By Danielle Lowe, 11th Grade
The band Grouplove is known for its pop indie rock sound, and especially the song “Tongue Tied” – an upbeat, roll-down-your-windows-and-scream, feel-good song which made it to the top of Billboard Alternative Songs Chart and was also featured on Season 3 of Glee.
What’s less known about the band is that its drummer and main producer, Ryan Rabin, is someone who grew up Jewish in Los Angeles and whose favorite holiday is Rosh Hashanah.
“A lot of my friends were Jewish and being part of it together with them was fun,” Ryan said during a telephone interview Nov. 7 from Chicago, where he was on tour with Grouplove.
“I am definitely proud of my Jewish heritage and I really enjoy the traditions that go along with it,” he said. “Though I’m not religious, culturally I feel Jewish, and am… glad I had a bar mitzvah and so on.”
The five members of Grouplove formed a friendship in 2009 on the Greek island of Crete. A year after they met they started writing music together, and they knew they had a special spark.
In Ryan’s case, success is continuing a family tradition of Judaism and music. It started with his grandfather, Godfrey, who was lead violinist with the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra, and continued with his father, former Yes guitarist Trevor Rabin.
When asked about his favorite Jewish holiday, he responded without a second thought: “I always loved Rosh Hashanah and going to shul with my family and friends.”
Ryan is a graduate of Harvard-Westlake and the University of Southern California, so he was especially looking forward to the group’s highly anticipated shows at the Wiltern in Los Angeles.
“A lot of energy and a lot of surprises,” Ryan said when asked what to expect at the concert. “It’s a real show, not just a club concert.”
And indeed, the opening performance Nov. 17 began with Grouplove’s newest single, “Itchin’ on a Photograph.,” the stage lit by household lamps and the sound of heavy drums. Continuing the household theme, lead singer Christian Zucconi wore a bathrobe on stage.
Each group member brought unique personality. The other lead singer, Hannah Hooper, danced around each of the other band members while singing power vocals. The fans displayed high energy as well.
The most memorable song of the show was an acoustic version of “Cruel and Beautiful World,” which the band only agreed to sing only if everyone was quiet. No mics, no lights – just the band and a guitar.
Stripped down to just vocals and one guitar, this acoustic number was just beautiful, made moreso by the enthusiasm that came from fans when asked to sing along to the chorus.
While Grouplove gets ready to release its second album later this year, its current album, Never Trust a Happy Song – which includes “Tongue Tied” – is available through iTunes and Spotify.