A Few Moments with Granny of Granny 4 Barrel

Granny: It’s going great! We are sitting here in Louisville. We got a show tomorrow with Texas Hippie and everything is just going fantastic.

 

Granny: Well, it’s nice of you to say that. I’m glad you said that ’cause I like to think that it’s fresh and new. You know, that’s the thing with Granny, I don’t like constraints put on. I like everything. I like metal, industrial, bluegrass, and so we just fuse them all together.

 

Granny: Those tours, they show up and our agent is good at keeping us informed and we saw this one and thought “Wow! Texas Hippie, that oughta be pretty cool.” That’s right in our wheelhouse. The tour has been going great. In fact, Dad Ritch and I do a banter on stage each night talking about the secret love affair between Granny and Big Dad Ritch.

 

Granny: Again, I’m from the old school days and I like to think that Granny is a piece from the past and bands used to be theatrical and put on a big show because this is the entertainment industry, last time I checked. So, we give you a show, not just a bunch of guys in street clothes staring at their shoes. When we come out…think of it this way, she is like a surrogate badass Granny you’ve always wished you had. So, it doesn’t matter what time slot we play and who we are playing before. We are just going to give it 100% every night and 99.9% of the time, folks, they get it. They’ve got an open mind. It’s a bit humorous and it’s a little bit scary and f***ing heavy as hell.

 

Granny: The response has been overwhelming. People are really digging on Granny and that pleases us. We have a very strong set, we are doing a 30-minute set, but I will say, there is a song called “Monotypic” and if you like old school Sabbath and AC/DC, s**t with a really heavy sound, then you’re gonna love this one. It’s become one of my favorites to play. It isn’t out yet. We have a full record ready to be released so we are playing whatever you can get in, in 30 minutes on our live set. It’s all finished and you’ll be hearing them tracks soon.

 

Granny: It takes time. So, over the course of 7 or 8 years, Granny has gone through a whole bunch of changes. For the most part, conceptually, having an old woman frontman has always been central to it. That’s just kind of the idea. You know, I’m a big fan of horror movies and I just thought one-day “man, wouldn’t it be f***ing cool to have a badass old woman screaming some high notes fronting a metal band”? That’s kind of how it came to be, and people like it so much it evolved over time.

 

Granny: There was a couple of moments that stick out, but one time we had an agent that put us on a show with Cult Ford about 6 or 7 years ago. I was thinking to myself  “alright, well Granny’s metal and rock and we are going to play with Colt Ford”. You know you had a hip-hop crowd and country crowd and it was a defining moment to say “let’s see what happens”. You know what? As soon as we came out on the stage, those people they got it and I was like “alright boys we got this now, people f***ing love it, they are having a good time, and they are getting their faces melted at the same time”.

 

Granny: It’s a back and forth with the fans right? You get the power from the heavy metal and the rock, so you’re feeling that and that’s inspiring, but when you see all the people moving, loving what you’re doing, and enjoying it, it’s a community effort and then it just builds up from there. 

 

Granny: I do believe that right! It’s like an alter-ego. Actors are attracted to certain parts so they do those parts because it speaks to them inside. Now, I don’t know what that says about me, but I relate to a f***ed up, crazy, gnarly old woman. I don’t know. Haha. Maybe I have some Norman Bates in me, I don’t know.

 

Granny: Yeah! You’re going to get even more diversity. You’re going to get some slow groove, you’re going to get a remake of a Judas Priest song, now I’m not going to tell what it is, but I think you’ll be pleased. Granny is even going to tell a story at the very end of the record. Well, actually it’s a story that is narrated by somebody talking about the origin of Granny. So, we are going to give people their money’s worth. If you like Primus, A Perfect Circle, and bands that are a little off-centered, you’re gonna dig it. 

 

Granny: Well, I want freedom of expression to be front and center. I want you to be authentic and to be yourself and not be afraid to expose yourself. The true self, you know? That’s what it is. I’m all about trying to be authentic and unique.

 

Granny: Well, you can expect that this summer. We are in May here and I’m thinking June or July, it depends on when the label wants to release it. I’m going to let the single do some work out there, but it’s coming. It’s sitting right here I promise you.

 

Granny: On the 16th of June there is some kind of rock festival in Danville, Illinois with Motograter. Granny is going to be on that. We’ve got another show in Water Town, New York at the fairgrounds. We are going to do an opening slot with Brett Michaels. That will be fun. We are talking right now about doing another fall tour. So, there will be some shows in the summer and then we are going to hit it again in the fall.