Groundstate are bringing back guitar driven, melodic 90’s/00’s hard rock sound, and we are here for it.
Get ready to dive into the immersive world of alt-metal rockers, Connor and Aidan Smith of Groundstate. Hailing from Bay Village, OH, the Smith brothers are making waves with their third album, “Things We Leave Unsaid.”
In an exclusive interview, Groundstate shares insights into their roots and the local Cleveland music scene. With a penchant for 90s/00s hard rock, they embarked on a mission to infuse their beloved genre into the local musical tapestry.
Between their day jobs, the brothers dedicate themselves to crafting new Groundstate material, drawing inspiration from their idols like Breaking Benjamin and Tool. “Things We Leave Unsaid” encapsulates a transformative period, mirroring the impact of the COVID crisis and band lineup changes.
From the album’s explosive opener, “Floating Away,” to the emotionally charged “Perfect Timing,” the Smiths’ collaborative synergy shines through, blending intricate compositions with vocal and guitar prowess.
As torchbearers of the hard rock renaissance, Groundstate’s legacy lies in rekindling the melodic hard rock sound. “The Things We Leave Unsaid” marks a significant milestone, propelling their genre’s resurgence into the spotlight. Reflecting on their journey, the brothers are resolute: this record is just the beginning.
Happy: What are you up to today?
Groundstate: As of literally right now, not too much haha, we’re all still working our day jobs and everything so today was a pretty normal day.
But in the general sense going forward we’re currently working on booking more local shows to support the record release and hopefully there will be some tour plans in the future as well!
Happy: Tell us about where you are from? What’s the scene like in your neck of the woods?
Groundstate: So we’re from a small suburb on the west side of Cleveland, and the local scene’s always been known for having great bands but we just never really saw anyone else with the same kind of 90’s/00’s hard rock sound that we’ve always loved, so naturally we wanted to do our part to change that.
Happy: Describe an average day?
Groundstate: An average day for us can consist of a lot of things, but while we’re not busy with our normal jobs Aidan and I are always busy bouncing ideas back and forth and working on new Groundstate material for more upcoming releases.
When it comes to writing, we never take a day off.
Happy: What did you listen to growing up that fuelled your passion for music?
Groundstate: Well like I was saying, we were both born and raised listening to all manner of 90’s/00’s hard rock/alternative metal; bands like Breaking Benjamin, Chevelle, Filter, Taproot, Tool, and Incubus are all examples of groups we idolized growing up that helped shape the sound we have now.
Happy: Congratulations on your latest album, “Things We Leave Unsaid”! Can you share the inspiration behind the album’s title and its significance to your music?
Groundstate: ’The Things We Leave Unsaid’ was an important record for us because it captured a very transitional moment in the band’s history.
The bulk of the record was written right as the original COVID crisis hit which was obviously a major shakeup for everyone involved in the music biz, but on top of that we also had just started working with Jim (Wirt) for the first time and were also going through a major change in the band’s lineup after parting ways with our original drummer who’d been with us since the formation of the band, so the record captures a lot of our own thoughts/worries about everything going on and reflects on personal sentiments about our progress as band up to that point, so as a whole the record was sort of an evolutionary project for us.
Happy: “Floating Away” kicks off the album with an intense energy. Could you tell us about the creative process behind this track and how it sets the tone for the rest of the album?
Groundstate: We wanted the record to start with a memorable track that has a lot of energy to get people’s attention and sort of let people know right off the bat what we’re about and what to expect from the rest of the record, and since “Floating Away” was one of the first tracks we ended up writing for this record we thought it was a solid and sensible choice to open the album with!
Happy: “Perfect Timing” is a powerful track that builds to an impassioned climax. Can you delve into the story or emotion that inspired this song, and how did you approach translating that into music?
Groundstate: ”Perfect Timing” is a very personal track that has different meanings for both Aidan and I, we both contributed to the lyrics on this one and it captures what was somewhat of a dark point for both of us as we struggled intensely for a period of time with mental health struggles, so this song in particular talks a lot about that; it was a very cathartic song for both of us.
Happy: “World Around You” showcases both your vocal and guitar prowess. Can you share the collaborative dynamic between you as siblings when crafting and performing such intricate compositions?
Groundstate: We’re so glad you love that track, it’s one of our personal favourites as well! In general, our songwriting process is always very collaboratory by nature; usually it starts with Aidan coming up with some kind of guitar riff that he’ll show me and I’ll freeform some kind of vocal melody that I think works well and we just sorta develop things from there.
But other times Aidan has the initial vocal idea in mind or I approach him with a melody I think he could translate well to guitar and vice versa, so our songs can begin a lot of different ways but the finished product always ends up being something we both contribute our own unique touches to.
Happy: As the album concludes with “Simple Head,” how do you envision your role as contemporary torchbearers in the realm of hard rock and soft metal? What message or legacy do you hope to leave behind through “The Things We Leave Unsaid”?
Groundstate: From the very start this band was created with the dream of helping bring back that sort of guitar driven, melodic 90’s/00’s hard rock sound that we’ve always loved so much, and back in 2014 when we first started out it was way before that sound started to re-emerge back into the mainstream the way it has now, so in a lot of ways the release of this record feels like a major culmination of those years we dreamed of seeing that finally happen and it very much feels like a moment of actualization for us as a band.
The “nu wave” is now very much here and we’re psyched to be one of the bands on the forefront of it!
Happy: What makes you happy?
Groundstate: Well going right off of what I was just saying, everything about what’s going on currently is just such an enormously exciting and rewarding time for us; we’re happy to finally have the record out, we’re happy to be having opportunities like this to talk more about it to people that are enjoying it, and more than anything we’re happy for whatever the future holds for us going forward.
This record is only the beginning, we’re just getting started!!
