Maniac

Maniac may be the music collaboration between performers Jake Grigg (Sydney, Australia) and Shawn Harris (Oakland, California), two close friends who also initially began composing together in 2008 if they were living on reverse sides from the world. At that time, these were both also normally occupied with individual rings — Grigg in Something with Figures and Harris in the Fits — therefore their musical collaboration was largely limited by on-line Skype meet-ups and sporadic holidays. Quickly enough, nevertheless, Maniac became each of their primary focuses, plus they enthusiastically worked well to art pop music that arrived seemingly straight from the ’80s. They drew impact from your Beatles and duos like Hall & Oates and Packed House, furthermore to more sophisticated acts like BEATEN UP, MGMT, Blur, as well as the Sleepy Jackson. However, it wasn’t until Harris’ proceed to Australia in March 2010 that both could actually finally record collectively and play live. They released the EP Prolonged Play on Quit Start Information in Australia that June and spent all of those other year carrying out around Sydney. To accomplish their sound inside a live establishing, Harris’ sister Vanessa became a long term gig member, adding on secrets and backup vocals. Maniac ultimately made its in the past to america, with multiple displays around their fresh home foundation of California. The music group released its full-length LP Mania in-may 2011, which have been preceded by an appearance on the South by Southwest music celebration. Positive press implemented from journals like Alternative Press and Moving Stone Australia; as time passes, they discovered themselves sharing expenses with works like Atomic Tom, Category of the entire year, Kevin Devine, Voxhaul Broadcast, and Rooney. Visible artists furthermore to music artists, Harris and Grigg kept fast towards the D.We.Y approach to functioning and creating; they designed their albums and products, and utilized their personal printing press to totally finance the band’s pursuits once getting back the U.S. Harris also developed low budget movies for many of Maniac’s paths, like “Thank Each Mistake,” that was made out of an iPad app. In the springtime of 2011, the duo filmed and self-produced a documentary that implemented them because they performed house celebrations and hitchhiked the 3000 kilometers from Barstow, California to NEW YORK, using music as their just currency. In the mean time, they raised money for his or her sophomore full-length, Sons of Summer time, by offering four limited-edition EPs throughout 2012 because they had been creating the record. Maniac backed Foxy Shazam on times in the first spring and targeted release a the finished recording that fall.