Biography
NOTE: There is more than one artist with this name:
1. Greenland (Sydney/London) / Grün
2. Greenland (Washington, DC)
1. United by a common passion for composition, noise and the development of an exclusive sound, Greenland embodies a theme of “tension and release”. The Prisons of Language Greenland’s acclaimed debut EP, was unleashed in 2004, and saw them take to the stage at many classic venues throughout Australia.
Inspired by diverse artists like Dead Can Dance, Four tet, Sonic Youth, Phillip Glass and Sigur Ros, Greenland’s obsession with film and soundtrack clarifies their aspirations at play – it’s visual without the visuals, the score to a film that doesn’t exist, a desire to provoke the abstract and intangible. Videos for songs “The Amps Have Eyes” and “Alicia” denote the emotional diversity that this music can convey.
Greenland write organically. growing and evolving ideas, often from just a singular moment of creative inspiration; instinct, insight and compulsion replace contrived and conventional songwriting techniques. The music digests and extols every emotion – dark and hypnotic scores are served alongside spirited up-tempo grooves promising A unique, fresh and challenging platter of electrorganic noise delights.
Greenland is:
Liam Weston – drums and percussion
Andre Matkovic – bass, trumpet and electronics
Leon Kelly – guitar, keys and electronic
Changed their name into Grün due to clashes with several overseas bands.
2. The Kids Finally Got it Right: The Story of Greenland
Greenland sat down one day to sharpen their pencils and write songs that spoke directly to the overeducated twenty-somethings of Washington, DC in a way no one had before. They became the most engaging live act in the city, by my humble estimation, and their fan base of mussed-hair boys and Sherilyn Fenn look-alikes seemed to agree. Then they made a record. A typical debut for a young band with studio time to burn, it was long, labored and a little bit safe. Sure, Greenland is safe – in that way that your daughter might be able to dress them up and pass them off at a holiday dinner. But the reality is that they’d soon find themselves locked into a mortal argument with Uncle Tommy about obscure poetry and radical politics just for the sake of stirring the shit. And they quickly realized it was the part of them that might just play footsie with your Aunt Maggie that they needed to capture.
It was time to get dirty.
Returning to the studio with a fresh set of songs, they embraced their inner rock gods without forsaking their dusty bookshelves and the results are in and they are spectacular! Dirty splinters of guitar intermingled with sweet harmonies and haphazard drumming that suddenly locks in and shakes your skinny jeans wearing asses. Frontman Jamie Green's lyrics are delivered in a “wink wink” manner that is not cloying or cute. It’s more of a “can you believe this is our lives?” approach and it is striking.
My generation of songwriters were filled with self analysis while the current crop is filled with self awareness. Green is at the forefront, darting back and forth with absurd observations of text messaging and caribou crushing snowflakes all the while staying true to the basic rock and roll desire for carnal activity as he describes in detail every curl of hair on the lovely before him. His seems to say to the assembled “hey, I am trying to grow up but it looks like I am just growing older” as he bounces from kissing your ear to listening to tales of impending global doom while begging for a cup of coffee. You can tell he is happiest doing both.
John Foster, brightestyoungthings
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