Grandaddy will break a 6-year hiatus next month for a string of reunion dates in California followed by a European tour. Here’s hoping more shows (and a new record) get added to the itinerary soon, but in the meantime, an update from the Modesto group’s talented main songwriter: Jason Lytle traveled to Bordeaux, France this month to collaborate with the Young Rapture Choir, a middle school music class that’s been working out new arrangements for his songs. Led by teacher Patrice Cleyrat, the youth ensemble have followed up work on the Laura Veirs catalog with choral, orchestral and straight-up rock band renditions of Grandaddy standouts — mostly mining the 2000 LP The Sophtware Slump.
At first I was expecting a PS22-esque event, but rather than expose a softer, more innocent side of Grandaddy (à la Scala & Kolacny Brothers covering “Creep”), these kids’ vision of the material seems even edgier than the source at times. (Try 30 seconds of “So You’ll Aim Toward The Sky” and you’ll hear what I’m getting at.) Watch two live performances, which were professionally filmed, below:
So You’ll Aim Toward The Sky
Jed’s Other Poem (Beautiful Ground)