By Kate Bartlett
Grosh is one of Buffalo’s most up-and-coming rock bands and frequently plays the stages of Ellicottville. Awarded “Best Local Original Music Art” by Buffalo Spree, Grosh is a genre-blending powerhouse that effortlessly blends rock, blues, and funk into a unique sound like none other. With their much-anticipated album soon to be released, Grosh will take the stage on both Friday and Saturday at Fall Fest in Ellicottville next weekend.
Grosh began about 7 years ago when guitarist Grace Lougen and Josh English started playing together as a duo. Both were involved in other endeavors, but joined together as a sort of passion project. Grosh came from their names put together (Grace + Josh = Grosh). “We had so much fun playing together that is started to become something real,” recalls Grace.
One of the duo’s first gigs was an opening set at Dinosaur BBQ. “We were hired as a rock duo playing original music, so Josh and I worked fast writing 14 original songs for the one-hour gig. It was a lot of fun and we still play a lot of these songs to this day.”
Megan Brown joined on vocals and Dylan Hund on bass, and in 2018 Grosh evolved into a 4-piece rock band playing venues across Western New York. All established musicians, the band members were well respected in the musical community and well-received by the crowds. Their following has grown steadily over the years, and they’ll soon be releasing a new album in October 2024.
The members of Grosh are eagerly awaiting the release of their third album, “Start Again”, anticipated to be released soon. Working under the guidance of Tim Lefebvre, Grosh traveled to Sonic Ranch Studios in El Paso, Texas to dedicate themselves solely to writing and recording this album. “It was an incredible opportunity and we’re so grateful for this experience,” says Grace. “We’re so excited to release this album. It has so many great songs, and it was such an incredible journey creating the album; we can’t wait to share it.”
Grosh plays mostly original music, but caters to the crowd throwing in the occasional cover song. “Live shows are our strength. We love playing in front of a crowd and jamming out together. We feed off each other’s talent on stage, as well as the crowds energy. Our shows are high energy. We love to pull people into the moment, helping them loose themselves in the music.”
Grosh enjoys playing in Ellicottville, as it affords the small-town feel, accompanied with the opportunity to play for new faces frequently. “We just love Ellicottville,” says Grace. “Everyone is so warm and welcoming, it’s great so see familiar faces and grab a beer before a show. But at the same time, the year-round tourism affords us to opportunity to play for new crowds frequently. It’s such a great town.”
Grace comments on the level of trust amongst the Grosh members. “We all really respect each other as musicians, and there’s a certain element of trust between us during our shows,” says Grace. “When you play live shows together, you have to trust your band members and their talent. We work great together and we’re friends outside of playing, and I think that’s something really special.”
Grosh is also unique in their ability to collaborate together in songwriting, as well as during live performances. “It’s unique and special to find such talented musicians that work well together. We all bring something to the table, we respect each other, and make really awesome music together.”
For more information on Grosh and to sample their music, visit groshband.com/home and follow on social media. Catch Grosh on Fall Fest weekend at one of their free shows in Ellicottville on Friday, October 11 at EBC Tap + Bottle Taqueria at 8pm and Saturday, October 12 at Balloons at 3pm at the Fall Fest Tent. Follow The Villager online events calendar for more of Grosh’s upcoming shows in and around Ellicottville throughout the seasons.