It’s been a long three years for the New Jersey-based indie band Grander. Last we heard from the group, they released their heady debut album, If Found, Cherish, in October 2021. In the years since, the members of Grander have moved out of the apartment that birthed the project, cut their hair, and gotten married.
Now Grander returns with their explosive new single, “Rumblestrip.” The track marks the band’s first recording that features all five members of their live lineup with Matt Cugine (Vocals, Guitar, Synth), Jesse Henshaw (Bass), Chase Montani (Vocals, Drums, Guitar), Aaron Vigliotti (Guitar) and Angie Cuzzola (Keys) all contributing.
The song was a live staple during the group’s run of shows from 2019 to early 2020, but it took a while to properly put it to tape. Guitars, keys, and synths were recorded in the group’s Hoboken apartment in 2019. Bass was tracked during sessions at the Mercy College of Music studio with producer Justin Krass in 2020. Drums and final vocal takes came together in Montani’s garage studio from 2023-2024, with countless tinkering to the mix in between.
“We always felt that this was one of our best songs, and because of that, I think we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to get it right on the recording,” says Montani. “Luckily, we had a lot of really good performances that we could build on, especially Jesse’s bass track from the sessions with Justin.”
Driven by a drum machine in 7/8 time signature, “Rumblestrip” is an emo adrenaline rush that tackles themes of anxiety and self-doubt. The unconventional song structure and thumping beat culminate in an eruption of guitars and cymbals that mirror the disconcerting lyrical concepts. The result is an unparalleled track that defies typical genre categorization, continuing Grander’s streak of original and exciting releases.
“We tend to lean into this uncomfortable feeling with our music,” says Cugine. “As we were building this track, I kept getting ideas for layers of guitar that would stack on each other at the end of the song. I think there are like four lead guitar tracks in the outro and each one kind of raises the stakes and doubles down on the anxiety we built up throughout the track.”
While it may have taken three years for Grander to release new music, the group plans to get back to regularly releasing music in the coming months.
“The goal is to finish recording some of the other songs that were part of our live set and get out another track or two before the end of the year,” says Montani.