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SKID ROW guitarist Dave “Snake” Sabo says that ex-H.E.A.T. frontman Erik Grönwall was “the primary and solely” singer he and his bandmates contacted as soon as it turned clear that SKID ROW wanted to make one other vocalist change.
Grönwall not too long ago joined SKID ROW because the substitute for ZP Theart, a former member of DRAGONFORCE, who attached with SKID ROW in 2016 following the departure of Tony Harnell (TNT, STARBREAKER).
SKID ROW performed its first present with Grönwall on March 26 at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & On line casino in Las Vegas, Nevada because the assist act on the rescheduled dates for SCORPIONS‘ “Sin Metropolis Nights” residency. SKID ROW‘s nine-song set included its new single, “The Gang’s All Right here”, which was made obtainable on March 25. The music is the title monitor of the band’s upcoming album, which is able to arrive on October 14 by way of earMUSIC.
SKID ROW recorded “The Gang’s All Right here” in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who has beforehand labored with FOO FIGHTERS, STONE SOUR, HALESTORM, EVANESCENCE, RUSH and ALICE IN CHAINS, amongst many others.
Sabo mentioned Grönwall‘s addition to the band throughout an interview with Andy Corridor of the Des Moines, Iowa radio station Lazer 103.3. Explaining that Erik has solely been in SKID ROW for “a month and a half,” Snake mentioned (as transcribed by Phoosi.com): “We had been engaged on the document for a short time with Nick Raskulinecz. We did not let anyone hear something; we did not play any of the songs stay. We simply needed to complete it earlier than we previewed it for anyone. And within the midst of doing that, we bought to a spot with our outdated singer the place issues had been simply stepping into two totally different instructions and it was plain that we had been gonna should make a change.”
He continued: “We had been very, very conscious of Erik. Erik [and H.E.A.T.] had opened up for us in 2019 on a European tour that we did, so we had been conscious of how gifted he was. And likewise we had been made conscious of his audition tape that he did for ‘Swedish Idol’, the Swedish model of ‘American Idol’. And his audition tape was doing ’18 And Life’ and he did a tremendous job. Clearly, it bought all of our consideration. And so he not too long ago did one other one, a more recent model of ’18 And Life’, which caught our consideration once more. So when issues got here to move, that we knew that we would have liked to make a change, he was the primary and solely individual that we spoke with. We began getting him music instantly, and he began slicing vocals instantly.”
Sabo added: “It occurred extraordinarily quick — so quick that we had been in a position to put out the one simply in time for this residency that we’re doing with the SCORPIONS proper now in Las Vegas. And we had been in a position to hold all our timelines and the whole lot intact. And, actually, the celebs couldn’t have aligned any higher for us to have the ability to pull it off the best way that it has occurred.”
Again in 2018, a few years after Theart first joined SKID ROW, bassist Rachel Bolan mentioned that Theart had introduced an “pleasure” to the group that he and his bandmates hadn’t had “for fairly a while.” Chatting with U.Okay.’s TotalRock Radio, Bolan said about ZP: “He is a really gifted singer and an ideal frontman. It is humorous — when he first came visiting to the States to sing and we had been simply all getting collectively — ‘trigger him and I and Rob [Hammersmith, drums] had been pals for a couple of years at that time — however when he first came visiting to sing, it was so easy. He is 10 years youthful than us, and he sort of grew up listening to us. He is from South Africa, and him and his pals needed to sneak and play our information, as a result of they had been deemed offensive [laughs], which is de facto humorous.”
The bassist continued: “Yeah, he came visiting and he was greater than ready and simply blew us away. After which, after we toured for a 12 months collectively and when it was official [that he was our new singer], our inventory went up and the whole lot began getting higher and higher. And he introduced this pleasure to the band that we have not had for fairly a while. And now we simply cannot wait to get out on stage each evening. If we’re off for a few days, its, like, ‘Ahhh… When will we get again on the market? It is a lot enjoyable.'”
Earlier this month, Grönwall spoke to Liz Berg of Smarts & Leisure about what it has been like for him to hitch his favourite band and instantly begin engaged on a brand new album, together with starting to arrange for SKID ROW‘s Vegas residency. “It is insane,” he mentioned. “Surreal, positively. I grew up listening to SKID ROW, and after I needed to turn into a singer, I used to be attempting to sing like [former SKID ROW singer] Sebastian Bach. And that is what I did. I did that at karaoke nights [back home in Sweden]. So it is simply surreal, as a result of I come into the band and I began to do a brand new album immediately. I do not simply should rehearse the outdated songs; I am doing a brand new album. So it is my voice on that. It is surreal, and I am so honored.”
Bolan not too long ago instructed Meltdown of Detroit’s WRIF radio station about Grönwall‘s addition to the band: “Simply the best way he does issues and his work ethic is one I’ve by no means seen apart from the 4 of us which might be already within the band. He simply would not cease till he will get issues completely proper. Whether or not it is his model, what he thinks is correct, or what we expect is correct, he works exhausting — he works exhausting. And you may see why he had the success he did abroad as a result of he is a extremely, actually hard-working singer that takes care of his instrument and that takes delight in his craft.”
Rachel additionally mirrored on SKID ROW‘s first stay efficiency with Grönwall, saying: “Truthfully, dude, from the minute he opened his mouth… His timing is impeccable. We knew it was gonna be cool. And every present has gotten even higher, ‘trigger we’re studying one another’s rhythm on stage. After I walked away from that present, I mentioned to Erik, I am going, ‘This was present one. I can not watch for present 100. It is gonna be superb.'”
Bolan beforehand talked about how Erik got here to hitch SKID ROW throughout an look on the most recent episode of SiriusXM‘s “Trunk Nation L.A. Invasion”, recorded simply hours earlier than SKID ROW‘s first efficiency with the Swedish singer. “We toured collectively. H.E.A.T. was on tour with SKID ROW. What 12 months was that? ’18? And we would hear him each evening from the dressing room,” he mentioned. “And a few instances, I used to be, like, ‘Man, hearken to this man sing. He is phenomenal.’ After which, I overlook who instructed me, somebody that was with us, ‘Yeah, he gained ‘Idol’ in Sweden.’ And I used to be, like, ‘Man, he is bought pipes.’ And I used to be listening. Then I went behind the monitor board a few instances. And in my head, I am, like, ‘Wow! When SKID ROW has some downtime, I am gonna get in contact with this dude and begin a facet venture with him.’ And clearly, that by no means occurred. However as time went on and we bought to the purpose to the place we had been with ZP and stuff, Erik was our first… I instructed Snake, I am going, ‘We have gotta verify this man out.’ And together with Snake and the remainder of the fellows, and Nick, our producer, Nick Raskulinecz, had been, like, ‘He is the man, man. Ship him some songs.’ So we despatched him some songs that we had been recording, simply with a information vocal on it, and it got here again about 24 hours later, and we had been, like, ‘All proper. He is the man. Get him on a aircraft. Let’s do that.'”
Grönwall sang on H.E.A.T.‘s final 4 studio albums — “Tackle The Nation” (2012), “Tearing Down The Partitions” (2014), “Into The Nice Unknown” (2017) and “H.E.A.T II” (2020) — earlier than exiting the group in October 2020.
Grönwall was identified with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021. A short while later, he wrote on his social media: “I’m extraordinarily privileged and grateful to stay at a day and age the place a illness like that is curable. There’s been a lot progress made on this area. My physique is reacting nicely to the therapy but it surely’s a protracted therapy and it’ll be the hardest problem of my life to this point, for me and my household.”
Final September, Grönwall launched his cowl model of SKID ROW‘s “18 And Life” by way of all streaming platforms. On the time, he mentioned about his model of the monitor: “This music was principally the place to begin of my skilled profession as an artist. I carried out this music throughout my ‘Swedish Idol’ audition again in 2009. 12 years later it is time to give this unhealthy boy a attempt once more. This is my model of the SKID ROW music ’18 And Life’.”
In 2018, Grönwall debuted within the U.S. for 10 million viewers in NBC‘s stay broadcast of Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s and Tim Rice‘s musical “Jesus Christ Famous person”. Together with John Legend, Alice Cooper, Sara Bareilles and others, Erik performed the important thing function of Simon Zealotes.
