Hard to imagine The Grates, perpetually jovial, all jazz hands and uplifting pop anthems, as anything but a humble Brisbane three-piece who write a mean pop song. According to a release issued today though, the lineup has been subject to a bit of a shake up after drummer Alana Skyring departed to pursue a career in cookery.: “Drummer Alana Skyring has moved on from The Grates to pursue culinary arts, studying in Manhattan at the Institute of Culinary Education.”
As most lineup changes are, frontwoman Patience Hodson says the split was amicable. “Moving to NYC had successfully brought out the best in all of us” she said. “But Alana was discovering that her best lay not with drums but with baking. To continue growing as people we decided to go our separate ways,“. Skins to souffles! Puns! To each his own.
To fill the gaps the band have added Brooklyn drummer Ben Marshall as well as bassist Gus van Go to their lineup.
The Grates’ new album is due out in June 2011.
