Immerse yourself in Groundstate’s handpicked playlist, a journey through their musical inspirations and roots.
Groundstate, the Bay Village, OH rock duo comprised of brothers Connor and Aidan Smith, are resurrecting the golden era of guitar-driven hard rock from the 90s and 2000s, and it’s a welcomed revival.
Their third album, “Things We Leave Unsaid,” has been making waves, showcasing their immersive alt-metal sound. To delve deeper into their musical influences, Groundstate has curated a playlist that pays homage to the bands and tracks that have left an indelible mark on their own distinctive style.
From Incubus’ high-octane “Idiot Box” to the layered vocal magic of Jimmie’s Chicken Shack’s “Fallin Out,” this selection embodies the driving energy and melodic finesse that Groundstate holds dear.
The hometown connection with Filter’s Rich adds an extra layer of sentimentality to “Welcome To The Fold,” while A Perfect Circle’s “Judith” showcases Maynard’s soaring vocals that have left an enduring impact on the Smith brothers.
With each track, Groundstate invites us into their world of intense, harmony-laden melodies and unflinching lyrical themes.
This playlist is not just a collection of songs, but a journey through the very essence of Groundstate’s musical DNA.
“Idiot Box” – Incubus
This song along with the rest of this album is significant to us because it was one of the first experiences we had listening to Jim’s production style, it has the kind of hard, melody-driven energy that we’re all about!
“Fallin Out” – Jimmie’s Chicken Shack
Another favorite track of ours that has great driving energy with the kind of layered vocals and guitar melodies that we love!
“Welcome To The Fold” – Filter
We have a particular love of classic Filter tunes because their singer Rich is actually from our hometown! And this record is one of the first things we remember listening to as kids
“Judith” – A Perfect Circle
I’ve always been a huge fan of all of Maynard’s work, his singing has had an enormous influence on my own style, and this classic really showcases his soaring vocal range
“Downfall” – TRUSTcompany
This banger’s another one that really sums up the “bread and butter” of our style, I’ve always loved this track’s blending of harsh and clean vocals, great driving guitar riffs and explosive choruses
“Caught In The Rain” – Revis
This whole album is criminally underrated, but this track particularly has always been a favorite of ours for the mind-blowing booming vocals in the chorus!
“Giving In” -Adema
This has always really resonated with me because of it’s theme of addiction, which I’ve struggled with on and off over the years and is a frequent lyrical theme I utilize as well
“Poem” -Taproot
This is another one that hits very close to home for us thematically as the song discusses struggling with anxiety which we’ve both dealt with in the past, and the three part vocal harmony in the choruses was very influential stylistically for us as well!
“Never The Culprit” -Pulse Ultra
One of the biggest things I love in any song is a big emphasis on harmony-laden vocal melody, and this is another track that really exemplifies how we like to utilize layered vocals in our own work as well!
