Andy Granelli remains integral to the storied history of California’s independent hardcore community. Anchoring The Nerve Agents with his frantic drumming and serving as the unwavering backbone for The Distillers, Granelli has returned with Seized Up. Fronted by BL’AST! singer Clifford Dinsmore, the group plays politically-charged hardcore to reinforce the uncertain times of post-COVID while evolving to confront personalized themes of mental health. The isolation, uncertainty, and unrest were the perfect storm for an angry and sincere hardcore band. Poised to release Modify The Sacred this August, Seized Up has seamlessly built upon their 2020 debut, Brace Yourself. The lyrical themes remain just as relevant and bluntly delivered but the music presentation is darker and with a heavier punch.
“Bassist Chuck Platt and guitarist Danny B. are totally into early Thrash, like Exodus which is not my thing but we write well together and the different elements of our styles work. I do feel like this is a full-circle thing for me because Eric Ozenne from Nerve Agents always talked about B’LAST. Eric was a great frontman, a perfect balance of Ray Cappo from Youth of Today and Cliff, who is the singer of my newest band,” laughed Granelli.
Seized Up was formed in 2019, out of the ashes of Fast Asleep. Granelli stated he had to step back from Fast Asleep and regain his health after continued struggles with alcoholism and bouts with substance abuse. Granelli shared he stopped using hard drugs in 2014 and finally put drinking behind him in 2019.
“100% percent of my drinking and drug use came from trauma, whether from my childhood, from change or my actions or actions to others. I was dealing with those feelings in an unhealthy way. My daughter and my wife showed me how my unhealthy coping mechanisms were killing me and ruining my relationship with them. I owe my success in sobriety to my daughter and my wife, whose loving guidance and support brought me here. You have to fully commit to the journey.”
Granelli’s journey within California hardcore began very early in high school with Model Americans but his first sustained impact and creative evolution came with The Nerve Agents. With ‘darkwave’ imagery and spastic stage presence fueled by Ozenne, the group was built on the conviction of playing a more energetic, old-school blend of hardcore, which was in marked contrast to their peers that focused on hard breakdowns and tougher, stoic imagery. The Nerve Agents debuted with their self-titled EP in 1998.
“I’m always going to be proud of that band. We wanted to create a more inclusive, welcoming hardcore community to counter what we thought was toxic masculinity. The fans were the best and really aligned with that, we built something together that resonated with people that supported us,” stated Granelli.
The Nerve Agents reached a pinnacle with 2001’s Butterfly Collection and the group successfully transitioned from the quintessential hardcore label Revelation Records to Hellcat. Nerve Agents were poised to undertake larger shows and more lengthy tours but Granelli stated eventually, the group was unable to further capitalize on the momentum.
“The momentum was strong and we played a lot of bigger shows. I remember there was a big tour idea for Canada or something but the rest of the group was unable to do it at that time. I was always about touring, it was very important to me and at that time, Nerve Agents couldn’t and we weren’t as active. I remember meeting Brody Dalle from The Distillers and we instantly became friends. They were about to go out on the road for a big tour with Rancid and AFI. I transitioned to the band because touring was very important for me and Nerve Agents weren’t as active so I made the tough decision to go out with them,” recalled Granelli.
The Nerve Agents had dissolved and formally broke up in 2002, while Granelli was able to experience just how quickly his new band was able to impact punk’s latest resurgence. The group earned consistent festival bookings and acclaim and with Hellcat’s strong push, The Distillers engaged in a media blitz leading to strong mainstream media coverage and ultimately, a deal with Sire Records.
“I really enjoyed playing out but I did feel regret because I felt responsible for breaking up Nerve Agents. Looking back, which I obviously did not have the luxury to do then, there are plenty of people involved with multiple bands and pulling it off. It was hard not being able to spend more time with the friends I loved and the band we started. I picked up the busier band which could sound selfish, I am not sure but I worked to free up my life to do both bands but that just didn’t happen,” said Granelli.
The Distillers embarked on lengthy tours for two years but exhaustion exacerbated by substance abuse forced the band to call it quits in 2005/2006, according to Granelli. Dalle’s romantic relationship with Rancid’s Tim Armstrong was frequent media fodder and Granelli suffered multiple losses, including grandparents, forcing him to balance the band’s dissolution while seeking ways to cope.
“I never properly coped with those losses and things got bad on the road. Success was actually never a problem with that band, but managing it was. We were young and all the cliché shit just came out. We did not do a good job reviewing contracts, we did not manage ourselves well. We went very quickly from Hellcat to Sire/Warner and looking back, I did not feel we had strong enough support to help us, as people properly manage it all. Despite the success, I felt things personally did not change for the better at that time,” stated Granelli.
The Distillers reunited in 2017 and in 2019, despite their last studio record, Coral Fang being released in 2003. Granelli remains proud of how his newest group, Seized Up is organically evolving, and being able to approach his craft with more clarity, he views his creative outlets within a more informed lens.
“Seized Up allows me to continually play out and I always enjoy being busy. I feel our new record, Modify The Sacred is a strong representation of where we’re at creatively. As for The Distillers, I am proud for it to exist in any form and we actually do have a completed new record! We’re waiting for the right time to release it and we’re working on playing a festival in Las Vegas in October. I know Brody is really going through some tough stuff right now and my heart breaks for her,” shared Granelli.
Dalle’s ongoing custody battles with Josh Homme continue to be a topic of discussion within several media outlets, hindering her ability to tour. Multiple restraining orders and a 2019 divorce weigh heavily on both individuals while custody plans remain unresolved.
Granelli proudly states he remains grounded and despite a global pandemic, positive creativity prevailed as Seized Up successfully released their debut. Unleashing a relentless hardcore record seemed to perfectly complement the misinformation, panic, and frustration so many communities expressed during the pandemic. Perhaps the most surprising endeavor was the undertaking of a possible Nerve Agents reunion, but sadly, nothing came to fruition due to the fallout with bassist Dante Sigona.
“It seemed like it was gonna happen but then Dante got into some awful online beef in 2020, said some awful shit. I was really surprised and it did not make any sense. Was it to get a reaction? We were not sure where it was coming from and it came off pretty bad. We weren’t sure if we could go out with him and I did not align with anything that he had said. It seemed his values were screwed up and I was not ok with that, so things just halted,” stated Granelli.
For Granelli, music remains a constant part of his life but he quickly stated it’s not all-encompassing. Parenthood and maintaining connections with nature also play strong roles for him, enabling him to achieve balance while recognizing how multiple passions drive him while remaining healthy.
“As a parent, I always strive to not impact my daughter by being negative. I want to be a good man and be honest with my emotions. It’s been hard to learn how not to be embarrassed by mistakes but to learn while working through them. That’s a hard skill but I feel I’m working toward that daily and making sure not to let negativity take over. You can’t put that negativity into your art and expect a good result. Anger is primitive and easy to express but so is joy,” concluded Granelli.
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Photo: Alan Snodgrass
