The Growlers is an American band from Southern California. They began their career in the Orange County city of Dana Point, California in 2006. They are currently based in Costa Mesa. The band is currently composed of singer Brooks Nielsen and keyboard player/guitarist Kyle Straka. They have released seven albums, several EPs and a number of singles. The band's sound has been described as "a trademark style of music that somehow combines surf, pop, rock and beat" which has been labeled "Beach Goth".
History
Singer Brooks Nielsen and music director/guitarist Matt Taylor met in middle school in the beach town of Dana Point, California, bonding over surfing, skating, and partying. When offered the chance to perform at a house party, the duo quickly wrote their first six songs in a single day, leading to the first incarnation of the band that would eventually become The Growlers.
After releasing a handful of self-recorded cassettes and CDs, The Growlers issued their first studio album, Are You in or Out? in 2009 on Everloving Records. Aquarium Drunkard described it as “consistent in sound and tone that is as enjoyable straight through or on shuffle… Taken as a whole, the record is a beautiful mix of late 60’s freak-out, folk calmness and surf rock.” Their second album, Hot Tropics, was released in 2010, also on Everloving Records. The band's third album, Hung at Heart, the first to feature Anthony Braun Perry on bass and Jason Kaiser on percussion, was released in 2013. The band originally worked with Dan Auerbach to record the album, but the finished version never saw official release. Instead the band recorded a new version of the album in Costa Mesa, CA with Mike McHugh at his Distillery Recording Studio, to get a more lo-fi sound.
Chinese Fountain, their new "more grown up, well polished" album was released September 23, 2014. This album was produced by JP Plunier at Seahorse Studios in Los Angeles, CA. While touring the album, the band expanded their live band with percussionist Nick Murray.
The band's fifth studio album, City Club was released by Cult Records on September 30, 2016, while they embarked on a supporting tour in the same month. It was the first Growlers album to be credited solely to Brooks Nielsen and Matt Taylor, as opposed to the whole band. Nielsen and Taylor wrote and recorded demos for the album over a span of two to three months with the help of Kyle Mullarky at his studio in Topanga Canyon, CA. It was preceded by the title track as a single produced by Julian Casablancas, who also owns the label. Neither drummer Scott Montoya nor bass player Anthony Perry feature on the album. On September 25, the band confirmed Montoya's departure from the band and stated that Perry was set to return in the near future. The band toured for this album with Brad Bowers on bass, Adam Wolcott Smith on keyboard, and Richard Gowen on drums. Whether their membership in the band is permanent is currently unclear.
The band released Casual Acquaintances on July 27, 2018, a collection of demos and unused material from the City Club sessions.
The Growlers have toured with artists such as The Black Keys, Devendra Banhart, Julian Casablancas, Night Beats, and Jonathan Richman. They have also appeared at numerous festivals including Coachella, Bonnaroo, Primavera Sound, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Sasquatch!, Wakarusa, Treasure Island, Fun Fun Fun, Bestival, Way Out West, End of The Road, Burgerama III, Rock in Rio and Outside Lands.
Beach Goth
The band has organized their annual Beach Goth festival since 2012. The event typically features performances by bands representing a variety of genres, including pop, rap, hip hop, heavy metal, and rock. Over the years, the event has included costume contests, amusement park rides, and live performances of Rocky Horror Picture Show. The Growlers have headlined both Saturday and Sunday night of the annual Beach Goth festival since its inception.
The likes of Die Antwoord, Grimes, Gucci Mane, Julian Casablancas, Mac DeMarco, The Drums, Foxygen, White Arrows and Ghost B.C. have appeared at the festival.
Beach Goth 4 (October 2015) was hosted by Pauly Shore and featured live performances of Rocky Horror Picture Show throughout the weekend as well as a performance of The Doors song "People Are Strange" by The Growlers and Julian Casablancas.