Washington D.C. is, for
better or worse, perceived as the central nervous system of political
decision-making, stalemates, bickering bureaucrats, and the general melee of
elected officials gone wild. Yet there has been and always will be a strong
musical core thriving in our nation’s capital. One particular burgeoning band
of three is out to remind people just how important good music can be for the
soul in these times of turmoil.
GroundScore creates an energetic
balance of beachy, spirit-swilling exuberance with a collage of rock, reggae,
and punk tunes that can be enjoyed by catching the band touring up and down the
East Coast this summer, or on their debut album Healthy Children (which EasternSurf.com recently reviewed here). Drummer Chase Lapp put down the brew
and sticks for a moment, graciously offering us a little insight into the
making of a band dead-set on riding the waves of great summer sounds.
ESM: How did the three of you
organize into a band?
Chase Lapp: At
the very beginning, it was the bass player Nick Graves and guitarist/vocalist
Zach Bellas, both of whom went to Ohio State. They met there and started
playing acoustic stuff and cover songs. I had gone to high school with Nick, so
after they graduated and came back home, they were of course still best
friends. Through word of mouth, we started jamming and hit it off well.
Everything was pretty fluid, so we thought why not keep it going and started
writing songs. We all have a pretty similar background; we all love reggae, and
Zach is a huge punk rock fan. That’s where the music really comes from —
sort of a mix of reggae and punk rock.
ESM: What kinds of influences do
you bring to the table?
CL: I work
for a band called Clutch, and they’ve been a huge influence on me. I’m also a
fan of The Roots, and I know it’s cliché, but I love Bob Marley and all kinds
of dub stuff. Of course Sublime and some jazz. I’m a drummer, so Buddy Rich and
Elvin Jone — especially their stuff with John Coltrane — have influenced me.
ESM: Tell us
about the writing process behind GroundScore’s debut album Healthy Children. What were you guys trying to accomplish with the
record?
CL: Up
till now, there were two processes, where Zach would already have the whole
song planned out in his head. Recently, we’ve been doing more of the jam thing.
We’ll come in with nothing and jam for ten or twenty minutes, break it down,
and take out the parts we like. Lyrics are usually the last thing. It’s a very
organic process, and that’s what we wanted to do with this album. We went into
the studio and cut this live, just taking the best live takes we could. That’s
been the concept of GroundScore — what you hear is what we play.
ESM: And this is the first official
album release from GroundScore, right?
CL: There’s
been a bunch of basement recordings, but nothing official. This is huge for us.
This album was the first time the three of us ever stepped into a studio
together. It was beyond how I ever thought it would go. It was so smooth, and I
think the live atmosphere is really our forte. We get comfortable in any
setting, so we took it to the studio and just played it live.
ESM: How
would you characterize the experience listeners might get from GroundScore’s
music?
CL: Healthy Children has great vibes throughout the whole album. It’s got a great party vibe;
it’s something I would want to put on when I’m drinking, having friends over,
cooking out. It’s great atmosphere. Live, that’s what we strive for — putting
everything we’ve got into it. There are times it gets people to dance, and at other
times to just sit back and enjoy.
ESM: Even though you guys are
from D.C., your whole aesthetic seems to revolve around the beach.
CL: I love
the beach. There’s something about it that has good vibes, and I think that
feeling and vibe comes along with the music. You know what you like and don’t
like — there are some types of music I wouldn’t want to play. You pick
your lifestyle, and this happens to be something we all love. Why try to put it
in words when you can just put the album on? Then you’ll get it.
GROUNDSCORE TOUR DATES:
6/26 Fish
Head Cantina……………………………… Halethorpe, MD
6/28 The Collective w/ Passafire……………………. Shreveport, LA
7/10 The Blue Water Grille…………………………… Centreville, VA
8/4 Buxy’s
Salty Dog………………………………… Ocean City, MD
8/5 The Party Block………………………………….. Ocean City, MD
8/13 The Red And The Black w/ Pasadena………… Washington, DC
For all things GroundScore, visit http://www.myspace.com/dcgroundscore
