product: Grand Slam - A New Dawn

release date: 29.01.2016

label: AOR Heaven

format: CD

PR territory: Europe (excluding UK)

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Grand Slam was founded in 2007 in Malmö, Sweden, by drummer Andy Swaniz (ex-Quadruple), with the aim to appeal to a wide audience with their melodic rock style.

Bassist Henrik Hansson (ex-Hollywood) got on board the same year and songwriter Peter Alpenborg was brought in to get the ball rolling. There have been several lineup changes over the years, as well as a number of musicians hired only for specific recordings or gigs.

Up until spring of 2010, the focus had been exclusively on studio recordings, but now it was time for the band to do a stage debut. The debut was made in "Grand"-style, with an appearance in the TV-show "Talang", Sweden's equivalent of "Britain's Got Talent", with over one million viewers.

Later that year, the band was joined by keyboardist Daniel Grönberg Svensson who also started contributing to the songwriting, and guitarist Thomas Klintberg.

In the summer of 2012, Grand Slam found the perfect lead singer and frontman for the band, Andy Sinner (ex-Trash Queen). With the addition of two female backing singers, Ivana Papak and Lina Vernblom, Grand Slam was now ready to go out and perform for a live audience.

They entered the worldwide contest Emergenza and made it to the regional finals.
The band continued to play live during the summer and autumn of 2013, gathering a strong fan-following.

There was still something missing, and the void was filled by the addition of another guitarist, Andreas Gullstrand. The backup vocalists, Ivana Papak and Lina Vernblom, decided to leave the band that same year.

In 2014, Grand Slam went into the studio to record a three-song EP, "Waiting For Tomorrow", which received considerable attention worldwide. The EP was recorded and produced by Erik Wiss in Peekroom Studios.

Guitarist Thomas Klintberg left the band shortly thereafter, and the remaining band members signed a contract with AOR Heaven to release Grand Slam's debut album, "A New Dawn".
Erik Wiss was once again brought in to record the album, which is best described as a well-balanced mix of the original and new Grand Slam sound.