Pop Rock Band American WiFi Connects with Lansing
Story by Brendan Hamilton
While American WiFi has been around for years, their big break may be just around the corner. And for Lansing residents, they can catch the pop rock foursome at the neighborhood watering hole, Mac’s Bar Saturday, May 14th.
I have seen them constantly breaking their own ceiling of potential and reaching for new heights. This may be one a few times you can see and meet American WiFi before kicking yourself for not going, after they make it big. Below is an interview with the band’s frontman, Greyson Bos. He discusses early influences, what the band is up to, his songwriting process and what’s on the horizon.
What’s the biggest influences on your songwriting?
“Well, my first influence was The Beatles. They were the first thing I remember listening to. Their songs all sounded like picture books to me. When you’re a kid, your innocence protects you when you listen to stuff like ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’ or ‘I Am the Walrus.’ When you get older, you realize that those songs were influenced by drugs, but when you’re a kid you just hear it as a story. Nirvana was the band that inspired me to start writing songs, I thought ‘Hey, if this nobody from Aberdeen, WA can be considered one of the greatest songwriters of all time, why can’t I?'”
Can you tell me more about you headlining show at macs bar on the 14th?
“Well, first off, it’s going to be HUGE. It’s our first headlining show outside of our hometown, so obviously we’re really stoked. Lansing has always been good to us in the past, and Mac’s is a great venue: sweaty and intimate, just the way we like it. We’ll be sharing the stage with some awesome Lansing natives like Tidal, Porch Lights, and Dyno Gee. We’re absolutely psyched for the show, and we can’t wait to start playing in town more regularly.”
How has When the Sun Goes Down EP done since its release?
“It’s been doing well, we’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback. We sold out of our first batch of CD’s and we had to rush order more for the show this Saturday, which was kind of stressful, admittedly, but really awesome at the same time. We’re really proud of it, and definitely feel it’s our most cohesive piece of work so far. It really captures what we’re all about. Now we’ve got our eyes on the horizon, and are looking forward to putting together our debut album.”
Anything you would like to share about the new music video coming up?
“In February we shot our first ever music video for the song ‘Big A$$ Neighborhoods’ off of When the Sun Goes Down. In late 2015 we were approached by some students from Cornerstone University about doing a video, right about the time we were finishing up the EP. We worked closely with the director to come up with a fun concept that fit the song and we’re very pleased with how it ended up. We don’t have a confirmed release date yet, but it should be out sometime in May.”
How long have you been writing music?
“Since I was about 12 or 13 I think. Right around the time I started playing guitar. Some people pick up the guitar to play other peoples’ songs, but I picked it up because I had something to say. It never even occurred to me that I could play guitar and not write my own songs. I went into it thinking that being a guitarist and songwriter were synonymous with each other. 7 years and 300 songs later and nothing’s really changed, I still play to write.”
Do you have a method or creative process?
“I’ve written like 300 songs in my life, and all of them came to me in a different way. Sometimes I’ll start with a guitar part, then find a melody, and then write the lyrics. Other times it’ll be that but in reverse. Other times they’ll come from some weird synth loop on my laptop, or a unique drum pattern. The beauty of the creative process is that you can find inspiration from anything, it’s omnipresent. The trick is catching it and throwing it back in just the right way.”
Where do you think the band is now and where is it going?
“Well, I think we’ve come a long way since we started in 2013, and especially over the last year and a half or so. We’ve experienced some major highs, and been through some pretty devastating lows. But I think we’re now poised to have a break out year, and take some big strides. We’re playing out more than ever, we’re writing more than ever, and we’re having more fun than ever. The future definitely looks bright.”
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit fusionshows.