HOW DID GARRISON FROST GET STARTED?
The band formed out of equal parts reckless decision-making, last minute panic and blackmail.
Around December 2006 I was feeling really restless and frustrated from being trapped in this weird musical limbo. I'd always been a guitar player and was tired of taking side-man gigs, playing other people's tunes and having no say in any creative aspect of a band. I had never really given singing a serious shot but, after writing songs for about a year and trying and failing to find a singer, I finally gave in and booked some solo shows at small places in and around Seattle, just to try the whole singing thing out under the radar and see if I had the chops.
The shows went well, I liked the challenge of entertaining a crowd on my own and the freedom to play and improvise whatever I felt like on any given night. It helped build my confidence, allowed to me to figure out how I sang and gave my songs a life of their own, but I knew the solo thing wasn't for me. I wanted to play in a proper rock band and not be lumped into the "tall, brown-haired, guitar-playing, Berklee-educated pansy whining on about past love and all that crap" demographic (I think John Mayer has that market nailed, that bastard). So I booked a recording session, but in my exuberance sorta neglected to find a drummer and bass player. That's kinda like feeling really great about buying a nice belt but then remembering you don't own any pants. Oops. The whole spontaneity thing can be a drag sometimes. Fortunately, I had just reconnected with Devin in Seattle and he was game to get into the studio. We recorded four tunes in an afternoon: Giving Up, You Said, Garden of Eden, and Just a Game. Justin wasn't in the band yet so I ended up playing bass! We didn't even have a band name yet.
When Devin and I heard the final mixes we knew we'd made some music that was pretty special, or at least had potential, or at the VERY least wasn't Nickelback. So, I went about filling out the rhythm section and gave Justin a call. I met him through my buddy Dave who played drums in his old band, P-38. The band had just broken up and Justin was eager to jam, so I invited him and Devin over to my rehearsal space and had band photos taken. I didn't really give Justin an option: he was in the band, and I had the pictures to prove it!
