You can't stop Grinderman. With the recent news of their lengthy European and North American tour coming on top of announcements of the band's new single and their highly anticipated sophomore full-length, the band that were formed as a spin-off of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds in 2007 seem to have taken on a life of their own.
According to Grinderman (and Bad Seeds) drummer/percussionist/backing vocalist Jim Sclavunos, the forthcoming Grinderman 2 will be considerably more exploratory, a freewheelin' blend of fuzz and psychedelia that will distinguishing it from both its predecessor and the Bad Seeds' abundant output.
"We didn't go in with a plan. There were no rules. No limitations," Sclavunos tells Exclaim! in a recent interview. "We improvise everything so you never know where it's going to go."
Sclavunos also noted that the album is less concerned with the strong narrative elements that have come to define most of what Cave touches.
"In the Bad Seeds, the band is creating music that works in the service of telling a story," he says. "In Grinderman the story is more fragmentary. It's not the pivotal thing on which the song depends. It's more of an overall aural experience."
Still, while Grinderman 2 embellishes the raw, riff-centric power of the first record, Sclavunos stresses that the band tried not to over-think the record.
"We tend to work very quickly in the studio. We usually hit the ground running and try to come up with something that sounds unproduced and raw. We usually go for early takes. We don't like to refine something to death. We like to keep that original fire and uneasiness and that sense that things are on the verge of falling apart. We cherish those aspects and find them quite vibrant. We want to make sure we don't get rid of them all when we're making a record."
Grinderman 2 comes out September 14 via Anti- and its lead-off single, "Heathen Child," is due out August 31. The band hit North American for a tour in November, including stops in Toronto (November 11), Montreal (November 12) and Vancouver (November 26). You can see all Grinderman's upcoming dates below.
Tour dates:
9/25 Nottingham, England - Rock City
9/27 Leeds, England - University
9/28 Glasgow, Scotland - Barrowlands
9/29 Manchester, England - Academy
10/1 London, England - Hammersmith Apollo
10/4 Lausanne, Switzerland - Les Docks
10/5 Zurich, Switzerland - Volkshaus
10/6 Milan, Italy - Live
10/7 Rome, Italy - Atlantico
10/10 Vienna, Italy - Gasometer
10/11 Munich, Germany - Muffathalle
10/13 Leipzig, Germany - Haus Auensee
10/14 Berlin, Germany - Columbiahalle
10/15 Cologne, Germany - E-Werk
10/17 Brussels, Belgium - Ancienne Belgique
10/20 Utrecht, Netherlands - MCV
10/21 Hamburg, Germany - Docks
10/23 Copenhagen, Denmark - Falkoner Theatre
10/24 Randers, Denmark - Power Station
10/26 Paris, France - Cite de la Music
10/28 Groningen, Netherlands - Groningen De Oosterpoort
11/11 Toronto, ON - Phoenix
11/12 Montreal, QC - Metropolis
11/13 Boston, MA - House of Blues
11/14 New York, NY - Nokia Theatre
11/16 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
11/18 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
11/19 Nashville, TN - Cannery Ballroom
11/20 Memphis, TN - Minglewood Hall
11/22 Chicago, IL - Riviera Theatre
11/23 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
11/26 Vancouver, BC- Commodore Ballroom
11/27 Seattle, WA - King Cat Theater
11/29 San Francisco, CA - Warfield
11/30 Los Angeles, CA - Music Box
12/1 San Diego, CA - House of Blues
According to Grinderman (and Bad Seeds) drummer/percussionist/backing vocalist Jim Sclavunos, the forthcoming Grinderman 2 will be considerably more exploratory, a freewheelin' blend of fuzz and psychedelia that will distinguishing it from both its predecessor and the Bad Seeds' abundant output.
"We didn't go in with a plan. There were no rules. No limitations," Sclavunos tells Exclaim! in a recent interview. "We improvise everything so you never know where it's going to go."
Sclavunos also noted that the album is less concerned with the strong narrative elements that have come to define most of what Cave touches.
"In the Bad Seeds, the band is creating music that works in the service of telling a story," he says. "In Grinderman the story is more fragmentary. It's not the pivotal thing on which the song depends. It's more of an overall aural experience."
Still, while Grinderman 2 embellishes the raw, riff-centric power of the first record, Sclavunos stresses that the band tried not to over-think the record.
"We tend to work very quickly in the studio. We usually hit the ground running and try to come up with something that sounds unproduced and raw. We usually go for early takes. We don't like to refine something to death. We like to keep that original fire and uneasiness and that sense that things are on the verge of falling apart. We cherish those aspects and find them quite vibrant. We want to make sure we don't get rid of them all when we're making a record."
Grinderman 2 comes out September 14 via Anti- and its lead-off single, "Heathen Child," is due out August 31. The band hit North American for a tour in November, including stops in Toronto (November 11), Montreal (November 12) and Vancouver (November 26). You can see all Grinderman's upcoming dates below.
Tour dates:
9/25 Nottingham, England - Rock City
9/27 Leeds, England - University
9/28 Glasgow, Scotland - Barrowlands
9/29 Manchester, England - Academy
10/1 London, England - Hammersmith Apollo
10/4 Lausanne, Switzerland - Les Docks
10/5 Zurich, Switzerland - Volkshaus
10/6 Milan, Italy - Live
10/7 Rome, Italy - Atlantico
10/10 Vienna, Italy - Gasometer
10/11 Munich, Germany - Muffathalle
10/13 Leipzig, Germany - Haus Auensee
10/14 Berlin, Germany - Columbiahalle
10/15 Cologne, Germany - E-Werk
10/17 Brussels, Belgium - Ancienne Belgique
10/20 Utrecht, Netherlands - MCV
10/21 Hamburg, Germany - Docks
10/23 Copenhagen, Denmark - Falkoner Theatre
10/24 Randers, Denmark - Power Station
10/26 Paris, France - Cite de la Music
10/28 Groningen, Netherlands - Groningen De Oosterpoort
11/11 Toronto, ON - Phoenix
11/12 Montreal, QC - Metropolis
11/13 Boston, MA - House of Blues
11/14 New York, NY - Nokia Theatre
11/16 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
11/18 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
11/19 Nashville, TN - Cannery Ballroom
11/20 Memphis, TN - Minglewood Hall
11/22 Chicago, IL - Riviera Theatre
11/23 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
11/26 Vancouver, BC- Commodore Ballroom
11/27 Seattle, WA - King Cat Theater
11/29 San Francisco, CA - Warfield
11/30 Los Angeles, CA - Music Box
12/1 San Diego, CA - House of Blues