Alli's Articles
INTERVIEWS, REVIEWS, CULTURE PIECES, MUSICAL RAMBLINGS.
To an outsider, it might seem like the difference between SUNY Purchase and SUNY New Paltz is rather small. After all, they’re both somewhere in relatively-upstate New York, with the letter “p” in the name, with artsy and musically involved student bodies. One Purchase-based band has set out to challenge that notion by bringing their modern-folk rock sound to the Snug Harbor stage for the second time in three months, standing out amongst the recent jam-band, metal and classic rock motifs that have hit the stage as of recent. Me and My Grandma is a five-piece consisting of acoustic guitarists and vocalists Nick Paul and Neil Stiskin, bassist Ben Roffman, guitarist Elijah Parella and drummer Michael Schwartz. Paul and Stiskin, the primary songwriters, started writing music together during the fall semester of 2021. From there, they gathered the other three musicians from other known bands in town and started rehearsing as a group. Even though the project first officially started in 2021, the members have been familiar with one another through campus pass-bys since the start of their Purchase education. “We haven’t always been very close but we’ve always been friendly,” said Schwartz. “I feel like we all mesh really well.” “The band has definitely brought us all closer together,” added Parella. “Me and Neil were always the two guys on campus actually doing folk-style music, so it was kind of inevitable,” Paul said. “I always kind of looked up to him in a way.” Besides Me and My Grandma, the musicians are involved in numerous side and solo projects — with Paul making some music on his own, Schwartz touring with musician Jay Rosie, Parella and Roffman playing in another project called The Mids and Stiskin making music under the name Little Cliff — where he originally started playing with Roffman. “Neil decided that he liked my playing, and how I interacted with him during other practices, so I was added to the roster,” he said.
The members collectively draw inspiration from shared influences of legendary folk artists Bob Dylan, The Band and Neil Young, fusing them with present-day names like Big Thief and Phoebe Bridgers. They also bring individual favorites to the table; Paul and Parella’s love for Grateful Dead and Schwartz’s affinity for R&B artists like Smino help to mold each aspect of the group to hit their audiences from all sorts of unique angles. Since their first show at Snug’s in November, the band has played a handful of gigs on the Purchase campus and in its house show scene. Compared to New Paltz’s scene, the group, along with other musicians, struggle with show shutdowns by campus police and complaints from the nearby townspeople, and lack a nearby bar to play at regularly. They long for gigs at places like Snug’s — a break from the anxiety that comes with the uncertainty of stoppages. “It's definitely a very different environment,” Stiskin says of Purchase. “Not a lot of people live off campus. There's nothing around and nowhere to go. It all has to kind of be on campus, and you have to make your own spaces. Sometimes people will play in random places that you're not really supposed to play at.” After their first show at Snug’s, the anticipation to play the venue again didn’t leave the band for the months they were away. “In my experience, playing live like the first time around tends to feel really good, but maybe doesn't actually sound the best,” said Parella. “It feels the best because we're just so excited. I think this one is going to go really well.” The band’s return to the Harbor on Jan. 27 included a blend of crowd-pleasing covers and powerful originals, becoming instant classics as soon as they hit the airwaves. One of their newer songs, “Wayback,” talks of loneliness on the road, the “unique emotional state” driving can put one in, and panic attacks on the side of a highway. The song reflects the themes of Modest Mouse’s “This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About,” with added sprinkles of love and heartbreak in the mix. The soothing sounds of Parella’s slide guitar and the ending explosion of Schwartz’s drums make for a powerful release after a slow burn — perfect for keeping the audience on their toes. Another original feature, “The Way it Goes,” is a more upbeat, yet still mellow take on the hardships of love. The harmonious vocal blend of the Paul-Stiskin duo stands out among gentle guitar strums in this short, but impactful groove. The air in the bar stood still as the band played this one on, acting as a gentle lullaby of sorts that was able to woo the crowded, slightly-rowdy Friday night crowd. Following their billmates — Purchase-based rockers Wiring — after their own Alex G cover, the Grandmas delivered an amazing rendition of his single “Runner” from new album “God Save the Animals.” They continued to throw in some Elvis, — “That’s All Right” — a Tom Petty “Last Dance With Mary Jane” moment and a familiar rendering of Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” — returning from their first Snug’s setlist. When you look at the grand scheme of bands coming out of the Hudson Valley, you don’t see a lot of groups riding the folk-fusion wave that Me and My Grandma is. “When we're playing a show, usually the other person isn't really in the same genre,” Paul says. “It’s lonely, but it’s fun.” Up next for the band is their first EP release, produced by New Paltz/Purchase favorite Joe Ippolito, who was previously mentioned on Twilight for his work on Kablamo’s self-titled album. The project will feature both “Wayback” and “The Way it Goes,” along with a collection of unreleased songs, some that may have snuck onto their Snug’s set. Me and My Grandma’s sound reflects on their old souls, but preserves their youth and new-age take on music, and being a band. Living in an environment that constantly tries to morph to fit trends, Me and My Grandma is remaining true to themselves and already are working hard to bring a refreshed, classic folk sound to a level that anyone can fall in love with. Follow the band on Instagram to stay in the loop about future releases and shows.
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