Q&A with Lyndsy Pritchard of the Grotto

Friday, November 03, 2006

Sarah Protzman

The Daily Sentinel

The Grotto’s robust, multi-layered track “Cold” appears on the free music compilation “Out & About: Grand Valley Tracks 3.”

Guitarist/vocalist Jake Ruybal says the group’s latest record (working title “Stockholm Syndrome”) is “very close to done,” slated for release next month or early 2007.

As a teenager, eventual Grotto lead vocalist Lyndsy Pritchard got her musical feet wet singing in a country band in Alaska, where she grew up. Pritchard is a senior at Mesa State College studying psychology and dance.

Right now I’m reading: “Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of Psychopaths Among Us” (by Robert D. Hare).

What are you watching on TV these days? “Grey’s Anatomy.”

What was your last major purchase? A plane ticket home for Christmas.

Where did you grow up? Kenai, Alaska.

If I were a fictional heroine, I’d be: Catwoman.

The world would be a better place if only: we didn’t have to go to college. I’m just burnt out! I’ll graduate in May.

What’s the story of “Cold”? I was actually away for Christmas when the band wrote that song. Our guitar player Dan (Belcastro) wrote it about his life.

The Grotto is Pritchard, lead vocals; Dan Belcastro, guitar; Robert Bryant, drums; D’Ray Canaday, bass; Michelle Nelson, keyboards; and Ruybal, guitar and vocals. For more information about the band, go online to thegrottoband.net.

Download songs from “Grand Valley Tracks 3” for free at GJSentinel.com.

Sarah Protzman can be reached via e-mail at sprotzman@gjds.com.

Review Of Rainmaker EP

Review: “Rain Maker” by The Grotto
By Beverly Durfee | Thursday, March 16, 2006, 08:41 PM

Writing reviews the past few weeks has been hard. I had one I needed to do because the band was hitting town, another because I’d had the CD so long it was becoming embarrassing … and, you know.

But a friend/coworker dropped off The Grotto’s CD in the middle of this. I listened and immediately wanted to fling the other reviews aside and share the great sounds coming out of The Grotto. So what this other international band was coming to town - The Grotto is already here! They are OURS! And they rock.

This CD is a four-song shortie and it was a blast. Perfect to drop into the CD player and fill your commute with local sounds. “Nothing” starts out slows and then hits a very sweet groove. The music and lyrics sound so polished, it makes me proud. What is too hot about this song is that about three minutes in the guitars and Jake Ruybal’s vocals just explode. What a great way to finish off a meaningful song.

“All You Need” lets us know right away that we’re dealing with a multi-talented band, as Lyndsy Pritchard takes her turn on vocals. The chorus of this song is so intense and head-filling it made my hair stand up the first time through. Some excellent keyboard work adds to the originality of this tune, taking it from a “Hey, Fleetwood Mac could have done this” song to something altogether with and beyond its time.

Although a great listen, “No One But Me” is (in my questionable opinion) the “weakest” song on the CD - that’s not to say it’s weak like weak - just comparing it to the others, the vocals are a bit cloudy. The guitars come out so clear and sharp … maybe that’s why the vocals seem a little underdone. The song breaks about two-thirds of the way through and really showcases the instruments. The vocals do pump up, but not enough to break free. Definitely not a song-killer, because this band is clearly made up of talented musicians.

“Rain Maker” is a haunting mix. I really enjoy the almost unsettling shifts in the music and mood. Pritchard’s smooth vocals do perfect service to the lyrics. I don’t know who composes what, but this band is as tight as any that’s been around the block 20 or 30 times. What an outrageous and wondrous thing that they are from Junction. God, this town rocks!

Grab some CDs and other cool stuff on the band’s site Web site www.thegrottoband.com. I’m going to be sporting The Eye t-shirt ASAP. See The Grotto on April 28 at Mesa Theatre & Club.

Call the club (241-1717) for times and all that.

Thursday, August 25, 2005

Anna Beaty Kerr

The Daily Sentinel

The “Grand Valley Tracks 2” CD Release Party will be the Grotto’s first gig at Grande River Vineyards.

“We’re privileged to be part of this,” Jake Ruybal of the Grotto said of the “Grand Valley Tracks” project and release party Saturday, Aug. 27.

“It’s a great thing for local music. I hope that people come out and support it.”

The Grotto is Dan Belcastro, guitar; Robert Bryant, drums; D’Ray Canaday, bass; Michelle Nelson, keyboard; Lyndsy Pritchard, lead vocal; and Ruybal, guitar and vocal.

The Grotto has been on the local music scene for five years. The band has had different lead singers in that time. Their newest, Pritchard, joined last November. She was just what they were looking for.

“She had to have a full voice, the right style and be insane,” Nelson joked.

Pritchard said she’s enjoyed getting to know her new band mates. “It’s not like work, our personalities make it fun.”

With the current configuration the band has found the right combination to fulfill its goals, which include improving its recorded and live sound and sharing it with the public.

“We’ve really been pushing ourselves,” Ruybal said. “It takes dedication and determination to make it work.”

The band’s non-conformist and intoxicating sound has developed a loyal following in Grand Junction. The members would like to expand their fan base to the Front Range and beyond.

“It’s tough breaking through,” Nelson said. “But we won’t compromise our music.”

The Grotto’s sound and the message of “No One But Me” gained the attention of the “Grand Valley Tracks 2” selection committee, who put the song in the No. 2 spot on the collection. The first “Grand Valley Tracks” in 2004 featured the Grotto’s “The Signs Are in the Stars.”

Ruybal wrote the new song’s lyrics, the rest of the band contributed to the music and arrangements. It’s about Ruybal’s friend, who is struggling with a substance abuse problem.

“Do you try to help and tell them what to do like everybody else or do you just be their friend?” Ruybal said of his dilemma. “If you come down on them then they’ll shut you out completely. So I chose to be a friend.”

The Grotto will also play Friday, Aug. 26, at Mesa Theater and Club. For information about the band, visit www.thegrottoband.net.

Anna Beaty Kerr can be reached via e-mail at akerr@gjds.com.

    Sometimes their music has hints of blues. Other times it has a hint of Euro-pop or Ska. But mostly, they sound like what they are, a piano, two guitars, a bass, and a vocalist, who grew up listening to different groups, who are both self taught and professionally trained, who are just trying to make the most of each band member's talent.

    The Grotto's members will tell you what they are not. They are not a metal band. They are not country or folk or punk rock. They don't count Phish among their inspirations. " There are certain things we do where I've never heard anything like it," said keyboardist Michelle Nelson. " And that's unusual for Grand Junction,"Nelson said, " where so many bands do fit into a specific genre." " I like to say that we're the only band in Grand Junction that's not country, metal, Dave Matthews / folk rock or punk rock, " Nelson said. But the Grotto has developed a following in Grand Junction anayway, Nelson said. And fans have been asking for years nowwhen the group would put out a CD.

    Now after spending nine months in the studio and even more time talking and planning, the three year old group has finally released its first CD titled " Nadir. " The bands CD release party is Saturday at the Mesa Theater and Club. Making the CD was a painstaking process, said Jake Ruybal, the bands guitarist. They tried to record at a studio, but felt too much pressure to make every single second they spent there count, since they were paying for the studio time. Ruybal felt being on such a tight schedule was squelching the band's creativity, which was one of the things he liked about playing with the Grotto. So, down the hall from his father's clinic, Ruybal opened his own recording studio a place where the band could painstakingly record the same part over and over, where they could work as long as they wanted, or, if they were feeling uninspired, where they could smoke cigarettes, drink coffee and talk, and then go home without recording anything. "If we want to be here until 7 in the morning, we can lock the doors and nobody bothers us," he said.

    The Grotto is happy with how "Nadir" came out. Every single person in the band really shines on at least one song, Nelson said. Beyond that, the members are happy with the Grotto's mix of talent and personalities. The band's current members - Nelson and Ruybal, along with drummer Robert Bryant, bassist D'Ray Canaday, vocalist Mikka Dennis and guitarist Dan Belcastro - have only been together for about a year. "And for the first time," Ruybal said, " the chemistry of the band really feels right."

    Now that they've released a CD, they'd like to tour. Ultimately, they'd like to make it as a band, at least enough to oay the bills. " I think we all view it as a business," said bassist Canaday. Already, all of the money the band makes at show goes back into equipment, recording and generally making the band better.The band members themselves all have second jobs, at the moment, to pay their own bills, to eat. Hopefully, Nelson said, they won't have to much longer. " I'd be happy making just as much as I make now, waking up every morning and playing shows and traveling around the country," she said.

The Grotto plays tomorrow night with Clatter and the Jet City Fix at the Mesa theater and Club, 538 Main St., tickets are $6. Doors open at 8 p.m. For more information, call the theater at 970.241.1717

The Grotto brings new music to the GJ scene

Local band delights Mesa Theater crowd

Wednesday, March 13th, 2002

Amy Maestas

Criterion ( Mesa State College )

    Most college students like to see live music, it's just unfortunate that so few local bands are worth the cover charge. However, last friday night at the Mesa Theater and Club the Grotto broke all the rules. The band opened for a group called Betty Dylan, who were certainly not worth their cover charge.

    The Grotto is made up of local musicians and has been performing together since January 2001. Lead singer Mikka Dennis joined the group seven months later. Dennisis a classically trained vocalist, who controls her voice well and is easy on the ears, unlike so many of her female lead singer counterparts. Jake Ruybal, who plays guitar, sings, and writes songs, has been playing in local bands for the last 12 years. Bass player Chris Tafoya, who is assisiting the band with their recording and production of their first full length album, joined the band very recently after a personnel change. " We're not letting him off the hook," said Ruybal of Tafoya. The reasons why are obvious. Keyboardist and song writer Michelle Nelson and drummer Robert Bryant are both very talented. Charles Lintott, who is also a guitarist and singer / songwriter wrote the band's newest song " Palmatta ". "Palmatta" is a song unlike you you have ever heard. It is a combination of rock, alternative, blues, and has a hint of latin rythm thrown in just for fun. "We don't sound like anybody, and nobody sounds like us," said Lintott of the band. The band combines self written music with a classy collection of cover tunes from bands such as the Cure, the Misfits, the Strokes, and Sundays.

    The band's music has been described as classical, bluesy, alternative and art rock, but I am not so sure. The Grotto palys the kind of music that people just like to see live; audience members can really feel the music. I am looking forward to seeing this band again. The show was excellent and the band's varying style is sure to please most audience members. " We are trying to help create a good scene here," said Ruybal. "We don't want to sound like anybody else." The Grotto doesn't sound like anybody else, and that's a good thing.