ABOUT THE BAND

LISTED AS ONE OF ALTERNATIVE PRESS’S 50 UP AND COMING POP PUNK BANDS, NEW ENGLAND’S OWN ALWAYS GROUNDED IS A BAND THAT IS REMINISCENT OF THE LATE 2000’S POP PUNK AND EASYCORE HEYDAY GATHERING INFLUENCES FROM BANDS SUCH AS FOUR YEAR STRONG AND NECK DEEP. MERGING UNFORGETTABLE HOOKS WITH LOUD, AND HARD HITTING INSTRUMENTALS, THIS CONNECTICUT BASED 5 PIECE IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH.

 

SINGER/AMATEUR WRESTLER RJ DIONNE STARTED ALWAYS GROUNDED WITH HIS BROTHER, ELI THE BLIND GUY, AS AN ACOUSTIC PROJECT. AFTER RELEASING THEIR FIRST EP, THE DUO DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO TAKE IT SERIOUSLY AND TRANSFORM INTO A FULL BAND. RJ CALLED OUT TO AN OLD FRIEND, JUDE ANGELO ALEXANDER WHO TOOK ON THE ROLE OF LEAD GUITARIST. AFTER FINDING IAN DE CHANTAL TO FILL OUT THE LOW-END, THEY SOLIDIFIED THE LINEUP WITH MASON COHEN ON DRUMS. THE OUTFIT SHARES ONE COMMON BELIEF: THAT THROUGH ALL DIFFERENCES, MUSIC CAN BRING EVERYONE TOGETHER. THIS MINDSET IS A THEME THAT CARRIES OUT THROUGH THE BANDS LYRICAL STYLE, CREATING A SENSE OF SOLITUDE THE LISTENER CAN FIND WITHIN ALL OF THEIR SONGS.

 

IN 2021, THE BAND RELEASED THEIR DEBUT EP AS A FULL BAND TITLED “LETTERS TO MY YOUTH.” THE GROUP IS AMBITIOUS AND SET OUT ON TOURING RELENTLESSLY AND MAKING AN IMPACT ON FANS, CREATING A SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND HOME FOR THE WEIRD AND WONDERFUL.

RJ

LEAD VOCALS

RJ DIONNE IS THE LEAD SINGER OF ALWAYS GROUNDED, BUT YOU MAY RECOGNIZ HIS ALTER EGO, RJ RUDE, THE POP PUNK WRESTLER AND VIRAL TIK TOKER. RJ STARTED THE BAND WITH HIS BROTHER ELI DURING THE PANDEMIC BECAUSE ALONG WITH WRESTLING, HIS DREAM WAS TO MAKE MUSIC LIKE HIS IDOL TOM DELONGE.

ELI

RHYTHM GUITAR AND VOCALS

ELI STARTED ALWAYS GROUNDED DURING THE PANDEMIC WITH HIS OLDER BROTHER RJ. AS THE YOUNGEST MEMBER OF THE BAND, HE’S NOT ONLY RJ’S LITTLE BROTHER BUT EVERYONE ELSE’S TOO. ELI PULLS DOUBLE DUTY ON GUITAR AND VOCALS, AND TENDS TO HIT HIS HEAD ON THE MICROPHONE DUE TO HIS BLINDNESS.

 

JUDE

LEAD GUITAR

JUDE HAS BEEN PLAYING MUSIC SINCE HE WAS 11 YEARS OLD, STARTING ON THE TRUMPET AND SHORTLY AFTER PICKING UP THE GUITAR. AFTER SEEING MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE LIVE HE KNEW PLAYING MUSIC WAS THE ONLY THING FOR HIM AND SET OUT TO DO SO. JUDE MET RJ WHEN THEY BOTH WORKED AT HOT TOPIC AND TRIED TO CONVINCE HIM TO START A BAND, SO WHEN RJ AND ELI STARTED ALWAYS GROUNDED IT WAS ONLY NATURAL TO CONTACT JUDE.

 

IAN

BASS

IAN DE CHANTAL HAS AT LEAST ONE WORKING HAND (THAT WE NKOW OF) WHICH MAKES HIM MORE THAN QUALIFIED TO BE AN EXCELLENT BASSIST. FROM NEW YORK, HE BRINGS A WHOLE NEW PERSPECTIVE TO THE OTHER CT BASED MEMBERS

 

MASON

DRUMMER

MASON COHEN IS A REAL HUMAN WHO IS ALIVE AND REAL AND REALLY DOES ACTUALLY EXIST.