The once young band called The Grownup Noise has finally begun to live up to its name.
The band formed in 2005 as a somewhat rare bird on the Boston rock scene. After a couple years and several sold-out local shows, the band of Paul Hansen, Adam Sankowski, Kyle Crane, and Katie Franich had arrived. The band quickly hit the road to LA and back several times, touring DIY in a full size veggie-oil powered van. The bandmates will be quick to note that though the concept was high, the quality of life was… let’s say difficult. One of their wild veggie-van tour stories even made it into a book about famously bad tour stories.
The band celebrated success with high praise from outlets like the Onion AV Club and the Boston Globe and various song placements on MTV, NPR, Netflix, and award-winning independent films. Name dropping isn’t really the vibe anymore, but along the way the band also got to share the stage with some impressive names, including an official showcase at SXSW.
Poor student, turned basketball player, turned philosophy major in college, the songwriter of the band, Paul Hansen began his life in Boston dutifully studying jazz guitar and touring with Senegalese afro-pop artist and 70s Stevie Wonder percussionist Ibrahima Camara, when he was slowly pulled into the world of song. A late bloomer as a singer Paul, was taken by the music of Vic Chesnutt, Nick Drake, VU, GBV and many other styles of music. Each song by The Grownup Noise is a story – or perhaps even more so – a feeling. An Impressionist sound trying its best to parse out the sadness and contentedness of life.
Then life happened. A lot of life happened. Kyle the drummer moved to LA and became a rock star and is now currently performing with Neko Case, Madison Cunningham, Daniel Lanois and others. Katie pursued a PHD in Linguistics, Adam is a Music Therapist, and Paul is a self-employed private guitar instructor. A few kids were born along the way. The band allowed Paul, as the sole songwriter, to keep the name and expand the family of the band. The band’s 5th album saw Paul alone, challenging himself to write only on piano and synths.
After 20 years and much lived experience the original line-up is back together. The band of Paul, Adam, Katie, and Kyle have just finished tracking their 6th album ‘No Straight Line in the Universe’. “This album feels different, like maybe our sound has finally bloomed”, Hansen says as he admits the album is also his most personal. Included is a poem by Blanch Marie, his great grandmother who died giving birth to Paul’s grandmother, and is the only known artist in his Hansen family history. The band set her words to music. This new album feels like an artistic reunion by old friends who have a lot to say to each other.
