Exposed Vocals Interviews Tice Griffin of Water District

Water District is an indie rock band based out of Los Angeles, CA. The band was formed in 2011 and comprises of Tice Griffin (vocals, guitar, piano), Hunter Gurney (bass), Alex Meingast (lead guitar, piano), and Ajay Awasthi (drums).

Originally a solo project of Tice Griffin, in 2011 he released a collection of demos, which would later be known as Space Elevator EP. The demos were described as “ an industrial sort of untamed sound that flies in the face of the musical norm” by IAE Magazine. In 2012 Griffin expanded Water District to a full band for the recording of the demo album, This Was Worth The Drive. That same year they were nominated for an LA Music Award for Rock Artist of the Year.

In 2013 they released their first EP “Dear California” and embarked on a self-funded, month-long national tour. In the summer of 2014, Water District was signed by independent label from Los Angeles, Normandie Records and recorded their self-titled EP. Water District EP was released digitally in December 2014 and their single “Dear California,” a re-recorded version from their earlier demos, gained the attention of local Orange County radio station KX 93.5. The EP was received positively for its production and display of the band’s growth.

Their latest single “Supernova” is out now. For “Supernova” the band worked with Aaron Espinoza (Earlimart, Silversun Pickups, Ben Gibbard) at The Ship recording studio in Eagle Rock, CA. The record was mixed by Tony Hoffer (Fitz and The Tantrums, Foster The People, Silversun Pickups), and mastered by Dave Cooley of Elysian Masters. The band is preparing to release an EP in the spring of 2017.
www.waterdistrictmusic.com

Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?

Tice Griffin of Water District: I grew up one hour outside of Los Angeles in Orange County. Since I could remember I wanted to make music. It was the first and only thing I ever wanted to do.

Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?

Tice Griffin: We just like the sound of it.

Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?

Tice Griffin: It is what it is. We all kinda grew up in the world of music sharing. We will charge for downloads but we like to give physical copies away at shows, it’s not the most lucrative approach but it seems to work.

Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?

Tice griffin: Don’t be afraid to write simple songs. One of the most common things I find new bands do is try to over complicate things. The most memorable and successful songs consists of three to four chords and it’s been that way for years. If it’s not broken don’t try to fix it.

Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?

Tice Griffin:  When do we not make mistakes is the question! Haha I don’t think I ever want to get to a point in this band where we never make mistakes. It’s  what makes a live performance fun in my opinion. We handle it by embracing it.

Exposed Vocals: What are interesting things that happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?

Tice Griffin:  We hit a deer in New Mexico one night driving to OKC! It’s not something you have to look out for here in Los Angeles so when you see a deer crossing sign us city boys tend to disregard it. But we hit this thing doing 80 miles per hour and we were lucky enough to not sustain any serious damage to our van besides a giant dent. It turns out its so common in New Mexico to hit a deer that car insurance is higher there than most other states.

Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?

Tice Griffin: I find inspiration from the people around me, friends and strangers alike. I’ll hear some one say something in passing and put the words to chords and or riffs I have been coming up with over the years. I usually peace these ideas together in the morning when no one is home. Then me and the guys will make a song.

Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?

Tice Griffin: You can basically find all the links to our social media via our website www.waterdistrictmusic.com

Exposed Vocals: What are some really embarrassing songs that we might find on your mp3 player?

Tice Griffin: I am not easily embarrassed by what I listen to but perhaps little girls by Oingo Boingo could be considered embarrassing! Haha

Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?

Tice Griffin: Buy a home and build a recording studio inside of it. Travel for a few weeks and send my parents on vacation, they could always use a break.

Exposed Vocals: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?

Tice Griffin: Our rehearsal studio is always under going upgrades from new microphones to vintage analog tape machines.

Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?

Tice Griffin: We take awesome interviews like these.

Exposed Vocals: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?

Tice Griffin: It would be cool if The Smiths Got back together and we could open up for them. They are just the first band that came to mind.

Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?

Tice Griffin: Our most recent single “Supernova” that we were fortunate enough to have Aaron Espinoza track, Tony Hoffer mix and Dave Cooley master is available for download. It will be part of our up and coming EP that we plan to release in spring of 2017.

Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?

Tice Griffin: Astronaut!

Exposed Vocals: Do you remember buying your first album? Who was it? What was going through your head?

Tice Griffin:  Sublime 40 Ounces to freedom, I actually stole it from my oldest sister! I remember thinking I couldn’t classify what kind of music it was and wasn’t sure if it was appropriate for me to listen to it! Haha

Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?

Tice Griffin: I’m not sure if I do! I always feel unbalanced with one or other. It’s just something that comes with the career choice. Just like doctors don’t get a lot of sleep or athletes have worn down joints. We sacrifice things in our life’s for our passion.

Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in the next year or so?

Tice Griffin: Music videos, tours and our new EP.