GRINDLE is a hardcore 90s inspired band from Knoxville, Tennessee. They’re a three man band, each with their own influences and opinions. They’ve all come from different bands before coming together to create their own unique sound that pays homage to the 90s scene that they came from.
They all have different bands that inspired them to pick up their instrument for the first time and start playing. These bands shaped their lives and put them on their own punk rock journey. Below, you’ll find a song and artist that each member heard that sparked their fire.
Tim, the vocals and leas guitarist, says that he always loved music but found punk when he walked into a Disk Exchange at sixteen and stumbled upon an Anti-Flag CD. As he listened through each track, Die for Your Government grabbed a hold of him. The guitar was so fast, so aggressive, so emotional as he heard “you gotta die, gotta die, gotta die for your government; die for your country that’s shit.” He knew right then that he was going to play guitar and scream.
James, the bassist, found inspiration in the song Ride the Lightning by Metallica. It was one of the first songs he ever heard in that particular pocket of music and thought it was just so gnarly. He even said that “it just melted his face off.” This song was just special to him and he knew he had to play bass like that.
John, the drummer, found his inspiration in a NOFX track. The first time he heard Linoleum, it sent a fire through him. He hadn’t ever heard anything like that sound before and it didn’t make sense to him. But, he knew he wanted to play music like that. It still inspires him to this day.
Each member of Grindle is active in their own local music scene as well. Knoxville has been good to them, Tennessee has been good to them. They each have local artists that they love that continue to inspire them to make more music, collaborate together and keep the scene alive.
For Tim, his two are Mister Disaster and Triangle Fire. His favorite thing about Mister Disaster is their two guitarists that absolutely rip the chords. As for Triangle Fire, he really admires the way Nick handles his chord progressions and how Tandi has such a unique vocal style. Both bands are continuing to promote a message that still needs to be heard.
When it comes to James, he’d have to choose Pentagram and The Obsessed. They inspire him because of how long they’ve been on the scene. James says that’s how he’s trying to end up, as a long grey-haired man that everyone knows and respects that’s gonna be in this game for at least fifty years; has traveled the world twice; and won’t stop until he’s dead. That’s rock-n-roll to him.
Last but not least, John pulls inspiration still from NOFX and Slayer. These two bands are constantly evolving and manipulating their music in a level he wants to understand but is positive he never will. He wants to be the band that everyone loves but can’t understand because that’s punk rock to him.
Grindle has one cover song that the crowd always knows. It’s a special song to them because John and Tim both got to witness them as teenagers and James finds the music fun to play. They cover Rudy by The Skudz every show. The Skudz were a local band that John and Tim really looked up to because they were just these older guys in the 90s that showed up and played, even if they didn’t fit in and that really hits home for Grindle. They pay tribute to The Skudz each time it’s played and also use it to keep the 90s punk rock scene alive.
