Avey Grouws Band Press Kit

Short Bio

(LONGER BIO BELOW)

"blistering guitar and emotional vocals" (BA/Vintage Guitar Magazine)

"Big voice, great guitar riffs, killer songs..." (Jim Clark/The Courier)

"This band kicks a**" (Martine Ehrenclou/Rock and Blues Muse)

"...a formidable ensemble." (Lee Zimmerman/Goldmine)

Avey Grouws Band blends blues, roots, rock and soul as powerfully as the Mississippi River runs through their home in the Quad Cities of Iowa & Illinois. Led by powerhouse vocalist Jeni Grouws and ace guitar man Chris Avey, the two-time top ten Billboard charting band are known for their gritty sound and engaging shows. Sophomore album, "Tell Tale Heart", was recorded in Nashville, TN with Grammy award winner, Casey Wasner (Keb' Mo', Taj Mahal). Released September 2021, "Tell Tale Heart" debuted #7 on the Billboard Blues Album chart. Avey Grouws Band also hit #10 on the Billboard with their 2020 debut album, "The Devil May Care". Avey Grouws Band toured the US this past year, including Kansas City, two Florida tours, an East Coast tour and a trip to Las Vegas to play the Big Blues Bender along with acts including Keb’ Mo, Beth Hart, Tab Benoit, Samantha Fish and many more.

In addition to charting on Billboard and Roots Music Report, the Living Blues chart, numerous end of year "best of" lists and getting top honors in the Unsigned Only Songwriting Competition and in the International Songwriting Contest, Avey Grouws Band has been nominated for 6 Independent Blues awards as well as for the BBMAs.

Information on the band at aveygrouwsband.com or on facebook and instagram.

VIdeos

Press

• "...Jeni Grouws is a remarkably demonstrative vocalist, fully capable of delivering sturdy rockers, blustery blues, or...a tender heartfelt ballad. For his part, Chris Avey comes across as a prototypical guitar ace, one whose searing fretwork is both dazzling and decisive. Together with bassist Randy Leasman, drummer Bryan West and keyboard player Nick Vasquez, they make for a formidable ensemble...Many of these songs could easily be mistaken for standards given the band’s adept arrangements, clear confidence and a decidedly agile approach as far as the shift in styles...an explosive offering indeed.'" (Lee Zimmerman/Goldmine) 

• "Vocalist Jeni Grouws has lost none of the fire and spunk shown on the AGB’s 2020 release, 'The Devil May Care', as evidenced here on the leadoff blues-rocker, 'Love Raining Down'. Dialing it back for a heart-tugging reading of the soul-rock ballad 'Hanging Around', she makes its case for serious airplay consideration. Impressive slow blues work appears on the pungent 'Bad, Bad Year' and the torchy title track. Props to guitar ace Chris Avey and band for solid support throughout." (Duane Verh/Roots Music Report) 

• "the band retains its raw edge while broadening its scope to lean more heavily into rock and blues rock, driven by the powerhouse vocals of Jeni Grouws and the incendiary guitar of Chris Avey...The title track has Jeni delivering the deep, smoldering slow blues that will induce both tears and raving applause as Avey rips out a spine tingling solo. Avey takes his extended turn of the spacey Pink Floyd like guitar vehicle, 'Mariana.'...On their sophomore effort, the Avey Grouws Band widens their scope, proving they are no one trick pony. Producer Wasner pushes them out of their comfort zone in a few spots and one gets the sense that the band is still experimenting to some extent, looking to still define a signature sound that will separate them from so many others in blues-rock. They offer enough evidence here to suggest they will arrive there soon." (Jim Hynes/Making A Scene)

• "There’s nothing like listening to a new album where the first song grabs you by the collar and the winners keep coming the whole way through the 10 tracks. This is Avey Grouws Band and their new album, Tell Tale Heart...A unique blend of groove-based blues/rock, rock & roll and R&B, Avey Grouws Band is led by one helluva vocalist (Jeni Grouws) and superb guitar player (Chris Avey), with their top-tier band of Bryan West on drums, Randy Leasman on bass and Nick Vasquez on keys. Tell Tale Heart demonstrates that Avey Grouws Band is a group to be reckoned with and that Tell Tale Heart deserves to be heard. The album kicks off with the killer song 'Love Raining Down,' a blues rocker with infectious rhythm. With powerhouse vocalist Jeni Grouws leading the way, the entire band is on fire, locked tight with expert drumming, guitar, keys and bass. Chris Avey lets loose on a brilliant guitar solo and the song builds to a blues/rock symphony of groove. This band kicks a**. Another standout, 'Bad, Bad Year' is a raging blues rocker that opens with overdriven guitar, organ and solid drumming. About the political unrest and division among friends, Grouws grabs this tune with gusto and grit. It’s been a while since a vocalist gave me the chills. Grouws digs deep and you can’t turn away. She’s a belter with deep rooted soul. Avey’s guitar rips with emotion and intensity—a thrilling guitarist to listen to...A bold move for a sophomore album but one that exceeds expectations, is the seven-minute instrumental 'Mariana.' A must-listen for guitar fans, Avey’s guitar work hints of Robin Trower with precision and deep soulfulness. Shimmering cymbals, subtle keyboards and bass, are the backdrop for a powerful instrumental. A gem. Avey Grouws Band is on the way to the top." (Martine Ehrenclou/Rock and Blues Muse) 

• "There seems to be a musical tension within the group, and I don’t know who comes down on which side, but it appears to work. At times I can hear a bit of Rachel Sweet’s country-tinged, soul-pop within the vocals of Jeni Grouws ('There For Me,' the rapid fire 'Heart’s Playing Tricks,' and 'Hanging Around') while elsewhere they go off on extended, jambolivian rambles (as on 'Mariana' and the timely 'Bad, Bad Year,') courtesy of lead guitarist Chris Avey...I most appreciate the ballsy, soulful songs... For me, 'Hanging Around' and 'Daylight' are the album’s most appealing songs, with 'We’re Gonna Roll' also memorable. Recorded in Nashville and co-produced by the band and Grammy-winner Casey Wasner, the band has achieved a larger-than-life sound with Tell Tale Heart, this never so notable as on the sprawling and impressive title track. The verses of this song feature Grouws at her vocal best, while the soaring instrumentation envelopes and lifts her performance. The closing 'Eye to Eye' brings the album to a fiery close, with Avey and Grouws exchanging barbs while finding common ground...A fun, energetic, and intense band, Avey Grouws’ music grew on me a little with every listen; Tell Tale Heart deserves our attention" (Donald Teplyske/Fervor Coulee) 

• "Big voice, great guitar riffs, killer songs...This is no ordinary band, this is one of those on the edge ready to spill over from being regional to becoming national...great stuff." (Jim Clark/The Courier) 

• "Iowa-based blues-rockers Avey Grouws Band has yet another delectable album to sink one’s teeth into...Loaded with ten all-original songs, Tell Tale Heart is an absolute gem of an album from start to finish. This is a record I highly recommend." (Phillip Smith/Phillycheeze Blues)   

• "Some great musicians have come from Iowa, from jazz innovators Bix Beiderbecke and Charlie Haden to the Everly Brothers and current Americana artist William Elliott Whitmore. But electric, female-fronted blues-rock may not be the first thing people imagine when they think of the Corn State. That could be changing. The Billboard-charting Avey Grouws Band is one of the Midwest’s hottest acts, delivering a fiery live sound that’s been selling out in at least half a dozen Midwestern states. This five-piece band, based in the Iowa-Illinois Quad-Cities, is fronted by singer/guitarist Jeni Grouws with Chris Avey supplying the lead guitar fireworks." (Rick Moore/Nashville Music Guide) 

• "...runs the gambit from straight up radio focused, vocal tracks and some stiff, guitar blues balladry...With a strong guitar fed, R&B style 'Bad, Bad Year' has a real nice feel. Avey has just the right amount of  gain and saturation to get a nice growl out of his guitar and Grouws vocals are sassy and powerful. Avey sets off on a gritty blues rock solo which gives the track a stinging kick. Title track, 'Tell Tale Heart', is a bluesy ballad with a wide open floor for Grouws to showcase her vocals...Avey's guitar soloing on this track is the stuff that guitar heroes like Gary Moore are made of with sweet phrasing and plenty of feel. Very cool." (Bman's Blues Report) 

• "Avey Grouws Band hit the mark with a gritty sound, stellar songwriting and a powerful show!" (Michael Limnios/blues.gr)

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Press Release for Tell tale Heart

AVEY GROUWS BAND Reveals a TELL TALE HEART

SEPTEMBER 24, 2021

Davenport, IA - Navy House Records proudly announces the release of Quad Cities, Iowa-based AVEY GROUWS BAND's TELL TALE HEART on September 24, 2021.

TELL TALE HEART, AVEY GROUWS BAND (JENI GROUWS - vocals/songwriter, CHRIS AVEY - guitar/songwriter, BRYAN WEST - drums, RANDY LEASMAN - bass and NICK VASQUEZ - keyboards)'s sophomore release, was recorded in Nashville at East Iris Studios and The Purple House (Leiper's Fork, TN) with Grammy-winning engineer/producer Casey Wasner at the helm. Featuring 10 original songs, Tell Tale Heart's music (described by producer Wasner as “rock and roll blues soul”)  demonstrates the label-defying band's command of a wide swath of American roots music -- including blues, classic rock, country, R&B, funk, introspective balladry and unbridled rock and roll.

Wasner, whose previous credits include a Grammy win for engineering the Keb’ Mo’, Taj Mahal album, TajMo, and playing drums with Keb’ Mo’ and rhythm guitar for Robben Ford stated "After spending two weeks straight in the studio with the Avey Grouws Band, I learned a couple things,” Wasner says. “The first week I learned that this band kicks ass. In the second week, I didn’t want our session to end. The hang and the music are infectious."

Jeni Grouws’ powerfully expressive vocals and Chris Avey’s ace guitar playing are complemented by their on-point bandmates. “I believe in this band more than I’ve believed in any other project,” Grouws says of the collaboration she considers the best musical experience of her life.

Grouws and Avey composed the Tell Tale Heart songs during the coronavirus pandemic. Many of the album’s lyrics respond directly to the international health crisis and political and social turmoil that engulfed 2020. 

Tell Tale Heart opens with “Love Raining Down,” an on-the-edge blues rock song that evokes early Led Zeppelin. Grouws’ lyrics express hope for a less factious future. “There was a lot of anger, especially on social media,” she says of 2020. “And then one day, during a huge storm, I thought, ‘Man, wouldn’t it be great if love was raining down? A whole bunch of love hitting everybody.’ ”

Another song inspired by real life, “There for Me,” charms with a positive message, feel-good groove and harmony vocals. Grouws sings about her two-fold gratitude, for the female friends who helped her through the pandemic and the thousands of online viewers who watched the 102 performances the Avey Grouws Band streamed live in 2020 and 2021. “There’s something special about knowing that you’re not alone,” Grouws says.

“Hanging Around” is a breezy track at the pop and ’80s alternative-rock ends of the band’s repertoire. The lyrics depict a relationship in which one partner stays, waiting in vain for the other partner to change. The album’s darker songs include title track “Tell Tale Heart,” a blues-infused power ballad about an unfaithful lover. “That’s the one that makes people cry,” Grouws says.

A seven-minute instrumental in a spacey Pink Floyd mode, “Mariana” spotlights the guitar prowess Avey gained through studying his guitar heroes. Changing stylistic direction again, the acoustic ballad “Daylight” captures the promise that a new day brings after a sleepless night. “Heart's Playing Tricks,” a funky blues-rock track, expresses the paranoia experienced when one suspects their partner is fooling around.

The funky “We’re Gonna Roll” expresses the need to find some fun in a post-pandemic world. And “Eye to Eye,” Tell Tale Heart’s high-spirited closing song, pairs Grouws and Avey for the album’s only vocal duet. “That’s Chris and me playfully yelling at each other,” Grouws explains. “We argue about everything, but I could not have a better friend.”

The future members of the Avey Grouws Band met in 2015 at Muddy Waters, a blues bar on the Mississippi River in Bettendorf, Iowa. Grouws, then working as a morning radio personality, was in town on business. She dropped by Muddy Waters to hear a blues jam led by Chris Avey, Bryan West and Chris’ brother, Mark Avey.

Grouws, trained early in piano, trumpet and vocals, and Avey, a self-taught guitarist, subsequently performed for a year as a duo. In 2017, West and Leasman joined them to form the Avey Grouws Band. (Keyboard player Nick Vasquez came on board in 2019).

Grouws sees her formal music training and Avey’s freewheeling, learn-as-you-go approach as the ideal combination. “I learned to do music exactly as it’s written,” she says. “But Chris is so anti-structure. He forced me to loosen up and go with the moment. I realized that I can follow my instincts and express something that wasn’t written or expected. That’s something I love about our performances. And it’s mesmerizing to watch Chris lose himself on stage. I’ve learned a lot from him.”

Avey and Grouws’ partnership worked beautifully for the first Avey Grouws Band album, The Devil May Care. Released in March 2020, the album was released to critical acclaim, reached #10 on the Billboard Blues Album Chart and received a BBMA nomination for best debut album by a new artist. The album was also nominated for four Independent Blues Awards. The song “Rise Up” was named top song on the Ben Vee Roadhouse 66 top songs of 2020 and “Come and Get This Love” won top honors in the Unsigned Only Songwriting Competition and a finalist placement in the International Songwriting Competition."The music and songwriting are solid…Grouws' stirring vocals, capable of delivering sultry phrases or passionate roars…an auspicious debut." (Jim Hynes/Elmore Magazine)

Last year, when the pandemic stopped the band’s touring plans, the Avey Grouws Band launched a year of twice-weekly streaming performances. The streaming —Friday night’s "Quarantini Party" and Sunday afternoon’s "Bloody Marys and Blues" — yielded a worldwide community of fans, watching in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Sweden and Australia.“We weren’t there to simply do a performance. We were there to connect with people, especially in a year when they were experiencing intense disconnection and isolation.”

With their second album ready for the world, the Avey Grouws Band is anxious to perform and tour again. “Maybe the most important thing to understand about our band is that we are the mix of all of our Middle America backgrounds and experiences,” Grouws says. “That includes blues, folk, Americana, rock. We take what we have learned from those masters and make the music that feels the most authentic to us. This album is the best work we have ever done.” 

Website: www.aveygrouwsband.com 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/aveygrouwsband

Facebook: www.facebook.com/aveygrouwsband

Youtube: www.youtube.com/aveygrouwsband

Longer Bio

Avey Grouws Band defies labels with their powerful Quad Cities sound, filled with blues, roots, rock and soul.

Avey Grouws Band met at a blues jam on the Iowa side of the Quad Cities along the Mississippi River in 2015. But it took almost a year’s worth of convincing before Chris Avey agreed to do a few acoustic shows with Jeni Grouws. In 2016 the duo grew their music and their fanbase and on January 1, 2017, Avey Grouws Band was born. The band went on to win the 2017 Iowa Blues Challenge and went to the semifinals at the 2018 International Blues Challenge. That same year, the EP “Road to Memphis” was released.

Garnering immediate attention at festivals in the Midwest in 2018 and 2019, Avey Grouws Band began to work on their style and on their sound and went into the studio to begin work on their first full length album. In 2019 they once again won the Iowa Blues Challenge and also went to the semifinals at the 2020 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN.

On March 20, 2020, Avey Grouws Band’s debut album 'The Devil May Care' was released and made waves from the start. The album hit #10 on the Billboard Blues Album Chart, #24 for the year 2020 on the Roots Music Report Top Contemporary Blues Album Chart, the song “Rise Up”, inspired by the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was named the top song of 2020 in the Ben Vee Roadhouse 66 Top Songs of 2020, and “Come and Get This Love” won top honors in the Unsigned Only Songwriting Competition and in the International Songwriting Competition. Although the pandemic had taken away the ability to tour the debut album, Avey Grouws Band was nominated for the 2020 BBMAs for Debut Album New Artist and was nominated as well for 4 awards in the 2021 Independent Blues Awards, including Best New Artist, Best New Artist Album. "Avey Grouws Band channels its pent-up enthusiasm and not slight musical ability toward an individuated brand of blues-rock that recommends its first album." (Frank-John Hadley/DownBeat Magazine) “Avey Grouws Band is from the ‘Quad Cities, along the mighty Mississippi and brings as much power as any band along that waterway, Memphis and New Orleans included.’” (Jim Hynes/Elmore Magazine) "I think (The Devil May Care) is one of the best debut albums I've heard, not only in Blues, but across all genres." (UK Radio)

Though the year was a difficult one for most, Avey Grouws Band did not rest and opted instead to use this time to not only write and record, but also to do twice weekly live streams with their Friday night Quarantini Parties and their Sunday morning Bloody Marys and Blues streams. The streams were unrehearsed, unscripted and widely loved. Viewers found regular viewers from across the United States as well as from Sweden, Germany, Wales, Scotland, England, Ireland, Australia and beyond. The band credits these informal live streams for having a huge impact on their international growth since the release of “The Devil May Care”.

In addition to their live streams, Avey Grouws Band spent 2020 writing and preparing to record. Finally in April and May of 2021, the band went down to Nashville, TN and Leiper’s Fork, TN to work with Grammy award winner, Casey Wasner. Wasner, whose previous credits include a Grammy win for engineering the Keb’ Mo’, Taj Mahal album, TajMo, and playing drums with Keb’ Mo’ and rhythm guitar for Robben Ford stated "After spending two weeks straight in the studio with the Avey Grouws Band, I learned a couple things,” Wasner says. “The first week I learned that this band kicks ass. In the second week, I didn’t want our session to end. The hang and the music are infectious."

Released in September 2021, "Tell Tale Heart" debuted at #7 on the Billboard Blues Album chart as well as on Roots Music Report charts, Living Blues, NACC and the UK’s IBAA chart and continues to get rave reviews, including multiple nominations for the Independent Blues Awards.

"The Billboard-charting Avey Grouws Band is one of the Midwest’s hottest acts..." (Rick Moore/Nashville Music Guide)

"Big voice, great guitar riffs, killer songs...This is no ordinary band, this is one of those on the edge ready to spill over from being regional to becoming national...great stuff." (Jim Clark/The Courier)

"This band kicks a**" (Martine Ehrenclou/Rock and Blues Muse)

"...a formidable ensemble." (Lee Zimmerman/Goldmine)