Global Rock Underground (GRU) was started because the pandemic shut the venues down and I couldn’t play drums on a stage anymore (my favorite thing on earth). So, I wanted to figure out a way to help independent music and the people behind it.

I’ve spent my life playing music, going to gigs, meeting bands, filming, traveling, and being part of DIY scenes, and I wanted to build something that actually gives back to those communities. GRU is my way of connecting great music with the people who should hear it, while creating real opportunities for independent artists.

A big part of that is Live From the Underground, an ongoing documentary series I’m filming from the road as I travel around the United States (available now on the GRU YouTube channel). I’m documenting the artists, venues, scenes, and people that make these communities what they are.

Alongside documenting and editing the series, I also run GRU’s sync licensing agency, helping bands get their music into TV shows, films, video games, commercials, and more. Everything I do with GRU comes back to the same idea: helping independent music be heard, supporting the people behind it, and giving these artists/communities a bigger platform.

Thanks for being here. - Tony