Griffen Handshake is an alt-punk band forged in Pittsburgh, PA. Consisting of brothers Millen (guitar, vocals) and Arjun Schuchert (drums, vocals), the duo dropped its debut album, "My Box", in April of 2021. The band just dropped their new singles, "All My Friends Wanna Be Doctors" and "CANCEL" to kick off their new era of music. These two songs will accompany three other originals on their new EP, "IN YOUR FACE", which will be out on all music platforms on December 30, 2022. The band's original music comments on mental health, social media, and the external pressures of carving out a path in life. The handshake is a secret. At least for now.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Hello Millen from Griffen Handshake. What made you take up music?
Back in middle school, I got really into poetry and writing raps. Once I got into high school, I still had that same love of creating and that's when I really got into punk rock. And there was no going back. Even though I have to say, the game, Rockband 2 was very influential for me and Arjun. We used to play that all the time growing up with him on drums and me on guitar. And soon after, we started attempting to play music for real.
Your latest track is 'CANCEL'. Can you share with us the background of its creation and did any unusual things happen during its creation?
CANCEL was a very fast song to write. I have a tattoo of "love imperfection" on my arm, and I wanted a song to capture the significance of that phrase and what it's all about. It's also about navigating hate throughout life and trying to embrace the negativity around you as much as possible.
How do you deal with the pressure that is put on artists by fans, promoters etc.?
One of the biggest challenges in pursuing a career in entertainment / performing arts in today's world is how much interaction you have to do over the phone. It gets draining. When you're constantly interacting over social media with something music related, it sometimes can be too much. I need to find some time in the day when I can completely get away. And I think doing something not on my phone takes away some pressure.
How do you spend your time?
For us, we always want to work as brothers on setting up live opportunities with shows / meeting people along with putting ourselves out there on social media. Both are important to us, so our day revolves around those two goals.
What are you most proud of?
I am very proud of some of my original song creations because songwriting is my biggest passion. But I think I'm more proud of being in a band with my brother. I am very lucky that we get to do this as a family. It makes it a lot easier for us to go through this together.
What advice do you have for beginning artists?
I think the main thing is to stay true to yourselves first and foremost as cliche as that sounds. And also take action. It's important to daydream and imagine what's ahead, but in reality, we never know what's to come. We can only live in the present. And the more work that gets done now will only be a benefit in the future. So taking action right away and not waiting too long is important.
What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as an artist?
We have a long way to go. In terms of the creative process, so much of that is driven off of experiences. I am looking forward to our plans in 2023 because we may have a potential regional tour in the works as well as other traveling plans where we can discover new artists and experience other music cultures / cities. Experiences bring stories and memories which all play a huge role in the creative process.
Do you think that technology is improving lives?
I think for the most part it certainly is. In our songs we talk a lot about mental health and technology's negative impact on our wellbeing. However, technology has made many aspects of life a lot easier.
Is there anything you would like to say to your fans?
We love you so much. Your words and support really mean so much to us. Thank you for being there.