Paloalto

Rock group Paloalto is fronted by Los Angeles native James Grundler, who handles vocals, songwriting, and guitar. He chose the band’s name in reference to his preschool rather than the northern California city. Grundler started composing material while still in elementary school, and by 1994 he had begun creating songs that met his own standards. In the late 1990s he attended a show by a band that featured lead guitarist Jason Johnson and subsequently brought Johnson into Paloalto. Bassist Alex Parnell joined soon afterward. Together with drummer Steve Clark, the newly assembled lineup started performing at the Mint club in Los Angeles and recorded a demo that was circulated to record labels. Rick Rubin’s American Recordings took interest and signed the group in 1999. Sessions for the debut album commenced in mid-December under Rubin’s production. During those sessions Clark departed and was succeeded by Florian Reinert, while session keyboardist Andy Blunda came aboard, turning Paloalto into a quintet. The self-titled debut album appeared in October 2000 after the release of its first single, “Sonny.” Three years later Parnell and Johnson had exited, reducing the band to a four-piece anchored by bassist Tommy Black. Their second album, the sonically rich Heroes and Villians, arrived that July.