Grenade Jumper Heat Wave Interview

Grenade Jumper bringing the heat on new single Heat Wave

Grenade Jumper are a four-piece pop-punk band from Sydney, who have been making waves since launching their debut single 'Get Ahead' in November 2018. The band have been creating a buzz early in their career with their signature lively sound and the pitch perfect vocals of frontwoman Bianca Davino. They are here to show you that punk is far from dead, and they are only just getting started.

"Heat Wave" shows the band's sound maturing, diving in deeper with their songwriting than previous releases "Gazed" and "Get Ahead". This latest single sees the band, in true Grenade Jumper fashion, unashamedly harking back to everyone's favourite pop punk acts of the early 2000's. With cathartic and melodic lyrics that hold the undeniable emotion of wanting to break free, the catchy and lively instrumentation leaves you with a brand new sense of energy.

Interview with Bianca Davino

Question: How would you describe your music?

Bianca Davino: I would describe our music as harnessing an alt-rock energy and attitude, fuelled by a heart-on-your sleeve punk freedom and anthemic-ness. It's loud, catchy, raw and raucous.


Question: Can you tell us about Heat Wave?

Bianca Davino: 'Heat Wave' is a track we wrote in late 2018 - it's a song about hope and acceptance, and we really wanted the instrumental to mirror the brightness of the message, with a little grit of course.


Question: What inspired Heat Wave?

Bianca Davino: Max (lead guitar) had recorded a demo version of the track in early 2019, and I fell in love immediately with the driving nature of the riff. When we took the track to our producer, the goal was to craft something influenced by Foo Fighters, Against Me! And Trophy Eyes - something with a huge, heart-felt and anthemic rock feel. Lyrically, I wanted to celebrate positivity and really shake any melancholia.


Question: Is there a particular message you hope listeners take from your music?

Bianca Davino: Absolutely! 'Heat Wave' is definitely a rally cry for empowerment, and moving forward, you can expect to hear more musings on this kind of thing.

Question: Do you prefer performing live or recording?

Bianca Davino: They are both totally different - the concoction of emotions conjured up from performing is like no other. Playing a good show is the most rewarding, and downright fun experience I believe exists. I also do truly enjoy recording and writing, as it poses a challenge and the magic created whilst crafting together a track is truly invigorating.


Question: Which is your favourite song to perform live and why?

Bianca Davino: 'Heat Wave' at the moment - we started playing it live late last year and it's getting a really good response from punters so we're loving playing it live!


Question: If you could have anyone, in the world, attend a show, who would it be?

Bianca Davino: Kathleen Hanna - she is the epitome of punk rock, and her work, attitude and message inspires everything I do.


Question: What is the story behind the band name?

Bianca Davino: Grenade Jumper is the name of a Fall Out Boy song! It's off Take This To Your Grave, one of the greatest records of all time.


Question: How did the band come together?
Bianca Davino: Max and I really wanted to be part of the Sydney local scene - our initial goal was to put out a song and maybe play a house show or another local show. We recorded our first ever track, 'Get Ahead' in late 2018 with the intention of this, so we asked our friend Dean to play drums on it. Shortly after, we got offered our first show and asked Lukas (bass) to fill in as a favour. We didn't have too much of a future planned, but we kind of mutually decided that it was too much fun to not continue with and ever since then, we've gone in hard with playing shows, writing music and absolutely soaking up every opportunity possible.


Question: What motivates you most when writing music?

Bianca Davino: Listening to a wide variety of artists and constantly learning about what makes a song emotionally moving and epic live. We're always breaking down tracks we love to uncover the magic, and looking at how we can incorporate elements into our own songwriting. In writing our EP (which will come later this year) I've been really motivated by particular messages and lyrical themes I want to voice as well.


Question: Which music/artists are you currently listening to?

Bianca Davino: I'm obsessed with Weyes Blood, she's incredible. Best Coast, Lana Del Rey, Grimes and Soccer Mommy have also been on high rotation recently, as well as Stormzy's most recent record.


Question: What or who was your inspiration to go into the music industry?

Bianca Davino: I've always known I want to be in and amongst music or entertainment as a career path. I started playing guitar at age 8 and it was artists like Led Zeppelin, KISS and Neil Young that initially prompted me to take this path. I've worked behind the scenes in music/media for around 4-5 years now and that really urged me to operate from an artists' point of view.


Question: If you could collaborate with another artist, who would it be?

Bianca Davino: Personally, my dream would be to collaborate with Phoebe Bridgers, or Molly Rankin (Alvvays). I think as a band if we could write with Deftones or Wolf Alice that'd be a total dream come true.

Question: What is the biggest challenge you have faced along the way to your musical success?

Bianca Davino: We are constantly facing new challenges - which is great, because each time there's a road block we learn and grow.


Question: What's a typical day like?

Bianca Davino: A typical show day involves a lot of vocal warm ups and many litres of water drunk before performing. We try and get to venues early to settle in and gas each other up before playing.


Question: What's next, for you?

Bianca Davino: We have just written our EP which will be released later this year! There are also plenty more shows on the horizon too!


Question: Can you share your socials?

Bianca Davino: https://www.facebook.com/grenadejumpersyd/
@grenadejumpersyd/
@GrenadeJumperAu


Interview by Brooke Hunter