JULY 2015 • Volume 26 • Issue 319 • SLUGMAG.COM • ALWAYS FREE SaltLakeUnderGround • Vol. 26 • Issue #319 • July 2015 • slugmag.com Publisher: Eighteen Percent Gray Gilbert Cisneros, Gilbert Garcia, Jake Froelich, Bryer Wharton, Christian CONTRIBUTOR LIMELIGHT: Editor: Angela H. Brown Vivori, Jessica Bundy, John Barkiple, Schultz, Cody Kirkland, Dean O Hillis, Managing Editor: Johnny Cowan, Logan Sorenson, Eric U. Norris, Gavin Hoffman, Gavin Julia Sachs Alexander Ortega Martín Rivero, Matt Brunk, Matthew Sheehan, Henry Glasheen, James Senior Staff Writer, Copy Editor, Junior Editor: Christian Schultz Windsor, Megan Kennedy, Melissa Bennett, James Orme, Jimmy Martin, Digital Intern, Distro Office Coordinator: Cohn, Michael Lehmann, Michael John Ford, Jordan Deveraux, Julia Gavin Sheehan Portanda, Russel Daniels, Scott Sachs, Justin Gallegos, Kia McGinnis, Digital Content Coordinator: Frederick, Talyn Sherer, Lauren Ashley, Mariah Mann Mellus, Henry Glasheen Weston Colton Megan Kennedy, Mike Brown, Mike Fact Checker: Nic Smith Videographers: Andrew Riedel, Peter Fryer, Ricky Vigil, Ryan Copy Editing Team: Alex Cragun, Schummer, Brock Grossl, Lexie Floor, Hall, Scott Farley, Sean Zimmerman- Alexander Ortega, Allison Shephard, Perry Layne Decker-Tate, Ryan Dearth, Wall, Shawn Mayer, Stakerized!, Christian Schultz, Henry Glasheen, Slugger Steve Goemaat, Steve Richardson, John Ford, Jordan Deveraux, Julia Community Development Thomas Winkley Sachs, Kathy Zhou, Laikwan Waigwa- Executives/Advertising Sales: Monkeys with Computers: Stone, Maria Valenzuela, Mary E. 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Content is property youtube.com/user/SLUGMagazine of SLUG Magazine—please do not use without @SLUGMag written permission. 4 SaltLakeUnderGround slugmag.com 5 Larusso is a name that has been floating around the “The sound we emulate has become less and less is a certain charm to songs like “Set Phasers to Fun,” local scene for years, to the point where they have mainstream.” Condrat adds, “We like it that way, an acoustic piece that involves all of Larusso singing, become almost synonymous with Salt Lake City. Since though.” While they were once one of many alt-rock “Take a step back / I’ve got too much to say / check- their inception in 2004, Larusso have maintained a bands on the scene, their steadfastness in that genre ing off, checking out / far and away.” Larusso have lighthearted yet earnest pop punk sound, reminiscent has paid off, as there are not many bands left who a positive energy and catchy, infectious sound that is of Bleed American–era Jimmy Eat World. While are creating the sound that Larusso have perfected sure to have you singing along after the first listen. other similar bands have faded from the scene, Larus- and made their trademark. so have consistently maintained their sound. “We nev- Though Larusso are a well-known band in Salt Lake er really stop writing,” says vocalist/guitarist Aaron Being one of the longest-running and more locally re- City, there are no overblown egos for the band who Condrat, saying that the reason Larusso have been spected bands of Salt Lake, Larusso maintain a rather describes themselves as “the garage band next door.” going strong after such a long time is “refusing to give large, loyal fanbase. “What’s been cool is that we Sasich says, “We don’t take ourselves too seriously”— up, refusing to play it safe.” The band’s most recent haven’t seen a drop off in attendance to our shows,” for them, being a part of the Salt Lake local scene release, Life in Static, does just that, mixing upbeat says Sasich, “but as a genre, I think we’re one of very is about supporting all local music, and not just one melodies with fervidly profound lyrics, nostalgically few who still can do that here.” Condrat considers genre. Though they’ve shared stages with bigger acts recalling bands that reigned supreme on both pop this success as a testament to each member’s dedica- such as Neon Trees and The Almost in the past, and alt rock radio in the ’00s, such as Yellowcard tion to making music and to keep Larusso a priority: they’re more interested in playing shows simply to and The Ataris. “It’s taken me a long time to find the guys who I feel have fun rather than to accumulate a large audience. confident about … that are as invested in this as I One show they played in Olympia, Washington, still In what can only be described as a Dread Pirate am,” he says. “That only just fuels me more so that I’m sticks out to them. After all of the other bands bailed, (L–R) Chase Griffis (vocals), Tylor Black- Roberts–style takeover, Larusso are devoid of all of not letting them down.” Sasich describes the songwrit- Larusso was left to play a set with only one home- burn (bass), Bryan Lee (drums), Sean their founding members—Condrat joined the band ing process as “democratic,” saying, “For someone less person and one dog in the audience. However, soon after it started, as his brother was a member at who knows us really well, I think you can probably Jurewicz (guitar) and Matt Mascarenas the crowd quickly grew to about 30 people, most of the time, and kept the name going after most of the hear a little bit of each of us in [the album].” The col- them homeless: “They were all just rocking out to the (guitar) comprise Salt Lake’s post-hard- founding members left to pursue other interests. Gui- laborative process in which each musician has equal music—two of them sang Green Day with me,” says core heartthrobs, Heartless Breakers. tarist Nick Sasich joined shortly thereafter, teaming weight in how each song sounds has produced Life in Grundstrom. Condrat adds,“It was a powerful mo- up with Condrat for acoustic shows. Self-professed Static—one of Larusso’s best and most well-received ment for me personally. We didn’t make any money, “Larusso fan boy” and bassist Tyler “Fizzy” Gr- albums to date. but it’s one of the best memories I have of that tour.” undstrom followed with drummer/production wiz- ard Justin Trombetti joining as the most recent Life in Static is an album in which any of the songs Larusso are currently promoting Life in Static, which addition over two years ago, creating what Cond- could easily be played on the radio and no one can be found on larussorock.com.