The entertainment industry is often a whirlwind of serendipitous events and chance encounters that shape the course of an artist’s career. For Hannah Hooper, the lead singer and keyboardist of the indie-pop band Grouplove, one such fateful trip to Greece set the stage for her and the rest of the band members.
It is not uncommon for artists to follow their instincts and take risks in pursuit of their passion. Hooper, who was a painter in New York towards the end of the 2000s, met a potential buyer for her artwork who ultimately invited her to an artist residency in Greece.
Seizing the opportunity for a change of scenery and a fresh start, Hooper invited Christian Zucconi, a musician she had just fallen in love with, to join her on the trip. The couple’s journey to Greece would prove to be a pivotal moment for both their personal and professional lives.
Upon arriving in Greece, Hooper and Zucconi quickly connected with the rest of the future Grouplove members, guitarist, and vocalist Andrew Wessen, bassist and vocalist Sean Gadd, and drummer Ryan Rabin. Each of them had their unique path that brought them to the same residency, creating the perfect environment for their musical chemistry to flourish.
So, in a 2013 interview with Complex, Hooper shared the story of how a seemingly ordinary painting commission led to her leaving New York City and setting the foundation for Grouplove’s formation.
Hannah Hooper’s words about the trip that brought together the band read:
“I was a painter in New York, and this guy who happened to be our guitarist’s older brother was referred to me through a friend. He said, ‘I’m gonna come and buy a painting from you.’ He came by and was like, ‘Whoa, I didn’t realize your work was so big. I can’t buy a painting from you, but I am actually one of the founders of this residency in Greece. Would you like to go there this summer?’ I was at a point where I had to get out of New York, and I was so excited by that aspect. So that’s how I got there.
I brought Christian [Zucconi], who I had just fallen head over heels for at a show a few nights before I was invited to the residency. I fell in love with him immediately, and we just hit it off, and I would never have done this before, but when I found out about this Greece thing, I called him up literally after knowing him for no time. I just said, ‘Hey, you wanna go to Greece with me this summer?’ He said yeah. It worked!”
She added:
“We met the rest of the band there. Andrew [Wessen] was there because his older brother was one of the founders, and it’s also an epic surf spot, so he was there surfing and playing music and stuff. Sean [Gadd] went with his friend from London who’d never left England before, and Sean was like, ‘Dude. You’ve gotta come to this spot in Greece where there’s this artist thing going on.’ So Sean via London got there, and then Ryan [Rabin] was there playing the bongos on the beach doing his drummer thing, so yeah, that’s where we all met.”
Grouplove’s story is a testament to the power of chance encounters and following one’s instincts. The band’s journey began with a trip to Greece, fueled by love and a shared passion for art and music. Today, they continue to captivate audiences with their infectious melodies and diverse catalog, proving that sometimes, the best stories are the ones that unfold unexpectedly, and spontaneous trips can be the start of a new chapter in one’s life.
