GROUPLOVE
Five Friends, A Fairytale Formation, And A Prevailing Passion
By Mary Catherine BallouGROUPLOVE: the rock band you’ve never heard of whose music injects happiness into the soul regardless of your outlook on the day. Grouplove is comprised of five friends and musicians: vocalist and keyboardist Hannah Hooper, vocalist and guitarist Christian Zucconi, bassist and vocalist Sean Gadd, vocalist and guitarist Andrew Wessen, and drummer Ryan Rabin.The band initially formed during an artist’s convention in Greece, which all five members attended. Hooper and Zucconi had previously met in Manhattan and traveled to Greece together, whereupon they met Gadd, Wessen, and Rabin. Since then, the band has become unstoppable, constantly touring to sold-out shows across the country.Interesting elements combine to make Grouplove distinct, such as their fairytale-esque formation, the lead singer’s (Christian Zucconi) almost uncanny resemblance to Kurt Cobain, and the multi-talented nature of Hannah Hooper, who is both a musician and artist. Hooper does Grouplove’s artwork, designing album covers, posters, and other band merchandise. She captures the true essence of Grouplove’s sound, utilizing a soft pastel palette with a blinding sunny feel, echoing their energy and sentimentality. They are indeed a band to watch.Still in the midst of their formative years, Grouplove only has one EP and one full-length album. They released their eponymously-titled EP in early 2011, followed by the September 2011 release of their 12-track album Never Trust A Happy Song.The Grouplove EP consists of six songs, the most well-known being “Colours,” a whirring and spinning ride using repetitive words and phrases to create quite an impressionable song. “Get Giddy” showcases Zucconi’s vocals while also revealing the band’s romantic side (Zucconi and Hooper are currently dating). “Naked Kids” is the perfect anthem for summertime, immediately pulling the listener into a happy recollection of a care-free, fun-filled vacation.[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/49739077" params="" width=" 100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]“Tongue Tied” may be the standout track on Never Trust A Happy Song, but this album is rare inthe sense that every song is equally catchy and successful, although in different ways. True to the caveat found in the album’s title, Grouplove’s music is not all rainbows and unicorns. Listen closely, and you’ll perceive that everything is not perfect in the world of Grouplove. Tracks such as “Gold Coast,” “Cruel and Beautiful World,” and “Colours” portray universal truths, recognizing the bad times but also the fact that there is certainly a light at the end of the tunnel.Performance-wise, the energy of a live Grouplove show is unique in and of itself. The sincerity of the music and the devotion of the band translate into a top-notch performance. These aspects, combined with signature artistic details on stage (they wrap leaf garlands around each microphone stand) and the inclusion of an intimate acoustic performance in the midst of the crowd, are testaments to their sheer passion. After proving themselves both on and off stage, the consistent quality of Grouplove’s music serves as a main reason why this band, while still on the rise, has excellent potential for the future.