South London’s Gramma Vedetta wants you to understand that their mix of grunge, stoner metal and classic rock is up to date and ready for mass consumption. Checking out their back catalog via Bandcamp (links contained below) it’s immediately apparent that this strain of styles is paramount to the band and their sound. Particularly since we’re picking up some Mother Love Bone, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and slight Alice In Chains vibes but also a distant Kyuss. If all that sounds interesting, and it should, then definitely check out their latest single “Address Unknown” which was released back in June and with the stream below you’ve got no excuse not to. We had the chance to ask the band our set of Profile questions and in our typical fashion we’re just a bit late with them. No worries though, read on to see what they had to say.
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How did you first get into playing music, and have you achieved the level of success that you hoped for?
We all started playing as teenagers in the 90s.. Mostly because one cousin / parent / friend introduced us to rock ‘n’ roll. As a band we haven’t achieved the success we want, but hey, the band is young, so give us some time.
What’s the most you have ever debased yourself to get your band onto a show, into a magazine or otherwise promoted, covered, and praised? (If you don’t have a story, please tell us any funny/embarrassing story.)
The most embarrassing story is when Dan got mad on stage for technical issues (it was not his fault) and he wanted to break his guitar. Luckily Marco stopped him in time. After that, to release the tension, Dan started kicking his pedalboard instead, as if it was a soccer ball. We filmed the scene and sometimes we watch it for a laugh and a reminder of how not to act on stage.
What do you see as some of the great things happening in metal and what are some of the worst things happening inside the scene right now?
The great thing about metal is that it’s still alive and kicking, with a lot of teenagers getting into it as we did back in the 90s. The negative thing we noticed is that the number of bands that sound like clones of clones has increased. But we think this was happening in the past too, but without the information running so fast we weren’t exposed on that phenomenon.
It seems that now everyone has a passion for some cause and that those people are very open about displaying their passions. This is probably a very, very good (and progressive) thing socially. What are some of the most important issues (social/political/humorous/etc.) for you and how do you insert those issues into your music?
Being immigrants, we are concerned about Brexit, not only for our future, but also for the future of the UK. It would be a shame if this country lost the multicultural vibe that made it attractive for any kind of talent. We try not to overthink it, our home countries are kinda troubled too… We don’t put any political or social content in our music, we just to talk about funny topics or inner feelings.
What, or who, got you into metal and how old were you? How did your family take the news?
Generally an older brother or cousin. (Dan) In my personal experience it was my dad that raised me with the sound of the 70s and then his brother (my uncle) gave me ‘Master of Puppets’ as a gift for my 8th birthday. (1988)
What advice do you have for aspiring music critics and outlets out there? How can we all better serve the genre in the eyes of a hard-working musician?
Please always keep in mind that behind a band, behind a musician, there’s a man which is trying to express inner feelings with a song, so please be gentle! Handle with care!
What’s your goal? You guys thinking world domination? Maybe saving a continent? Maybe invading one? Any interest in starting a cult? Do you guys have day jobs or hobbies you want to share? Whatever it is, please let us know.
We all have day jobs and careers (like Clark Kent), in Astronomy, Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence. And yes, we are planning to conquer the world but not with music, but with the help of Science and Machines. Then, once conquered, we’re going to put our music on rotation 24/7 on radios so we will finally be able to gain more Gramma Vedetta fans.
When you’re not obsessing over your own material, what are some of your favorite albums to listen to currently? (Feel free to include non-metal)
Rush – 2112
Queen – Queen II
Megadeth – Rust in Peace
Monster Magnet – Dopes into Infinity
Nirvana – Bleach
Soundgarden – Superunknown
Michael Jackson – Bad
Yes – Close to the Edge
Led Zeppelin I
Black Sabbath – Master of Reality
What is the 12-month outlook for you or your band? Any specific events on the horizon that the masses should be aware of?
First important thing: The 15th of June our next single “Address Unknown” will be out, so we invite everyone to bookmark our bandcamp page. You can also download the songs we released in the past months for free. Second thing on the plate: We are going to release an EP by the end of the year, containing new songs and some of the ones already published during the year. We are going to spend 2019 completing all new songs that we are currently ‘cooking’ and release a full length album that will change music forever.
Summarize your band in exactly one word. (Disclosure: If you include additional words, we will select our favorite for the final publication.)
Nerds.
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Many thanks to Gramma Vedetta for their time!
Address Unknown is available now on Bandcamp. For more information on Gramma Vedetta, visit their official website.
Nine Circles 