Griffen Handshake Releases ‘Three Strikes and You're Out’
What's the story behind this release?
The release came to fruition after the creation of "Kicking Rocks" and "Wings" in early 2024. Both songs were inspired by feelings of loneliness and questions about the purpose of making music. The main question Millen was working through with Wings was: What is the purpose of making music or art if no one else cares about it? Wings talks about navigating through the process of creating and finding ways to not let self-doubt creep in. Kicking Rocks on the other hand delves into the challenge of accepting the past. Both of these songs were written on many consecutive late nights in January 2024, and they provided the foundation for the EP.
What was unique about the recording process?
We're interested in any creative techniques or innovative methods you used in recording, producing, or mixing this release.
One of the techniques the band used for the title track, "Three Strikes and You're Out", was putting a guitar amp plug-in on the lead vocal track to create a distorted vocal sound. In the prechorus of "Wings", EDM had a big influence on Millen's songwriting process when creating the build-up of the song. Cedric Gervais' remix of Lana Del Ray's "Summertime Sadness" was an inspirational track in helping develop the fast-moving synthesizer in "Wings" as the song moved to the chorus. In "Kicking Rocks", Evan and Millen went outside on the street and recorded the jingling of car keys and the door slamming shut on Evan's car. This sound effect is used prior to verse 2 of the song which contains lyrics about driving.
Tell us what makes this release stand out and why it's significant.
One of the unique traits about the EP is the wide range of genres it includes, and it is the band's most ambitious work to date. It features "Wings", an introspective track about feeling like you’re growing as an artist and person, but simultaneously feeling invisible to the world. Additionally, "Kicking Rocks" is one of the band's favorite tracks to play live. The song symbolizes past memories through Polaroids and talks about how sometimes happy memories can feel tainted. The EP overall is a collage of the band's chaotic 2023 year. The variance of genres represents each different part of the collage - the ebbs and flows of more positive memories of the year to the more forgettable ones.
Tell us about the key contributors to this project.
Griffen Handshake consists of brothers, Millen and Arjun Schuchert, and Gio Mori. Millen and Arjun grew up playing music together. They first had an idea to start a band after playing the video game, Rock Band 2. After playing as a duo in the underground Pittsburgh punk scene for a few years, they met Gio Mori who was also playing shows with other bands. After jamming together for a few rehearsals in 2023, Gio became an official member of the band. "Three Strikes and You're Out" is the first release with this new lineup of Griffen Handshake. Evan Yester and Joseph Hartwell Jones are the mixing engineers who worked on the release. Mike Hillier and Stuart Hawkes are the mastering engineers for the EP.
Do you have any recent or upcoming performances to highlight?
If you've recently played at a notable venue or have significant shows planned, please share those details.
Griffen Handshake's upcoming performances are in Youngstown, Ohio on February 15, Mr. Smalls Theatre in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on March 22, and Jergels Rhythm Grille in Warrendale, Pennsylvania on April 30. They played an EP release show on January 3 at Bottlerocket Social Hall in Pittsburgh, PA.
