Grandaddy

Formed in Modesto, California in 1992, dreamy indie outsiders Grandaddy's experiments with lo-fi electronica created crackling landscapes of melancholic Americana that charmed the critics and influenced a splurge of atmospheric pop bands. The vision of ex-skateboarder Jason Lytle, other regular members of the band included Aaron Burtch, Jim Fairchild, Kevin Garcia, and Tim Dryden. Grandaddy’s sound came from the juxtaposition of rural isolation with robotic modernity, but their lofty sonic ambitions were met by scratchy DIY limitations. Second album Sophtware Slump (2002) stands as their finest moment, earning a 9/10 review from NME magazine, which came to be regarded as something of a lost classic. Sumday (2003) brought more acclaim, but the band stood firmly in the shadows, refusing to sign with a major label or play the industry game. Amid growing financial stresses and continuing tensions, the band split after the release of Just Like The Fambly Cat (2006) with Lytle becoming a solo artist and Jim Fairchild playing with Modest Mouse and recording under the name All Smiles. Grandaddy reunited in 2012 and performed live throughout the next year. However, no new music was released until they issued the album Last Place in 2017. The planned tour to promote the album was cancelled when bandmember Kevin Garcia died on May 2, 2017, of a massive stroke. After a prolonged break, Jason Lytle (as Grandaddy) released the album Sophtware Slump….. On a Wooden Piano (2020), which found the band leader performing the entire album on piano. Three years later, a compilation entitled Sumday: The Cassette Demos was released to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the original album’s release. Jason Lytle returned as Grandaddy for the album Blu Wav, the group’s sixth official album, which included the singles “Watercolor” and “Cabin in My Mind.”