There’s just something about Heavy, the new album from San Antonio’s The Grasshopper Lies Heavy, that puts it in its own box even though comparisons to Mastodon and whatever the band du jour is from that spectrum will no doubt be thrown around. For good reason though, this album is as catchy as Torche on their best day and as thick as Crowbar on their worst…seriously, that GOOD. These eight tracks are an ingenious class on how to write a fistful of earworms and keep the metalheads coming back for more while simultaneously slaying all the mathcore kids at the blackjack table. It’s a party and a slammin’ metal show rolled up in one hell of a shell, just take a look and listen to this recently released video. Getting away from Heavy for a sec; for those of you who don’t know, the band are no one-trick ponies so be sure and take a leisurely stroll through their Bandcamp page to find all sorts of treasures from all over the musical map and to see why we say these guys are pretty damn amazing. But first, dig in below as guitarist and vocalist James Woodard gives us the lowdown on all things The Grasshopper Lies Heavy.
How and when did you first get into playing music, or metal more specifically, and how did your band get its start? Any pushback from family/those close to you?
I was a music nut as a kid. So I picked up guitar because of bands like Metallica, Sepultura, Slayer, and The Misfits. I would learn entire albums and play them front to back along with the CDs. My mom was supportive; I was a weird kid and playing guitar got me out of her hair, lol.
How would you describe your band and what you play to someone who is completely in the dark?
We are a band that tries to push genre boundaries between super heavy, sludgy riffs to a more introspective, cinematic sound. Our new album HEAVY is almost entirely in the realm of “as heavy as possible” in terms of our sound.
Is there anything about your latest / upcoming album or about your band that no one will find in any interview or review that you care to divulge?
We spent a long time writing and crafting these songs. We have two drummers on the album, Steven and Luke, and they both have different styles. Maybe the listeners can tell which drummers are playing which songs, if they are familiar with their styles.
Any funny stories from playing shows / tours / festivals, etc?
There are a ton of touring stories. Once, after a sleepless night, when we were driving on the Interstate through Wisconsin very early one morning, everyone else was asleep and I was driving, and all of a sudden a massive Bald Eagle swooped down right in front of the van, snatched up a small rodent from the middle of the road, and flew away. I lost my shit and woke everyone up, though alas I was the only one that witnessed the event.
Other highlights are after-hours parties in the live houses we played in Japan; they really know how to treat bands over there. We played a bar in Nagoya that was essentially run by the Yakuza. All of those dudes were cool as shit though.
What do you see as some of the great things happening in and around the metal scene (yours or just in general) and what are some of the worst things happening right now?
One of the greatest things I’ve seen recently happen in metal is the meteoric rise of Chat Pile. We’ve known those dudes since before they blew up and it couldn’t have happened to cooler dudes. These are also guys that have been making music for a long time in different acts and its cool to see them hit it basically in their 40s. Great guys and I wish the best for them.
Most folks have passions for a cause or causes that are close to them. What, if any, are some of the most important issues (social/political/humorous/etc.) for you / your band and how do you insert those issues into your music?
Our music is vocally pretty political. We are a band of working-class dudes so there’s a lot of that in the music. You can check out this interview I did with the Bad Penny Blog if you want to read more about that.
Do you have day jobs or hobbies you want to share?
I’m an avid movie guy, and I collect a lot of physical media. I love horror video games too. As for my day job, I’m a software engineer.
What advice do you have for music critics and outlets out there? How can we all better serve the genre in the eyes of a hard-working musician?
I think one of the challenges now about getting your music heard is getting it in the hands of a “tastemaker.” I truly think people like Anthony Fantano and a lot of other music critic content creator types hold a lot of power now; more than record labels or PR companies. Having someone like that mentioning your record is a huge boon to your listenership, and can literally make a career.
I’d say, for critics and outlets, don’t just post about bands because it’ll garner you clicks. Find deep cuts and showcase them. Not everyone needs to know what the guy from Sleep Token or Ghost ate for breakfast today.
Any specific long-term goal(s) in mind?
We’re just going to continue doing what we always do; write music that challenges and interests us, and releasing it into the world hoping people resonate with it.
When you’re not obsessing over your own material, what are some of your favorite albums to listen to currently?
I’ve been listening to a lot of the Australian jazz trio The Necks, the classic Drop Nineteens album “Delaware,” and I’ve “discovered” the album “It’s a Wonderful Life” by the band Sparklehorse, which I have somehow avoided for the past 25 years. Great record. Also, the classic Silent Hill 2 soundtrack is currently on heavy rotation.
What is the near future outlook for you or your band? Any specific events on the horizon that the masses should be aware of?
The new album drops mid-November, and I hope we can get it into a lot of ears and people vibe with it. I’m also looking forward to finishing writing and recording the next follow-up album. Hopefully it won’t take another 4 years 🙂
Summarize your band in one word.
HEAVY
Many thanks to James Woodard and The Grasshopper Lies Heavy for their time!
Heavy will be available November 14 on Learning Curve Records. For more information on the band, visit their Facebook and Instagram pages.
Leave a Reply