When legendary punk group TSOL announced their last California shows in January, fans speculated the group was going on another hiatus, or were they finally ending after 46 years? Singer Jack Grisham wryly commented, “Take it as you wish” on social media, but he has clarified that the punk/goth innovators are not playing live moving forward.
“It’s a retirement for me. I want to create, I have restless creativity, and I wanted the band to record more. It has gotten harder and harder to tour, and even though I am grateful for everything, it got to a point where just playing live was not enough for me,” stated Grisham. He added that capturing the band’s initial anger, darkness, and energy on record might be problematic moving forward. “We give it our all every night, but what now? I am not 18 anymore, and those original songs were made by kids.”
Grisham never remains creatively idle; whether penning neo-noir novels, giving guest tours at the Punk Rock Museum in Vegas, or delivering sobriety talks to strengthen community, he retains the same enigmatic charm and drive to foster personal connections. His recent museum appearance proved to be a pivotal moment, as one brief introduction has led to a resurgence in his songwriting, despite adamantly stating he had no intention of forming another group or playing live, which makes the advent of Jack Grisham and the Life Undone such a surprise. Lars Triesch, a former musician from Germany, shared that he knows iconic photographer Ed Colver as an acquaintance, and unbeknownst to himself and Grisham, their chance meeting served as a creative catalyst.
“After finishing an interior design project, Ed invited me to the museum, where I met Jack. I then invited Jack to the interior design project opening, which was for Zappa’s studio. I thought to entice him with a real Cuban cigar because I didn’t think he would come, but he did, and we really got to talking,” recalled Triesch.
Triesch is a former hardcore musician, but Germany rarely featured any U.S. bands touring, so he had to envelop himself in U.S. hardcore VHS tapes, magazines, and mail-order records. He retired from music to begin his own handmade furniture and design business, but his first visit to the U.S. reignited his love for the punk and hardcore subculture.
“I visited right after 9/11 happened. It was such an eye-opening experience!” shared Triesch. “I got to see where so many of my favorite bands played, and I was a big fan of reading Jack Kerouac and Charles Bukowski. Seeing what inspired them to write in person was very impactful. Bukowski was actually born only a few miles from me, so I felt connected to him. Meeting Jack and knowing his music growing up, then meeting him and eventually recording with him was a full-circle thing.”
Grisham and Triesch shared similar approaches to songwriting, and after extensive discussion, they agreed to move forward and record, under the strict condition that the record would not result in any live gigs. “Getting back onstage is nothing I am looking for now. I am headed to 65 now, and it’s not sexy or cool,” laughed Grisham.
He added, “Youth and rebellion look great, but rebellion and old age are a bad marriage. And speaking of, I got married last year. It only took me four times, but I am very happy. She’s a therapist, so I think it’s a great match.”
The duo shared ideas and began rehearsing via Zoom, but technical glitches led to frustrations, and they almost abandoned the project.
“Jack has a crazy work ethic! I would write hours a day, and we would try to play together live, but the delay from Zoom made things difficult. Jack eventually flew out to me in Germany for ten days, and we would play and record from 10 am to 2 am. Every day,” said Triesch.
Grisham said the project evolved to feature layered vocals supported by strong melodies and approaching each song as if it were a single, reduced creative pressure.
“Knowing we would not have to play live made things feel easier for me. We were going to cater to whatever was coming out. I am really proud of it, and everyone did an incredible job. The tones and melodies are so strong,” he said.
Lars shared that it was initially disappointing when Grisham adamantly stated the project would not result in live gigs, but during the songwriting process, Lars began thinking back to his hardcore days. “I knew that was what Jack wanted from the beginning. I immediately felt the power behind what we were doing, and I know the importance of creative evolution. I could hear that growth in his singing, and despite being a fan, I never knew he could play other instruments like piano, which he used when we were writing, while I did drums and acoustic guitars. You don’t wanna be complacent, and I feel this record shows we took risks.”
Complacency is not a superlative to describe Jack Grisham. During the initial height of TSOL, the band diverted the subculture to their evolving goth/punk songwriting. Their hallmarks of dark lyricism delivered by Grisham’s dramatic, Vincent Price-like vocals, complemented by guitarist Ron Emory’s powerfully fragmented melodies and urgent tempos, earned them strong support, but the introduction of keyboards and haunting, slower tempos were not immediately embraced by the punk subculture or the independent press. This contributed to TSOL being outliers within a genre they helped facilitate. Jack Grisham and the Life Undone features similar, slower melodies that may fit within TSOL’s last record, A-Side Graffiti, but the tempos veer off punk’s path. His trademark vocal inflections have slowed in tempo, but the conviction behind them remains unquestioned.
“I really was going to be done with music, and then this project popped up. It was nothing I planned, but if I am not being creative, I can get depressed,” shared Grisham. TSOL has reinforced his fearless drive to push boundaries, and with a catalog of records to prove punk did not have to paint itself into a corner with mere speed and aggression, one could make a case that Jack Grisham has nothing left to prove, but the effort to bring the Life Undone record to fruition once again shows him testing the limits of his creativity.
“I read a great Stephen King quote about being creatively prolific. He said if he wasn’t being creative, the monsters in his head would turn against him. I feel the same way,” said Grisham.
The journey to Jack Grisham and the Life Undone spanned thousands of miles and innumerable times rehearsing, but Triesch feels the record’s urgency, even after all the late-night recording sessions.“I’ve never worked that hard before! I enjoyed every moment and pushing each other to get the best performances. Jack would laugh, saying he couldn’t believe he was doing music again, but you could really see his drive to make the songs as best he could.”
Grisham says he continues to remain active within his community, hosting sobriety meetings, which he did while touring throughout the decades, and facilitating new ways to give back to his community.
“There has been community in music, but for me, community is right where I live. If I see someone struggling, I will help with no bullshit or judgment.” He shared that he has flown to other states as a guest speaker to lend sobriety support to any individual or organization willing to accept it, but a recent meeting right in his home gave him pause.
“When I was working on the TSOL documentary, a woman visited me wanting to make a donation for the film, which I felt weird about accepting her money,” he said. “She asked if I remembered her, and I was embarrassed to say I didn’t. She then said her donation was for helping her kid and how I worked hard and gave the best parts of me away for free. That meant a lot because doing positive things, you may not always remember who you helped or if you made any impact at all,” said Grisham.
TSOL’s legacy may have been marred by violence, prison stints, and addiction, but the redemption and altruism have transcended the proverbial dark clouds that pushed each member to their respective limit. For Grisham, his restless creativity is a testament to the conviction that an individual’s spiritual and creative evolution is not a finality.
“Fuck yeah, personal growth and community are important to me. I am proud to know the names of everyone in my community and to help when needed. This is where I put my energy, and I find it very satisfying,” said Grisham.
https://www.instagram.com/jackgrishamthelifeundone/
https://lostinberlinrecords.com/
https://www.instagram.com/lars_triesch/
https://www.instagram.com/tsol_official/
Photo: Swen Siewert
