If you do a Google search for Grouplove, you may get a few hits that aren’t necessarily what you’re looking for (or it may be right up your three-laned alley; I don’t know you), but at least a few should take you to information about the LA-based Indie Rock/Electro Pop quintet, whose last album, 2013’s Spreading Rumors, was described by NPR as “ludicrously easy to love.” High praise from a highbrow source and not bad for a band with origins stretching all the way back to the first year of Barack Obama’s first term.
Assembled in 2009, Grouplove was quickly called out as an energetic and engaging live act. The band’s 2011 debut album, Never Trust a Happy Song, hit the Top 5 of Billboard’s Heatseekers chart, propelled by a trio of stellar singles, “Colours,” “Tongue Tied” and “Itchin’ on a Photograph.” Of the three, “Tongue Tied” was the biggest, with sales in excess of a million, which resulted in RIAA platinum certification and a three-week run at No. 1 on the Alternative airplay chart. The track wound up the second most aired song of 2012, edged out by Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know.”
This past year has arguably been one of the best of Grouplove’s existence. Just prior to the release of Spreading Rumours last September, the band promoted the album with a scintillating set on Jimmy Kimmel Live, then took to the road for an unprecedented 11 city/22 night tour, where each two-night stand was divided into electric and acoustic sets.
Back in the spring, Grouplove debuted its original song “Let Me In,” which the band contributed to the soundtrack of The Fault in Our Stars. And it was just revealed that Grouplove frontman Christian Zucconi wrote and recorded the end theme to the new Netflix animated comedy, BoJack Horseman.
Who knew Grouplove could be so much fun? Well, apparently quite a lot of you.
