Growing up in Billings MT and surrounding areas was never the easiest life, but it brought life to what this band is all about what they will carry from it forever, GRUDGE. Singer Gerrick Phillips, guitarist Richard Candelaria, and bassist Brian Coleman had played in every band that had been in the city since they were 13 years old. Finally hooking up with each other proved to be the best solution. Phillips and Candelaria's songwriting collaborations gave GRUDGE a sound that struck a chord with fans, earning the band a response that was huge, even for small Northwestern city of Billings, MT. In 1996 GRUDGE started out on the road only six months after the first lineup was formed. Most of the band was just under the legal drinking age at the time. The sheer rawness of GRUDGE landed them a spot in one of the summer's heaviest music festivals, The Milwaukee Metalfest. GRUDGE matured with their live show on the road and headed out on another self booked club tour of the western U.S. It was results from this tour that gave them a set at the Foundations Forum Showcase in Hollywood, CA. GRUDGE kept on and on, moving about the country in a beat-up blue van and a plywood trailer, taking on every bar and club that would have them. Lack of touring funds, and a broken down van gave the band a much-needed rest. But they soon made their next move. With $500, Phillips packed up his truck and relocated to New York. In New York, Phillips met Paul Williams who helped the band by signing them to his House of Hits 7N record label. This gave GRUDGE the little they needed to release their first record. Their contact in New York proved to be the break that the band needed to get back into the game. GRUDGE had not missed a beat as response was quite large for their hometown return. They played better than ever as each had matured musically. They spent the majority of 1999, writing, recording and playing locally in Billings MT and surrounding areas, using this as a "testing ground" for the new material and the new GRUDGE. The music of their debut album, Forgiveness, was defined by the rough times they had experienced in their first five years together. While some listeners may think "Hate Me" explores the mind of a serial killer, Phillips says it was really inspired by how he felt about GRUDGE at the time he wrote it. "It's about the sickest tune I have written this side of legal," he admits. "At that point in our careers, we had been trying so hard, and the world was just coming down on us, which messed with us mentally." Recalling how it was written after a "bad photo shoot," Candelaria adds the song captures the band's feelings for their hometown. Forgiveness received excellent reviews from music critics around the world and was seen as a breakthrough metal record with 'Emo' genre vocals, before 'Emo' had become a modern-day buzz word. The song "Pissed Sick" had regular rotation on more than 30 major radio markets in America and 20 markets overseas. A feature article in "Hit Parader" magazine was among many that helped the band's popularity grow through the summer of 2001. Months later progress had been halted when on September 11th, 2001 the terror attacks on New York City and Washington D.C. took place. In 2002 GRUDGE found itself burned out and broke again. With help from friends and family members the band was able to write and record a set of 6 songs that were not released but used by House of Hits / 7N records to help GRUDGE try to score a major label contract. GRUDGE was able to secure some great gigs in the summer of 2002 including an opening spot on the 2002 Judas Priest "Demolition" world tour, which had helped momentum grow once again for the band. Later that year, drummer Marco Castro left the band and the remaining members of GRUDGE relocated to Warwick, NY. New life was brought to the band by including guitarist Mark Sly, who had survived the September 11th attacks as he worked in tower one of the World Trade Center. Lifetime friend and musical partner, drummer Mike Hickey (recently appearing in Modern Drummer magazine) had also joined GRUDGE in the absence of Marco Castro. The band started writing and playing immediately after the new additions landing gigs with Quiet Riot and Skid Row to test the new material. In December 2003 GRUDGE recorded the seven-song demo entitled "Boiling Point", which in 2004 helped the band gain the interest of many major record labels and was key in kindling the relationship with WWE superstar Matt Hardy and BuzzMEDIA Productions, LLC. Throughout 2004 GRUDGE was partnered with their old record label 7N Records and select AR personnel to showcase throughout New York in an effort to find a home where this career band could build a foundation. This proved to be one of the toughest times for the band financially, emotionally and personally. This pressure eventually forced the band to part during studio sessions in the late summer. After the death of heavy metal idol "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, Candelaria and Phillips had met to discuss the possibility of reviving GRUDGE. With confirmation from Mark Sly, GRUDGE was back in business. Brian Colemam maintained his place on the bass and drummer Rich Owens joined the band, completing the lineup and bringing back the fire that the band had not seen since Forgiveness. In the summer of 2005 GRUDGE went into agreement with BuzzMEDIA Productions, LLC to work directly with WWE and TNA wrestlers and became an official band of The Matt Hardy Show. In late summer the band also became officially sponsored by Monster Energy Drink working directly with SponserHouse. GRUDGE is the band, who still finds their way through the smoke and onto the stage. They have carried the flag for heavy music, alongside others, and have never abandoned their raw nature. GRUDGE, true to their music, and their emotion. Ignoring trends and taking musical classification head-on, they continue to write from the head and from the heart.