Taking their cues from old school thrash and hardcore, Southampton’s Grove Street Families continue to evolve from being “that Grand Theft Auto themed hardcore band”. Their new mixtape, ‘Vol. 1’, is a seven-track blast of unrelenting hardcore and thrash. From the razor sharp guitars of ‘Beat It Up’ to the pummelling ‘Stoned 2 Death’, G$F deliver a convincing display of hardcore with hints of a hip-hop groove appearing on ‘Sundaze’.
Having played shows with Broken Teeth, Deez Nuts and Astroid Boys in the past, this Sunday sees them playing their biggest show yet. Undoubtedly, Grove Street Families’ opening slot on the Dogtooth stage at Download is a big opportunity for a rising thrash hardcore band.
With ‘Vol. 1’ unexpectedly being dropped last week, we grabbed a quick word with guitarist Lewis Lennane Emm as G$F prepare for their Donington debut.
AH: It looks like an exciting time for GSF with a new mixtape and a spot at Download Festival this weekend. How are you feeling about making your Download debut?
Lewis: Yeah for sure, of course we’re stoked! But to be honest it hasn’t really sunk in yet, when we see our dudes Astroid Boys playing the stage on Friday, I think the penny will drop.
AH: The new mixtape is being treated as a surprise release. Do you think dropping it unexpectedly has a bigger impact rather than the usual build to a release?
Lewis: It’s hard to tell. I think with hyping up a record, you leave it with a lot to live up to, but when you just drop it, people aren’t expecting anything. So I guess in that sense you make more of an impact.
AH: You’re going to be on the Avalanche stage. What can people expect to see from a GSF set?
Lewis:
The same energy and fun show that we bring every time, just a lot more people!
AH: As always, the Download line-up is stacked. Who will you be watching over the weekend?
Lewis: So many sick bands! Besides our friends in Holding Absence and Venom Prison, local dudes Creeper on the main stage, Mastodon, Suicidal, Slayer, Every Time I Die, Code Orange, Dillinger, the list goes on! I’m not looking forward to clashes though.
AH: Beyond the mixtape and Download, what else can we expect to see from GSF in the coming months?
Lewis: Who knows? It’s an exciting time for sure and we’re just ready to see what comes next.
‘Vol. 1’ by Grove Street Families is out now on Venn Records.
Grove Street Families will be playing on the The Dogtooth Stage at Download Festival on Sunday, June 11th.
Grove Street Families links: Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp
Download Festival 2017 takes place at Donington Park from June 9th to 11th.
Tickets can be purchased here.
View more of Already Heard’s coverage from Download Festival 2017 here.
Download Festival links: Official Website|Facebook|Twitter|Instagram|Snapchat|YouTube
