS w/ Spewtilator

- Split 7" w/ Violent Gorge

- Split 7" w/ Camphora Monobromata

Do you have any clips on YouTube?

CARL: Yes, we have some shitty live video, and some of our recordings published to YouTube.
GEORGE: Mostly XHamster.

How old are you?/What got you started in music?
CARL: I am 23 years old. I started playing music because it seemed fun, and I have always tried to play different instruments. I enjoyed playing the drums more than anything else, and improved quickly.
GEORGE: 26.  I really was curious about music since the beginning.  My parents always had some playing in the background.

At what age did you start playing?
CARL: I got my first drumkit when I was 16 years old.
GEORGE: I started learning guitar when I was 10 or so.  I played in some other bands in high school and started Grinchfinger with Carl at age 19.

How old were you guys when you first stood on stage?

CARL: We played our first show on my 18th birthday!
GEORGE: 14, with my first ever band. We were so awful.

What year was the band started? CARL: The band started in 2007.

Best/worst gig you've played?
CARL: I think the most fun gig we have played was at a house show in Athens, GA at PLUSH PALACE. It was extremely hot—the middle of the summer here is like 100+ degrees farenheit—but people went really crazy! One guy even asked to be punched in the mouth before we played.
GEORGE: Speaking of Athens, a ton of people turned up when we played there with Cloud Rat and Gripe.  We got some live recordings from that show that sound crazy.

What places will you be playing in the imediate future? CARL: We do not have any gigs lined up right now. We are focusing on writing new songs and recording for our next releases.

Where have you played from then till now? CARL: We have played in cities like Macon, Athens, Atlanta, Marietta, and Cochran, Georgia. Also Birmingham and Hunstville, Alabama. Once in Chattanooga, Tennessee too.

Which band is the best you´ve seen?

CARL: It is hard to answer that! I think some of the best bands we have played with are PHYLUM, GRIPE, MISANTHROPIC NOISE, GOWL, and LT. DAN. They were all great live!
GEORGE: Primus

Is it always the same songs live?
CARL: We always try to add a few new songs to each live gig.
GEORGE: We add new songs sometimes, some songs just aren’t destined for the live realm.  We  try to cover numbers from all of our releases, and  only ones that we can play 100% in a stripped  down format .

What has been the best/most promising gig so far?
CARL: I think our latest local gig was the most promising for our local scene... There was a great mix of bands with MYMANMIKE, VIOLENT OPPOSITION, and HARSH WORDS on the bill. We played everything really tight as well.
GEORGE: Seconded.

Have you had any bigger tours from start to now? CARL: No. We booked one full tour for the east coast of United States years ago, but had some problems in the end and could not go. We hope to tour in 2015.

How big crowds do you usually play for? CARL: About 20-40 people usually show up at our gigs.

What are the plans for the rest of the year? GEORGE: Recording some far out new hits we have been sitting on, and writing even more disgusting grindcore.

What are your goals with your music?
CARL: I want to continue putting out as many releases as possible, and playing as many shows as possible.
GEORGE: Selling out HARD.

When did you decide to go all in for the music?
CARL: We went on a very short hiatus at the end of 2009-early 2010. When we started back playing together, I had to commit 100% to the band.
GEORGE: It’s just something that I enjoy and it’s become part of my life, so I don’t see any reason to stop.  There’s no pressure to get anything done so we can work at our own pace.

Is it easier to get your inspiration from older bands or from bands more modern?

CARL: I am more inspired by older bands in the genre who use less studio trickery and play more orthodox grindcore.
GEORGE: Older bands definitely. As far as new music, I only keep up with friends’ bands and a few really spectacular groups.

What are your sources of inspiration?

CARL: Early grindcore acts like WARSORE and REPULSION. Also plenty of old death metal and hardcore bands.
GEORGE: I always drew from Agathocles, Disassociate, and Napalm Death for this band, but I have a wide variety of influences.  Some of my favorite pickers are Rocky George, Sickie Wifebeater, Iommi, etc.

What's the first step when making a new song? CARL: George usually will come up with an interesting riff, or a couple of riffs to base the rest of the song around.

How do you feel about the downloading of music instead of buying albums?

CARL: I have no problem with people downloading for free AFTER the physical copies have sold from the band and label releasing it. If they want to pay to download, or offer a small donation, that is even better.

GEORGE: It’s just a reality now, and there’s no going back.  Bands have to use downloads to their advantage or lose out.  Fans need to take it upon themselves to support bands if they want to have music around.

What would be your dreams for the band?
CARL: I hope we will be able to tour extensively (maybe overseas), and making releasing music until we are old and rotten in our graves.

GEORGE:  I’d like to tour more often and make a full length record.  We have enough experience and material to do that, but it needs to be perfect. I want to expand our lineup at some point also.

Besides your own music, what genres and bands do you listen to?

CARL: I listen to a lot of death metal, noise rock, sludge/stoner metal, and of course a lot of grindcore. Some great current grind bands I have been listening to recently are HUTT (BR), SRAM (RU), YATTAI (FR), and VIOLENT GORGE (CA).
GEORGE: Right now I’m listening to a lot of 80s metal and hardcore, lo fi stuff, doom and harder psych rock.  I’m currently enjoying Pentagram, Crash Box, Tad, Weird Paul, Buddy Holocaust, Infamous Sinphony, and Wehrmacht.

What would be your greatest fears for the future?

CARL: Getting critically hurt and disabled. Being unable to continue playing drums.

GEORGE: Bad health.

When you are on stage, what do you fear most then?

CARL: Fucking up.

GEORGE: Someone else fucking up.

Have you been in any other bands?
CARL: Nope.

GEORGE:  None of any acclaim.

What do you work with outside of the band and the music?
CARL: I work in a medical library and attend university currently.

GEORGE: I work as a library assistant.  I’m about to finish my Master’s, and I volunteer at a local museum.

What would you do if there was no music?
CARL: KILL!

GEORGE: Probably be one boring son of a bitch.

How important are your fans?

CARL: We appreciate any and all support, however we will keep playing and releasing music regardless.

GEORGE: We don’t hear from many fans, but our known supporters are all handsome and intelligent individuals.

What's the funniest/most memorable thing a fan has done for you?

CARL: I broke my kick drum head during a gig once and my friend NICK, from the band TRIANGLE FIRE, tried holding a piece of cardboard over the hole while I played, and ended up getting his hand whacked by the beater a couple times before giving up.

GEORGE: I love running into people that have seen us before and come back to see us, or have made some crazy journey to get to a show. I think that’s cool as hell.

How often do you rehearse? CARL: 2-3 times per week.

Where do you rehearse? CARL: We currently practice in a loft in downtown Macon, Georgia.

Name 2 of your own songs you like at the moment?

CARL: I really like two brand new ones entitled 'MIDNIGHT MACHETE MASSACRE' and 'FALSE MASK'.

GEORGE: “My Neighbor, the Exocannibal”, or this untitled one we have been playing around with.  It’s a groovy song.

What do you feel is the best live band you've seen?

CARL: PRIMUS or IMPALED

GEORGE: I feel like I answered this question already.

What drives a band that isn't all that famous and renowned to try to make a living on their music and to keep playing?

CARL: I do not know anyone that makes a living on their music, personally. I think it is all about the love of the music you make and a wish to make more.
GEORGE:  Who’s making a living from music? No one I know.

Do you have any webpages?
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/GRINCHFINGER
WWW.GRINCHFINGER.BANDCAMP.COM
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ACIDREDUXPRODUCTIONS
WWW.ACIDREDUXPRODUCTIONS.COM

Whats your Pre-show ritual?

CARL: Smoke pot, and have a beer.

GEORGE: I sit in the van and warm up my voice. I really go for the post-show rituals!

Do you have anything to add?

CARL:  Please check out our underground label/distro ACID REDUX PRODUCTIONS and lookout for new GRINCHFINGER releases coming soon!
THANK YOU for taking the time to read this interview and a big thanks to Robex + ghgumman for getting in touch!!!

GEORGE: Stay kool, and don’t do anything Grinchfinger wouldn’t do