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The Hanks are the epitome of the do-it-yourself work ethic. By fusing technical know-how with artistic skill and several years of unassisted endeavors, the Los Angeles-based indie-rock foursome — vocalist/guitarist Josh Grondin, bassist Bryan Harris, drummer Shane Mayo and keyboardist/horn player Philip Katz — has built an established name, refined its sound and accrued a loyal fanbase with nothing more than some time, touring miles and a few excellent releases. Yet, after a number of years as a self-backed entity, The Hanks is finally getting its long-awaited due, with the support of upst ...read more
The Hanks are the epitome of the do-it-yourself work ethic. By fusing technical know-how with artistic skill and several years of unassisted endeavors, the Los Angeles-based indie-rock foursome — vocalist/guitarist Josh Grondin, bassist Bryan Harris, drummer Shane Mayo and keyboardist/horn player Philip Katz — has built an established name, refined its sound and accrued a loyal fanbase with nothing more than some time, touring miles and a few excellent releases. Yet, after a number of years as a self-backed entity, The Hanks is finally getting its long-awaited due, with the support of upstart record label Cobra Music and the re-release of its full-length debut, Your New Attraction. For an act that began by selling burned copies of its recordings to its high school peers, having its album distributed on a national level is a much-needed step forward. Founded by Grondin and Harris, The Hanks (named from an off-the-cuff Tom Hanks reference by a former band member) began while the pair attended a rural Oregon boarding school. NorCal native Harris and the East Coast-raised Grondin assembled material for their first release and recorded the decidedly crude Opener EP in their dorm rooms. With the local success of Opener, The Hanks recorded its second release, Moving On at a proper studio in Northern California. In the summer of 2000, Harris and Grondin moved south to attend classes at a Los Angeles music school. Less than a year later, the pair joined forces with Mayo and Katz, putting The Hanks back in gear. With an established line-up in place, The Hanks raised funds from wherever they could and began tracking their debut full-length album in 2003. Composed of material written over the course of their post-high school years, and influenced by the likes of Lagwagon, Mad Caddies, Weezer, The Cars, Paul Simon and Jimmy Eat World, the album, Your New Attraction, found The Hanks writing melodic rock that appealed to a broad range of audiences. Upon finalizing Your New Attraction in March 2005, The Hanks became a full-time band, immediately hitting the road with local friends Darci Cash on a number of regional and national excursions – all self-booked by members of both bands. Dubbing the outings “Tour de Force,” The Hanks spent several months on the road. “We just basically went out and busted our asses, selling CDs,” says Harris. During one of its outings in March 2006, The Hanks had the opportunity to perform at a South by Southwest showcase in Austin, Texas. Grasping the attention of Cobra Music, the act joined the label and opted to re-release Your New Attraction via Cobra Music (the label’s first release). With the deal came the distribution the band so eagerly sought. “People can go get our record in the stores if they want,” says Harris. “Before they had to either order it online or only get it at the shows.” The Hanks are continuing to take their music directly to the people with constant tours and a high energy live show. “We’ve just been running parallel to everyone else,” says Harris. “We’ve been doing our own thing, but it’s cool, because the fanbase that we have is really our own fanbase. The kids that are coming to our shows are really coming to see us.” « hide |
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