Grammatrain

Grammatrain formed in 1994 with vocalist/guitarist Pete Stewart, drummer Paul Joseph Roraback and his brother, bassist Dalton Roraback. Paul was previously a drummer for the Christian metal band Paragon;{{cite web | url=https://jesusfreakspodcast.buzzsprout.com/1223213/8255609-paul-roraback-grammatrain | title=Paul Roraback (Grammatrain) - Jesus Freaks: Vinyl to Digital | date=2 April 2021 }} he performed on the band's two releases, Just Believe in 1984 and Dead and Alive in 1988, both of which were demos released exclusively on cassette. Paul was later a touring member for American Christian metal band Bloodgood{{cite journal|title=Love, Death and One Bad Pig|website=www.heavensmetalmagazine.com|author=Doug Van Pelt|url=https://heavensmetalmagazine.com/index.php/2016/08/13/branding-with-accessories-d90/|date=August 13, 2016|access-date=June 28, 2024|publisher=Heaven's Metal Magazine|format=online}} from 1991 to 1993. Paul played drums on the band's third live album, To Germany, With Love! - Live in Germany 1993, before Bloodgood disbanded in 1994.{{cite book|title=To Germany, With Love! - Live in Germany 1993 liner notes|date=1993|publisher=Stephans-Buchhandlung}}

Grammatrain recorded a self-titled three-song demo cassette tape, released independently in March 1994, and later released a self-titled demo CD on Zoe Worldwide Records containing four studio recordings and six live acoustic songs. After hearing one of the demo songs, ForeFront Records label executive Eddie DeGarmo signed the band.

Grammatrain's debut studio album, Lonely House, was released on September 19, 1995 and produced by Aaron Sprinkle.{{cite web|url=http://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/cdreviews/Flying.asp |title=Grammatrain, "Flying" Review |publisher=Jesusfreakhideout.com |access-date=2012-02-01}} "Believe" and "She Don't Know" were released as singles from the album.{{cite web | url=http://www.grammatrain.com/Releases/believe.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990507152838fw_/http://www.grammatrain.com/Releases/believe.html | archive-date=May 7, 1999 | title="Believe" (Grammatrain Official Website)}}{{cite web | url=http://www.grammatrain.com/Releases/shedontknow.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990221111943fw_/http://www.grammatrain.com/Releases/shedontknow.html | archive-date=February 21, 1999 | title="She Don't Know" (Grammatrain Official Website)}} "Believe" received a music video, which was directed by Henry Shepherd. Lonely House achieved success on Christian radio.{{cite web|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=grammatrain|bio=true}} |title=Grammatrain Biography & Awards |publisher=Billboard.com |access-date=2012-02-01}}

Grammatrain's second studio album, Flying, was released on July 6, 1997. A music video was made for the song "Peace". Critics cited the album's "lighter, more polished feel" when compared to Lonely House.{{cite web |url=http://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/cdreviews/Flying.asp |title=Grammatrain, "Flying" Review |website=www.jesusfreakhideout.com |access-date=July 1, 2011}} At the end of a tour promoting the album, Grammatrain officially broke up following their final live performance on December 7, 1998 in Germany. An announcement of the breakup can be heard on the band's live album. Grammatrain's live album, Live 120798, was released on ForeFront Records in 1999.[https://web.archive.org/web/20010308152438/http://www.hmmagazine.com/issue81/reviews_signed81.html HM Magazine]{{cite journal |author=Gordon (a girl called) |date=January–February 2000 |title=Album Reviews: GRAMMATRAIN, Live 120798 |journal=HM Magazine |issue=81 |issn=1066-6923 }} Grammatrain appeared on ForeFront Records' Ten: The Birthday Album'' compilation in 1998,Forefront Records#Trivia as well as tribute albums to Larry Norman, Stryper, and Petra.{{cite web|url=http://www.google.com/musicl?lid=gVxtGa6VX8E&ei=DVOzSfSzA4yqMov2vO8E&sa=X&oi=music&ct=result |title=Music Search Feature |access-date=2010-06-02}}

In early 2009, Grammatrain announced they reunited and were in the process of recording a new album.{{cite web|url=http://grammatrain.podbean.com/2009/02/19/grammatrain-behind-the-tracks-part-1/ |title=Grammatrain: Behind The Tracks » Grammatrain: Behind the tracks, Part 1 |publisher=Grammatrain.podbean.com |date=2009-02-19 |access-date=2012-02-01}} Pete Stewart had left the Christian faith, however, and the album was not directed at Christian audiences.{{cite web|url=http://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/news/2009/02/02.GRAMMATRAIN%20TO%20RELEASE%20NEW%20STUDIO%20ALBUM%20IN%202009.asp |title=Music News, February 2009: GRAMMATRAIN TO RELEASE NEW STUDIO ALBUM IN 2009 |publisher=Jesusfreakhideout.com |date=2009-02-02 |access-date=2010-06-02}} Shortly after the announcement, the band played two reunion shows: one in Seattle and one in Germany. A limited-edition EP with songs from the forthcoming album was released at the shows and on the band's website.

In 2010, the single "The Last Sound" was released; the video was debuted at a Seattle Sounders FC match.{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131225043310/http://www.grammatrain.net/wp2/ |archive-date=2013-12-25 |url-status=dead |url=http://www.grammatrain.net/wp/?p=686 |title=[official Grammatrain site] |publisher=Grammatrain.net }} The song has been played at Qwest Field before the kickoff of Sounders matches,{{cite web|url=http://www.q13fox.com/sports/kcpq-033110-grammatrain,0,5171558.story |title=Sounders: Sounders FC New Rock Anthem: "The Last Sound" (Grammatrain) - KCPQ |publisher=Q13fox.com |date=2010-04-01 |access-date=2010-06-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721071808/http://www.q13fox.com/sports/kcpq-033110-grammatrain%2C0%2C5171558.story |archive-date=2011-07-21 }} and Sounders FC owner Drew Carey endorsed the song and promised to get a "proper video" made of it.{{Cite tweet |user=DrewFromTV |number=11410152109 |date=March 31, 2010 |title=Make Way For The Sounders!!! Bitchin' tune by Seattle's Grammatrain: http://bit.ly/df8MeA I WILL get them a proper video for this. }} The video was produced and directed by Nik Venet, who had previously done videos for Jane's Addiction, The White Stripes and U2.{{cite web|url=http://www.grammatrain.net/wp2/thelastsoundvideo/ |title=THE LAST SOUND video « [official Grammatrain site] |publisher=Grammatrain.net |access-date=2012-02-01}} The song was also picked up by and released through Rock Band Network for the Xbox 360.{{cite web|url=http://www.rockband.com/songs/UGC_5003492 |title=The Last Sound by Grammatrain // Songs // Rock Band® |publisher=Rockband.com |access-date=2012-02-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005174004/http://www.rockband.com/songs/UGC_5003492 |archive-date=2012-10-05 }}

Grammatrain's third studio album, Imperium, was released independently on October 10, 2010.

Following the breakup of Grammatrain in December 1998, Paul and Pete released several solo albums. In 1999, Pete Stewart released a self-titled solo album on ForeFront Records, followed by two independent solo albums, I Gave You a Desert and Under North Sky, released in 2007 and 2010.{{cite web | url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/347089-Pete-Stewart-2 | title=Pete Stewart (2) | website=Discogs }} Stewart joined Michael Tait's Christian rock band Tait in 2001, playing keyboards and guitars on the band's debut album, Empty. He also produced four tracks on the 2001 debut solo album for TobyMac, Momentum. In 2002, Stewart left Tait and joined Marcos Curiel's band The Accident Experiment as the vocalist, which released one EP, Arena, in 2003 and one studio album, United We Fear, in 2005 before going on hiatus in 2006. Stewart was also the guitarist on rap rock group Peace of Mind's self-titled studio album in 2003, with Christian rapper KJ-52 being the vocalist.

Paul Joseph Roraback has released four solo albums under the name PJ Bostic:{{cite web | url=https://pjbostic.com/music | title=PJ Bostic - Music }}{{cite web | url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/4640307-PJ-Bostic | title=PJ Bostic | website=Discogs }} Bullies at the Border in 2008, 3MS (Three Minute Song) in 2013, Light Me On in 2015, and Faith of Least Resistance in 2021. In 2016, Paul played drums on Love You to Death, the fourth studio album by Christian punk/crossover thrash band One Bad Pig, as well as co-produced, engineered, and mixed the album. Bloodgood singer Les Carlsen contributed guest vocals to the album.{{cite journal|title=One Bad Pig – Love You To Death – HM Magazine|website=www.hmmagazine.com|author=Doug Van Pelt|date=21 June 2016 |url=https://hmmagazine.com/one-bad-pig-love-death/|access-date=June 28, 2024|publisher=HM Magazine|format=online}} Paul also released five solo singles from 2016 to 2022, as well as a music video for his song "Blue Light Gaze" in 2023.{{cite web | url=https://open.spotify.com/artist/2TScJIyCP65OoUy2ljmfpD/discography/single | title=Spotify – Web Player | website=Spotify }}{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj26um4z-Xc | title=PJ Bostic - Blue Light Gaze (Official Music Video) | website=YouTube | date=16 May 2023 }}

{{Infobox artist discography

| Artist = Grammatrain

| Studio = 3

| Live = 1

| Video = 1

| Music videos = 2

| EP = 2

| Singles = 3

| Option name = Demo albums

| Option = 2

}}

Studio albums

• Lonely House (1995)
• Flying (1997)
• Imperium (2010)

Live albums

• Live 120798 (1999)

Video albums

• Live Decennium (DVD, 2010)

Extended plays

• Kneeling Between Shields (2009)
• Spin Automatic (2010)

Singles

• "Believe" (1995)
• "She Don't Know" (1995)
• "The Last Sound" (2010)

Music videos

• "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdF9ryA6ZUE Believe]" (Lonely House, 1995)
• "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmqDmrcuPLc Peace]" (Flying, 1997)

Demo albums

• Grammatrain cassette (1994)
• Grammatrain CD (1994)

{{reflist}}

• {{cite journal |title=Grammatrain |date=January–February 1996 |issue=4 |journal=7ball}}
• {{cite journal |title=Grammatrain |date=May–June 1997 |issue=12 |journal=7ball}}
• [http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/artists/9332/ Artist profile] on Cross Rhythms

{{Authority control}}

Category:American post-grunge musical groups

Category:Grunge musical groups

Category:Musical groups from Seattle