Young the Giant’s sound is as uniquely diverse and eclectic as its five members. Sameer Gadhia, Payam Doostzadeh, Jacob Tilley, Francois Comtois and Eric Cannata hail from, surprisingly, Newport Beach, California. An assembly of international names and assorted backgrounds that combine to produce a refreshing brand of sun soaked Indie rock. With lush experimental compositions complimented by subtle yet infectious pop hooks and unique, soothing vocals, it is a sound all their own.

Predominantly comprised of teenagers, the five piece delivers mature arrangements far beyond their years. As high school students they conquered the local Orange County music scene winning awards and praise, quickly developing momentum that was soon challenged by their new college lives. At 5 different schools, divided by hundreds of miles of the California coast, the band persisted, continuing to play shows and write new music for their EP Shake My Hand.

With the release of Shake My Hand came the new and unexpected challenge of keeping up with the demands of critical and popular acclaim.With their single Cough Syrup becoming a local favorite on KROQ, and strong web chatter from sites like absolute punk who claimedthe EP was a “Slick set of rock songs… that for all of its cocksure maturity and tight, catchy production, can easily be confused with a veteran stadium show”, the praise was reaching much further than the shores of Newport Beach.

The Union Line formed in early 2008 in San Juan Capistrano, CA. Drummer Tony Tancredi had been tour-managing bands since 2004 and was booking shows for acts Matt Costa and The Delta Spirit. Together with vocalist Richard Theisen, Johnny Wilson on keys, and brothers Jordan and Adam Sabolick on guitar and bass, the boys of The Union Line played their first show in February 2008 at The Gypsy Lounge. Quickly becoming a staple in the Orange County music scene, the boys recorded their first album, which was released the following summer. They embarked on a DIY west coast tour with friends The Local Natives, playing sold out shows at The Mint and House Of Blues of Anaheim, and caught the attention of One Little Indian Records, who began to license The Union Line’s anthem driven record.

After a successful west coast tour with over 90 shows under their belts, The Union Line got right back to performing and embarked on tour across the U.S. At the beginning of 2009, they were nominated for Best Indie Band, Best New Artist, and Best Album at the O.C. Music Awards. The boys took home the coveted Best Live Band award and played at the awards ceremony held at The Grove of Anaheim. The boys of The Union Line continue to tour and work on new material.

Hannah Hooper met Christian Zucconi late one evening on the lower east side of Manhattan. They had both been living in New York for years and had never crossed paths before. But from that night forward the two could hardly be pulled apart. Soon after their connection Hooper was invited to an art residency in Greece on the island of Crete and Hooper insists “without any hesitation” she invited Zucconi to join her on this journey. “Seriously, we had only known one another for a few days but are both so inspired and alive when we are together that going to Greece seemed like a magical and natural thing to do” recalls Zucconi.

On Crete, in a small remote mountain village, Hooper and Zucconi met the members of their future band “GROUPLOVE” a year before it was officially formed. Sean Gadd, a natural songwriter and guitar player, born and bred in London instantly bonded with the two eccentric New Yorkers. Their relationship became apparent through the music they were making day in and day out. Andrew Wessen, a pro surfer and musician from Los Angeles and his childhood friend Ryan Rabin, an accomplished drummer and producer, were also at the residency and quickly joined in with the musical trio. These five musicians make up the members of what we now know as GROUPLOVE .

Like all good things, the summer and the residency came to an end and the five friends scattered back to their homes all over the globe. With Sean in London, Christian and Hannah in Brooklyn and Ryan and Andrew in Los Angeles GROUPLOVE was faced with the challenge of what to do now.