Biography:

(from left to right: Ian Barraza, Philip Norton, Mike Folkerts, Nick Kramer)

Take a deep breath, feel the burn? For four high school friends, this beautiful concentration of smog and poverty is home. The tarnished horizon of Riverside, CA has served as a humble backdrop for GROUNDED ever since their formation in late 1998.

Some people believe that everything you do in life affects the world around you. Others argue that nothing really matters and soon we will all be dead and forgotten. Perhaps both sides are somewhat right. It is treading stubbornly through a slough of such contingencies that GROUNDED has found their place. Their music is crafted with care and frustration to bring solace to the downtrodden and discomfort to the comfortable.

"Apathy is just so fashionable these days," says singer Ian Barraza. "But I guess we've never been very big on style."

Drawing from the eclectic artistry of those such as Bob Dylan, Sublime, Nirvana, Rancid, and Green Day, GROUNDED embraces positive awareness laced with an edgy sound.
Their messages have been well received. GROUNDED has been developing a strong following in the local scene which led to their first record deal in 2003.

GROUNDED was honored with BEST PUNK BAND at the Orange County Music Awards in 2004 for their debut release, All-Too-Human, which was nationally distributed by HepCat Records. Their songs and music video have also been featured on Fox Sports Net for their involvement with the Nokia CORE TOUR last Summer.

The band entered the studio again last Spring to record their second full-length album, Revolution Jukebox, which is being released by independent label Surprise Truck Entertainment fall of 2005. GROUNDED will continue to tour extensively around the U.S. and in parts of Europe next year.