BillKidney and the Complete Control, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, the Band, John Prine, Gram Parsons, CCR, Sly & the Family Stone, the Beatles, Magnolia Electric Company, DMX, Waxmanequinn, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams.....
The Grass originated in a basement in Dartmouth in 2005 with ideals of creating a unique blend of roots rock and roll, combining elements of blues, country, folk, punk and psychedelica to generate a sound reminiscent of their 1960’s era influences. Throughout 2005, the band played shows anywhere and everywhere people would have them in and around Halifax while commencing the recording of their first album. Mulgrave was released in January 2006 and earned the band a Music Nova Scotia nomination for best Country/Bluegrass recording. The Grass wasted no time, following up with Oranges in July 2006 before embarking on their first cross-Canada tour.
2007 started off very strong for The Grass with an invitation to showcase at South by Southwest in Austin, TX. The band followed up the trip to Texas with a move to Ottawa in an effort to centralize their musical career. This move paid off quickly when the band was offered a main stage performance slot at the Ottawa Bluesfest.
The Grass’ finished recording their third album, Report All Ghosts, in the basement of their new Ottawa home, Grass Manor. The Ottawa Xpress boasts that the album “recreates their signature retro sound and fuses Beatlesesque psychedelica with the swagger of old-school Rolling Stones and Neil Young.” The band took to the road once again, venturing across the country to promote their latest recording. It was during this tour, however, that it became evident the band was heading in two different directions musically. Upon returning from their tour, the band members took a few months to decide how to proceed and it was eventually decided that half the band was moving back to Dartmouth to continue as the Grass, while the other half would remain in Ottawa to focus on a new musical endeavour (Ship Shapes).
The brothers Ryan, Willis (vocals/guitar) and Dylan (drums), arrived back in Dartmouth looking to fill out the band with a new lead guitar player and, for the first time in the band’s history, a full-time bass player – the previous incarnation had three guitar players with the bass being transferred from song to song. Enter Daniel Baldwin, formerly of Rock Ranger, on bass and Newfoundland-bred guitarist Ryan Stanley.
The newly minted ensemble released Rogue Waves, The Grass’ fourth full-length recording, in October 2008 and embarked on a mini tour, bringing their energy-laden live performance to venues throughout Ontario and Quebec before returning home for a perrformance at the Halifax Pop Explosion. The band will be performing throughout the Maritimes through the winter while working on a fifth album and gearing up for a busy 2009.
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The Grass - Hunter's Moon (Rogue Waves CD release Oct. 3, 2008 @ The Seahorse Tavern)
The Grass - Crossfire (Rogue Waves CD release Oct. 3, 2008 @ The Seahorse Tavern)
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Just a reminder to listen in FRIDAY afternoon at 4:30-6 pm CST to hear THE GRASS on “This Great White North” an ALL CANADIAN music show from Austin, Texas It’s on 91. 7 KOOP-FM Listen here