MANCHESTER, NH – Ever since I started covering live music in Manchester and other cities around New Hampshire, I’ve mentioned a few times in the Ink Ink how “The Queen City” has a very vibrant punk rock scene. There’s a ton of great bands who call the city home while infusing numerous elements into their sound, whether it’s blue-collar folk, 2000s era pop punk or a gritty edge that echoes their surroundings. A band that identifies with the latter is The Graniteers, who consist of guitarist & vocalist Nick Ferrero, bassist Monica Grasso and drummer Andy Mattern.
This trio has been putting out records since the late 2010s, with their latest being the “Shine” EP that came out back on December 13. On December 28, they’re going to be celebrating its release at The Shaskeen starting at 9 p.m.
with Boston punks Already Dead, local garage rockers The Doldrums, and hardcore rippers TFR rounding out the bill. During the creation process, the band took on a lot of the production themselves while working with an engineer who is based in the midwest. When it comes to the songwriting, there’s more of an intense vibe than their previous material that’s influenced by the current social landscape.
“From a production standpoint, our latest EP was a mix of our usual DIY ethic with an immense amount of help from our friend John Espy, who is a mixing and mastering engineer,” Ferrero says about the new record. “All the music and vocals were tracked at our own recording .