Biography
The origins of Wampum can be traced back to the middle school friendship of bassist, Brian Mazzola and drummer, Matt Grunwald. Since the first day Brian picked up a bass guitar, the two have been playing music together.
Shortly after, they found a guitarist and formed a band they called Obesity. They performed a Green Day cover in the school talent show in seventh grade. Grant Smith entered the picture when he began attending Obesity's band practices. After watching from the sidelines for a few weeks he picked up a guitar for the first time and his innate talent became immediately apparent, until he eventually replaced the original guitarist, forming a new band called Giant Squid Caught On Tape. Giant Squid was an improvisational jam band which at times featured 3 guitars, bass, drums, keyboard and a trumpet.
In high school Giant Squid disbanded and all the members drifted apart with their own separate interests. Approximately 2 years later Grant Smith was introduced to Michael Schuh through audio production classes at Centerville High School. The two guitarists began writing music together and later invited Grunwald and Mazzola to participate. While jamming at Michael's house, a neighbor who played trombone came over to witness the noise and the result was Dirty Young Trash, more commonly referred to as "DYT". When this group was formed, for the first time the band began to really flourish musically, experimenting with playing the type of music they all loved and wanted to play. DYT was the first band that got these musicians into bars and venues around Dayton, Ohio. They recorded an EP with Ron Pease at Refraze recording studios but shortly after broke up when everybody split up for college.
After being scattered across different parts of the state, the members realized how important music was to them and began striving to get together to practice in Dayton about once a month. After meeting singer/guitarist Wes Miller through Craigslist an entirely new project began that would become the current lineup of Wampum.
Wampum's sound relies heavily on the sound created in the rhythm section of Matt Grunwald and Brian Mazzola. They often say "Matt is the engine driving the train, Brian is the tracks, guiding it where it needs to go". Having been taught drums in high school jazz and marching band, Grunwald keeps his beats creative with syncopated shuffles that go perfect with Mazzola's heavy, thumping Funk lines. On top of that Wes Miller's Folk story influenced lyrics with Grant Smith's soul/country guitar style blend to become the scenery and change of seasons surrounding the proverbial train.
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