Jack Grisham from T.S.O.L. discusses aging, sobriety, isolation, and creating an album from afar
Every morning, Jack Grisham engages in a conversation with Paul Roessler. Sometimes it lasts just fifteen minutes, while on other days, it extends to nearly an hour. They typically commence with discussions about aches and pains, gradually delving into deeper topics, often culminating in unanswerable philosophical musings that leave them both pondering their existence until the following morning, when the routine begins anew. It was during one of these sessions that Paul, the in-house producer at Kitten Robot Studios and a former member of The Screamers and 45 Graves, inquired whether the process of aging had ever impacted Jack’s songwriting. For years, the answer had been a resounding no.
However, the dynamic changed when “Pieces of the Sun” emerged.
This track serves as the debut single for Jack Grisham and the Life Undone, a fresh collaboration between the ex-T.S.O.L. frontman and The Joykiller lead vocalist and Berlin-based musician Lars Triesch. Scheduled for release on July 10 through Lost in Berlin Records, the self-titled album defies traditional categorization as a band. According to Jack, “We’re a couple of friends who made a cool record.”
From the opening fast-paced guitar riff that plunges listeners into the heart of the track without preamble, it swiftly establishes a rhythm reminiscent of ’90s guitar-driven pop. Drawing inspiration from Britpop-adjacent sounds that Jack had shared with Lars early on (The Who, The Damned, Adam Ant, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Stranglers, Dylan, The Beatles), the album offers a fresh perspective devoid of any hardcore undertones. “At the risk of pissing people off, I think the ’90s were a good time for guitar-driven pop songs,” Jack remarked. “This record was a sort of redo of my teen years minus the drugs and the alcohol. In the ’90s, I was touring the world with The Joykiller and I guess some of that bled in.” However, the musical revision only pertained to the sound, not the emotions of that era.
The song “Pieces of the Sun” emerged from an early-morning conversation with Paul Roessler. Jack revealed, “Lyrically, ‘Pieces of the Sun’ was an idea that came from Paul Roessler. We were talking about getting older and he asked if aging ever influenced my writing. Before I wrote this song, it hadn’t. I write song lyrics like a kid going through his first break-up. I didn’t think I was gonna live this long. I’m years past my expiration date.”
The collaboration’s inception can be traced back to a meeting at the Punk Rock Museum in Las Vegas, where Lars was researching an Edward Colver photo book. Through mutual acquaintance Edward, Lars was introduced to Jack. A casual conversation turned to the spontaneous suggestion of creating a record together. While neither party confesses to being the first to vocalize the idea, Jack insists he did not initiate the concept, having distanced himself once again from what Hunter S. Thompson famously dubbed “a business that is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs.” Despite being thirty-seven years sober, Jack found himself unable to resist the allure of potentially harmful ventures.
Lars, who had taken a hiatus from music following the disbandment of Profession Reporter in 2009, moved from Koblenz to Berlin with his partner Sara, eventually establishing Original in Berlin, a vintage furniture and design store. Reflecting on his time in Koblenz, Lars noted the town’s vibrant music scene and the influence of American punk on their community. Bands like Blackmail, spearheaded by Kurt Ebelhäuser, had a significant impact on the local indie scene. To this day, Kurt remains one of the most talented musicians Lars has encountered. Their shared musical journey culminated in Kurt producing Jack Grisham and the Life Undone’s album, encapsulating the essence of their collaboration.