Giants in our midst: grunge legend to visit Republic Brewing

By Liv Stecker

Photo Credit: Megan Blackburn

The pioneer grunge band Nirvana disbanded in 1994 after the untimely death of frontman Kurt Cobain, but the cultural impact didn’t stop there, and neither did the music. Band members splintered off to join other acts, go to college or start up their own bands, some of which have gained notoriety in their own right.

Krist Novoselic, Founding bass player for Nirvana, took up farming. Alright, so that’s not all he did. But after starting up and playing with a few bands in the late nineties and early 2000s, Novoselic turned his attention to even dirtier matters than grunge - politics. Forming JAMPAC (Joint Artists and Musicians Political Action Committee) with other Washington state artists, Novoselic went after legislation such as the “Erotic Music Law” which was later re-named the “Matters Harmful to Minors bill”. They also tackled the 1985 Teen Dance Ordinance that limited minor’s access to live shows. In his first book, Of Grunge and Government: Let's Fix This Broken Democracy, published in 2004, Novoselic tackled the underlying political issues that were driving far-reaching legislation in true Footloose fashion.

Fighting tyrannical censoring isn’t the only thing that Novoselic has in common with Ren McCormick, he knows a thing or two about small farm towns - the grunge music legend now serves as the Worthy Master of Grays River Grange No. 124, near Novoselic's home in Deep River, a tiny town in the heart of Wahkiakum County, the county with the second lowest population in Washington State (Garfield is the lowest, and our own Ferry County comes in fourth after Columbia).

It was at the grange that Novoselic met fellow “grangers” Jillian Raye, Erik Friend and Ray Prestegard, and they formed the band Giants In The Trees after one jam session. Raye says that she got a phone call from her musical partner Friend an hour before the jam session.

“He said, you better get down here!” and she went. The rest became history. While they all have farming obligations and have embraced the rural lifestyle (drummer Friend lives completely off grid), they are dedicating more energy to the band. “We’re putting our all into now, the four of us,” says Raye, putting some other musical pursuits on hold.

Novoselic, Nirvana era

According to their Facebook description, Novoselic and his latest musical inception play music that “... inspired by the environment and culture of the Lower Columbia River,” and while it might be a step or two away from his grunge roots, the foursome says that they “have created a sound that could best be described as Pop / Rock. The band is not offended by terms like schmaltz.” the description of their music continues: “On the other hand, there are heavy groove numbers, screaming slide guitar and accordion. There is even an anthem—so raise your arms with the phone flashlights.”

Raye and Friend also play together in a band called the Skamokawa Swamp Opera, Prestegard hails from a blues background and of course, Novoselic brings his grunge roots to the table. Giants In The Trees formed right after the first jam and composed their first song that day. They play what could be called a pop-rock mix with a little banjo and accordion thrown in. Much of the Giants’ music is influenced by the rural lifestyle they live and the northwest.

“The beauty and environment definitely play into our music,” says Raye. “We’ve got a little country, a little pop and little slow-grooving, haunting type stuff.” On their tour of northwestern venues, urban and rural alike, the band will pay a visit to Republic Brewing on Saturday, July 22nd for a ticketed concert. Raye says this is the farthest they have traveled for a show so far. Tickets are $14 in advance and available at republicbrew.com or $18 at the door with a $21 seated option. For more information check out Republic Brewing on Facebook.