December 9, 2011 http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/ontheverge/story/2011-12-06/on-the-verge-with-indie-rock-group-grouplove/51765840/1?loc=interstitialskip Grouplove grew out of friendship By Korina Lopez, USA TODAY Group love, indeed: This Los Angeles-based quintet certainly lives up to its name. "We never planned to be a band. We were friends first and we just love being together," says lead singer Christian Zucconi. "Grouplove grew organically from that love." Their debut album, with the tongue-in-cheek title Never Trust a Happy Song, is quickly spreading the love, too. Their sweet and savory mix of jangly, upbeat melodies, Zucconi's anguished howl and keyboardist Hannah Hooper's coquettish backup vocals have been making the rounds in indie rock circles and on the charts. Joyful, noisy single Colours peaked at No. 12 on USA TODAY's alternative chart. Another track, Tongue Tied, lassoed the new iPod Touch commercial, which ran during the Grammy nominations concert and has continued since Thanksgiving. Add Grouplove's lock as the opening band for Young the Giant's tour in March and April, and it's no wonder they're so lovey-dovey. Happy accidents: Zucconi wasn't always this upbeat. "Before Grouplove, I was in other bands, but the timing never seemed right," he says. "I'd wake up every day depressed, I spent so many years miserable doing music. But it's wonderful now how we overcame everything together. It's funny that Grouplove is such a happy band." The band members met each other in 2008 at an artist commune in Crete. "Hannah's never been in a band. She's an artist who was invited by the older brother of (guitarist) Andrew (Wessen)," says Zucconi. "She and I had met in New York earlier that week. She'd seen me play, fell in love with my music, we met and really hit it off, so she invited me to Greece." Once there, the rest of the pieces fell into place. "Ryan (Rabin), who is our producer and drummer, grew up with Andrew, and Sean (Gadd, bassist) is from London," says Zucconi. "We fell in love with each other, sharing music while sitting around fires on the beach. It was very idyllic." But it wasn't until a year later that the band officially formed. "We decided to get together in Los Angeles. Ryan suggested that we record a song," says Zucconi. "One song turned to eight. Ryan's parents' basement turned into our studio. We moved into a group house together." Disparate beginnings: Coming from very different backgrounds enhances their approach to music. "We treat each song uniquely, so there are a lot of emotional ranges on Colours, but it all comes back to how we came together in Greece. We were strangers that came together, and now we grow together. It's very organic in that sense." Zucconi worked as a truck driver and bartender in New York City during his years as a struggling musician. "I grew up in Westchester County in New York. It was a very blue-collar town," he says. "We all bring our different life experiences to our music. For me, it's growing up with divorced parents, hopping around from Mom to Dad." But Zucconi also credits his creative openness to his mother. "She's an amazing artist, and she always encouraged me to explore that world. She got me playing guitar." Hooper, who hails fromSan Francisco, brings an interesting flair to the group. "She'd never been in a band before, but I think she's a secret musician. She brings such life and light to our music," says Zucconi. "Rabin has a pop background and magical ears. He always makes whatever we're doing work." Savoring success: Before the band sets off on tour with Young the Giant on March 6 in Burlington, Vt., they're staying busy with a lot of radio shows with bands like Mumford & Sons, Foster the People and Cage the Elephant. Then it's off to Australia for New Year's for a quick two-week tour, and then to England for a few shows. "It's so interesting how I'd struggled for so long in New York, but once I relaxed and let go, stopped trying so hard, that everything just fell into my lap," says Zucconi. AUGUST 26, 2011 AUGUST 8, 2011 http://www.spin.com/gallery/10-best-sets-lollapalooza-2011?page=1 The 10 Best Sets of Lollapalooza 2011 2 of 11 No. 10: GROUPLOVE As their name implies, this Los Angeles pop quintet's sound is like a musical anti- depressant, and early-bird concertgoers were rewarded with a hefty dose Friday afternoon at the Sony Stage. Especially noteworthy was the bubbly "Itching on a Photograph," on which vocalists Christian Zucconi and Hannah Hooper "didn't just sound as if they were longing for someone. They sounded as if they were experiencing longing for the very first time,"wrote SPIN's David Marchese. PHOTO BY KYLE DEAN REINFORD October 11, 2011 http://www.npr.org/2011/10/06/141135010/grouplove-tiny-desk-concert Grouplove: Tiny Desk Concert By: Bob Boilen Grouplove knows how to write the kind of songs that keep me awake at night, that sing in my head over and over, that have me pounding the steering wheel to the beat, and that are worth rolling down the car windows and sharing with pedestrians whether they want to hear them or not. These aren't the greatest singers or guitarists we've had play in the NPR Music offices — the early-day warmup for the three songs here seemed about the length of a full concert — that craft will strengthen as they play. Grouplove has been together for less than two years, but its knack for pop songwriting is priceless. You can hear it best on the band's debut album, Never Trust a Happy Song. Singer Hannah Hooper and songwriter, singer and guitarist Christian Zucconi met the other members of Grouplove — Sean Gadd, Ryan Rabin and Andrew Wessen — far from their homes at an artists' retreat on the Isle of Crete. They vowed to work on music together and recorded an EP in the garage of drummer Rabin's parents; Rabin's dad is Trevor Rabin, guitarist for the prog-rock band Yes in the early '80s and '90s. When it came time to work on Never Trust a Happy Song, Grouplove moved from the garage to Ryan Rabin's apartment, where he did his first major album production. The band is a collaborative unit, and though songs may start with Christian Zucconi, everyone chips in. Judging from the music, there's a lot of fun and sparks flying in those rehearsal sessions. Grouplove's name is emblematic of its spirit; it's also emblazoned as a tattoo on many of the band members. So, honestly, how could they ever break up? In the meantime, I look forward to hearing Grouplove grow. November 30, 2011 http://mplayer.pastemagazine.com/issues/week-20/articles#article=/issues/week-20/articles/grouplove-the-best-of- whats-next By Adam Vitcavage, Photo by Autumn de Wilde Hometown: Los Angeles Members: Christian Zucconi (vocals/guitars), Hannah Hooper (vocals/keyboards), Andrew Wessen (guitars), Sean Gadd (bass), Ryan Rabin (drums) Album: Never Trust a Happy Song For Fans Of: Givers, Wolf Gang, Viva Brother The men and woman of Grouplove just want to have fun. While preparing to record a private session for Paste’s film crew at the DeLuna Fest in Pensacola Beach, Fla., they looked longingly at the water as we walked down the beach. They cracked jokes at each other’s expense, offered me a glob of sunscreen and expressed an immediate desire to go swimming. That desire proves overwhelming as they decide to leave the safety of the sand and play acoustically in the water. Not the part of the shore where the tide would graze the bottom of their feet, but in the ocean. The crew filmed as the Los Angeles-based band sang and danced, splashing about like it was their first time on the beach. “It’s important that we give like a million percent in shows,” singer Hannah Hooper says as we sit in the shade underneath the pier, “regardless if there are five people or five hundred.” They certainly gave everything they had in the gulf. If they weren’t already exhausted, they certainly are by the time we huddled together on a few complimentary towels from their hotel, but it’s a blissful relaxation after another adventure together. The vibe is a lot like the summer of 2009 when Hannah Hooper and her newfound friend, singer/guitarist Christian Zucconi, were at an artists’ residency on the island of Crete. They barely knew each other but Hooper had “[fallen] madly in November 30, 2011 -continued- http://mplayer.pastemagazine.com/issues/week-20/articles#article=/issues/week-20/articles/grouplove-the-best-of- whats-next love with him; in a totally not creepy way.” Zucconi and Hooper ended up meeting the rest of the band, who were also on Crete for various reasons, because the couple had the best shower at the campsite. Guitarist Andrew Wessen previously knew drummer Ryan Rabin, but bassist Sean Gadd was a complete stranger to them all. Bonding happened quickly and naturally and by the time they left the island, they had written “Don’t Say Oh Well” (which appears on the EP) on the night of a lunar eclipse. The bonds they forged remained strong even after the five dispersed back to their own lives before reuniting in Los Angeles to record the EP.