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The Gruff have been nominated for Best New/Emerging Act in
the 2007 Canadian Folk Music Awards. Yay!!
www.canadianfolkmusicawards.ca/cfma
"The Gruff" is now available at CD Baby! (www.cdbaby.com)
Click here
to order!
You can now collect your favourite tunes off of our latest albums from iTunes! Download and be merry.
Pick up the Spring 2007 issue of Penguin Eggs magazine to read our new article!
Yay us! We're happy to announce we were presented "Artist of the Year" at the 2007 Vancouver Island Music Awards.
And it is not a standard "country". In fact, this inspired and talented young band out of Victoria, BC challenges you to pin a label on their music. The Gruff filter numerous folk traditions through the sieve of modern experience to create a truly unique sound. From old-time to country; from bluegrass to good old rock ‘n’ roll; these young songwriters harmonize, sing and shout songs of joy, sorrow, and everything in between; with astounding energy and passion. With their easy, comfortable stage presence and their obvious delight in performance, The Gruff bring a smile to every audience. Their extensive experience shines through songs of love, heartache, travel, and hard work, interspersed with traditional tunes picked up over their various journeys. Every song has a story behind it, and the audiences learn more about the band through charismatic and amusing stage banter. This group's genuine chemistry is apparent and engaging. The essence of The Gruff was hatched in the nest of Victoria's busking scene over five years ago. From those days of traditional Irish pub tunes, the young band evolved and grew together, creating a comfortable rapport with each other and their well-established West Coast fan base. As they matured creatively and instrumentally, they incorporated original songs and a country flavour into their repertoire. Received with enthusiasm by audiences, the young Goats nurtured this original sound and transformed themselves into the band today known as The Gruff.
Lately three core band members are seen and heard romping on stage, joined by a rotating fourth. Phaedra Kemp, the main composer, accompanies her edgy country-folk vocals on the snare drum, and blows a melancholy harmonica as well. Jenny Ritter hammers her guitar and mandolin like John Henry himself, and sings with all her heart. Holding down the fort is Terri Upton on the double bass - the big bull fiddle rivals her in size, but she keeps it steady as a pickup on a logging road. Over the past year, these three have worked with an array of hot fiddlers whose string-scraping savvy rounds out their sound. Their three-part harmonies, rich and sweet, have been known to melt a heart of stone. The Gruff’s instrumental prowess is unusual in such a young group and they have traveled from coast to coast, stomping stages as far away as Halifax. They've amazed audiences from Victoria's Rootsfest to the Ottawa Folk Festival to the Hillside Festival in Guelph.
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"Old sounds in young hands, played
with a nod to the past and an eye to the future." |
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"Catchy
stuff! I woke up this morning singing a Gruff song in my head again. Is
there an antidote?"
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"Sweet tunes and harmonies, zestful grooves... this young band's a winner!" - Raffi |