The Griswolds were an Australian two-piece indie rock band from Sydney, Australia. The band have cited influences such as Vampire Weekend, MGMT, Kanye West, Devendra Banhart, Of Montreal, and the Beach Boys.[1] The Griswolds signed with Wind-up Records in May 2013 and began recording their debut album shortly after with producer Tony Hoffer. They are named after the fictional family from the Vacation film series.
The band has been inactive since lead singer Chris Whitehall admitted to sexual misconduct with several underage fans in 2020.[2]
The Griswolds formed in February 2012.[3][4] The band's single "Heart of a Lion", reached #12 on the We Are Hunted emerging artists list.[5]
The Griswolds became a Triple J Unearthed feature artist after winning a slot on the 2012 Parklife Festival line-up alongside Passion Pit and The Presets.[6] Their Heart of a Lion EP, released in 2012, received positive reviews,[7][8][9] and helped start their touring career.[10] After success touring in their native Australia, the band made their first live appearance in New York City on 11 May 2013 at the Brooklyn Bowl.[11] The band began recording their debut album with producer Tony Hoffer in January 2014.[12]
The official music video for "Red Tuxedo" premiered on the VICE Noisey website on Valentine's Day (14 February), 2014.[13] The band's song "Beware the Dog" is the first song vocalist Chris Whitehall and lead guitarist Daniel Duque-Perez wrote together. Whitehall described it as being "about losing someone we were really close with to heavy drug use. [... It's] about that journey – the good and the bad times."[14]
In March 2015, the band confirmed that once they return to Australia, following their tour alongside Passion Pit, they were going to commence work on their second album.[12]
The first single off their second album, Out of My Head, was released on 12 August 2016. High Times for Low Lives, was released on 11 November 2016.[15]
In September 2016, the band was picked as Elvis Duran's Artist of the Month in the United States and was featured on NBC's Today show hosted by Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb and broadcast nationally where they performed live the single "Out of My Head".
On 16 March 2017, Tim John, their bass player, left the band.[16]
On 30 August 2019, the band released "Nice To Meet Ya!", the lead single off of their second EP and first release since 2016.
In September 2020, lead singer Chris Whitehall was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple underage fans. Whitehall apologized and admitted to the allegations, saying "It is with a heavy heart that I am confirming that the statements I have read are true and I am here to take full responsibility and ownership of my actions."[2]
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [17] |
US [18] |
US Heat. [18] |
US Ind. [18] | ||
| Be Impressive |
|
62 | 197 | 7 | 33 |
| High Times for Low Lives |
|
—[A] | — | 21 | — |
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions |
Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS Hit. [22] |
US Rock [18] |
US Alt. [18] | |||||
| "Heart of a Lion" | 2012 | — | — | — | Heart of a Lion (EP) | ||
| "Beware The Dog" | 2014 | 3 | 33 | 18 | Be Impressive | ||
| "If You Wanna Stay" | 2015 | — | — | 40 | |||
| "Out of My Head"[23] | 2016 | — | — | — | High Times for Low Lives | ||
| "Light Me Up"[24] (with Max Styler) |
2018 | — | — | — | Non-album single | ||
| "—" denotes a release that did not chart. | |||||||
