Biography
Wouldn't it be amazing if each and every person could find that one perfect thing, that one aspect of their life that carries them through the hardest days and the longest nights, and be able to hold onto it forever? The last thing they can't help but think about right before they fall asleep at night, and the first thing that's on their mind the second they wake up.
For five small-town dreamers freshly into their twenties, that passion has never been more than an arm's reach away. Realizing at an early age that music would play a huge part in their lives, Robb Pugh (vocals), Tyler Coker (guitar) Joschka Sawatzky (bass, vocals), Marco Amorim (guitar), and Jeff Shuh (drums) entered their local music scene in five completely separate bands. Fast-forward six or seven years and multiple bands and projects later, and what do you get? Gracefield - a multi-talented, determined, and relentless machine, hungry and itching to stay busy with the business it loves most.
Bursting into the local music scene with a sold out debut performance brought the band back into a place they hadn't been a part of in some time - the stage, the audience, and the raw energy of a live concert. This was the big push that initially brought the band back to the point they wanted to be in. Playing shows, writing music, and having the time of their lives are the bread and butter of any musician, and Gracefield was taking it back with force.
The next few months played a big part in the next chapter of the Gracefield story. After playing a handful of shows around Southern Ontario and building a solid fan base, the band headed into the studio to record their debut release "Heroes", a nine-song half hour of power that encompasses every ounce of passion held by the band, both lyrically and musically. Sending a message of hope and escape, the songs that make up Heroes give listeners a story that they can apply to their own lives, as well as a constant reminder to hold their dreams close and never give up.
Upon the release of Heroes on May 1, 2009, Gracefield took off once again across Ontario in support of the new record. Hitting as many cities as they could in the next two months, the band continued to give each show everything they had and spread their name without relent. Sharing the stage with notable acts like Ten Second Epic, Fireworks, Saint Alvia, The Reason, Living With Lions, and many more gave Gracefield the opportunity to showcase their music to a broader audience and gain more exposure. College radio stations began picking up on their steadily growing name and put popular songs like "Return To Sender", "Houston, We Have A Solution", and "Save Us" on regular rotation.
After a successful and exciting spring, the summer of 2009 brought some down time for the band and attention was temporarily shifted to more personal goals and experiences. While playing together as Gracefield had been the primary focus of each of the band members' lives for the past year, a lust for new experiences always stayed strong as well. With firm roots held in graphic design and music production, a few of the band members pursued small-business ventures, while others took time off to spend with family and friends. However, it didn't take long before the urge to be back on the stage began to overcome once more. Absence, as they say, makes the heart grow stronger.
This brings us to the present. With fall just around the corner and countless new opportunities for success at their fingertips, Gracefield are having no troubles picking things back up right where they left off. A handful of headlining shows and plans of constant touring are on the immediate agenda, with a debut music video and the release of a free downloadable digital EP with brand new material to follow. The future shows no sign of slowing down for these five still-fresh faces in the Ontario music scene, and they will continue to thrive to their full potential to follow their dreams and ambitions and form them into a reality.
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