Greg Laswell was born in Long Beach, California in 1974. He moved to San Diego and attended Point Loma Nazarene University starting in 1993.[1] From 1998 through the early aughts, Laswell was frontman for the San Diego-based band Shillglen. Members of the band included Chad Lansford (backing vocals and guitar), Justin Skeesuck (guitar), Michael de Neve (bass), Marcel de Neve (drums) and Matt Mintz (lead guitar).[2] The band released one album, titled Sometimes I Feel, in late 1999[3] and had some moderate success when the band was nominated for Best Alternative Album and Best Alternative Band at the San Diego Music Awards in 2000.[4] By mid 2001, Shillglen had over 400,000 downloads of their music through MP3.com. However, Shillglen quietly disbanded in October 2001 after Laswell suggested the band take a break. The band mutually agreed, but never regrouped.
Laswell released his first solo album Good Movie in 2003. It was self-funded and self-released on his own label All the Rest Records, and won the award for Best Local Recording by the San Diego Music Awards in 2004.[5] Following the album’s success, Laswell signed to Vanguard Records, and then recorded and released his second studio album Through Toledo in July 2006. The album was written during Laswell’s divorce from his wife; he stated: «It’s basically a breakup album…but the biggest surprise has been when you resurface out of the dark little studio. On this tour, people have been coming up to me and telling me about what they’ve been going through. It has nothing to do with anything that I originally wrote about. So it’s become a full circle, healing thing. I’m just lucky to be in the loop.»[5]
In spring 2008, Laswell joined the European leg of the Hotel Cafe Tour, hosted by Tom McRae. He released an EP titled How the Day Sounds in March 2008, which preceded his third studio album Three Flights from Alto Nido, released in July. Several songs from the album, including «Comes and Goes (In Waves)», «How the Day Sounds», «Sweet Dream», and «And Then You», have been featured in the television shows Grey’s Anatomy, True Blood, Castle, 90210, Army Wives, and Dollhouse. Laswell’s single «Off I Go» was written specially for the season 5 finale of Grey’s Anatomy. It was also featured on NBC’s «Parenthood». Laswell also contributed his cover of Cyndi Lauper’s hit «Girls Just Wanna Have Fun» to the soundtrack for both Confessions of a Shopaholic in early 2009; and to the soundtrack for «My Sister’s Keeper», also in 2009.
In October 2009 Laswell released a new EP entitled covers featuring five cover songs.
Laswell released a new full album, «Take a Bow [6]» on May 4th, 2010. All 12 new tracks were recorded in a studio in a cabin outside Flagstaff, AZ. «Perhaps the biggest difference with this album», observes Greg Laswell of his new Take A Bow, «is that I’m not miserable.»[7] Laswell also chimes in on the album stating, «I could not be more excited about how it turned out.[8] Greg Laswell also says that after his Solo Residency Tour wraps up, a full-band tour will commence in May, in support of this new release. [9]
He has toured with several artists over the years, including Matt Costa, Sia, Tim O’Reagan of The Jayhawks and Amy Millan of Stars. Laswell has also scored several short films, including Longbranch: A Suburban Parable in 2001, and Deacon’s Mondays in 2006. As well Interlock in 2009, created by Ben Kelly & Dean Higgins for Hugh_Baird_College, featuring the song ‘Off I Go’ during the final scenes were Rachel Kelly/Emily dies a tragic death of Aids. Talks for a sequel are in the mix.
