On July 7th, the surviving members of Groovechild will release their long-awaited new album, Climber, and perform their final concert in celebration and remembrance of the band’s recently departed bandleader, Jeff Bibbo, who died earlier this year on March 4th. For those unfamiliar, Groovechild was a major player in New England’s live music scene in the mid-1990s led by Bibbo, who served as the band’s lead singer and songwriter. The group’s latest album also features guitarist Brian Kilough, bassist Nate Edgar, and drummer Nikki Glaspie.
When Bibbo passed away earlier this year, he and Kilough were preparing to release the new album, Climber, marking the ensemble’s first album since 2012’s House Of Life and their third record ever including their 1992 debut, Sick At Last. For Climber, the band reached out to The Nth Power‘s Nate Edgar and Nikki Glaspie, in addition to a number of special musical guests including percussionist John Lecesse (Percy Hill) and saxophonist Matt Langley (Charlie Kohlhase).
Produced by Bibbo and Chris Magruder, Climber was recorded in Maine at Thundering Skies Studio from 2015 to 2018. Containing nine new songs, as Bibbo explained before his death, the “album is an emotional journey through feelings of spiritual conflict, despair, hope, loss, and grief, yet despite the sometimes urgent melancholy, brings a sense of calm and implied sense of beauty and perseverance.”
Groovechild’s new album certainly still falls in line with the band’s previous work, offering a gritty synthesis of rock, funk, jazz, and soul, to create a dynamic yet danceable sound with a hard-rock edge. A fitting and striking album to officially close out the band’s legacy, Climber shows the band at its best and ensures the group will not be forgotten.
Today, Live For Live Music is proud to premiere a new track from Groovechild, “Godawful”, which will appear on Climber, due out on July 7th. You can listen to the new song below, and make sure to read on to get more information about Groovechild’s final concert on July 7th.
In addition to the July 7th album release date, the current Groovechild lineup will honor the life and music of Jeff Bibbo with a final performance, slated for the same day at 3s Art Space in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Groovechild will share the bill with long-time friends Peter Prince and Moon Boot Lover.
The night will also include a silent auction of a limited number of prints of Bibbo’s artwork, with the proceeds going toward buying musical instruments for patients in recovery at Keystone Hall, a New Hampshire non-profit that provides residential and outpatient substance-use disorder treatment as well as prevention and recovery support. You can purchase tickets to the final Groovechild concert and celebration of Jeff Bibbo’s life and music here.
