Duo Grand Am explode out of the gate with raucous riffs and electric energy on debut single, “All That I Ever Do.”
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It’s tough for most artists to break through the noise in 2017: You really need to catch people’s attention while staying true to yourself, because while the listening public loves to be shocked and awed, we can sniff out a liar from miles away. It’s a level at which most bands simply can’t compete, but then again, Grand Am isn’t most bands. Exploding out of the gate with raucous riffs and electric energy, Grand Am make a lasting impression with their first single, “All That I Ever Do.”
Every minute is a mile, dear
Check to check, year to year
My heart is neither there nor here
It’s somewhere out on the open road
Hoping that it might find
One small break or a piece of time
You press pause, I’ll press rewind
The past will find its way
Listen: “All That I Ever Do” – Grand Am
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering Grand Am’s debut single “All That I Ever Do,” a burst of relentless fire and fury. An “alternative post-pop duo,” Grand Am is the new project from composer, producer and engineer James Panepinto and singer/songwriter David McMillin (lead singer of Chicago indie Fort Frances). The band’s introductory release is an electrifying fusion of rock and blues influence that evokes the raw energy of bands like The Black Keys, Mating Ritual, Stubborn Son and more.
As soon as the sun goes down
Silence is the only sound
That echoes around the world
All that I ever do is
wait for love to come through
“Some of the inspiration for All That I Ever Do came from the book “Love Goes To Buildings On Fire” by Will Hermes. This work gives an account of the mid 70s music scene in New York, which was a time of exceptional creativity and experimentation and saw the rise of punk, hip hop, art rock, disco, free jazz and minimalism all happening in the same streets and neighborhoods we walk today as New Yorkers,” shares James Panepinto. “Embracing the ideals and attitude of this period and looking back on what cut through – the fast and loud – inspired the big banging beats and screaming guitars on All That I Ever Do. In a city like New York, you gotta speak up if you wanna get heard, and that’s where this energy and attitude came from.”
I’m fanning the invisible fire
With the static of the telephone wire
A believer in a house of liars
Tell me everything I need to hear
The best years have yet to arrive
The bright lights won’t pass me by
The worst wrongs have a reason why
May I sleep easy
There’s nothing quite like a good, fat riff to drive a song forward, and while you won’t hear much of that on the radio, rest assured that electric guitars are still quite alive and doing what they do best. Grand Am awaken with this fresh blast of sonic power, assuring all who listen and follow that they embrace this style and indulge in this sound. Recalls David McMillin: “All That I Ever Do was one of the first demos James sent me… That screaming guitar riff in the chorus immediately hooked me. I just wanted to write lyrics that could match his foundation of electricity,” and so he did. McMillin’s chorus cascades down in unison with Panepinto’s heavy riff, magnifying the line’s intensity to release the maximum amount of energy possible.
Am I too young to know where to go?
Am I too old to see who to be?
I got patience inside my heart
So I wait for your love to find me
All that I ever do is
wait for love to come through
That stinging guitar leaves its mark, and Grand Am have much more where that came from: The duo’s forthcoming album, Waves, mixes cold grit with warm melody in a way that only intensely raw music can do. They dig deep, but keep it real. Enjoy the explosion that is “All That I Ever Do,” and stay tuned for more from Grand Am in the months to come.
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photo © 2017
