ABOUT

Gary Russell Wertz (GRW) started his musical career as a youngster in the New York Punk scene of the early 1980s. At 20, Gary joined the quirky pop combo the Mommyheads. He spent the 1990s in the artistic firmament of the Bay Area scene, playing drums for the psych-noise groove music disaster known as Mars Bonfire. The dawn of the 21st Century saw Gary emerged as lead singer and creative force behind the “classic rock” inspired band Hot Mute. The “Aughts” also saw the release of his first solo album (The Natural) under the initials “GRW” – producing, writing and playing every instrument.

2007 heralded the beginning of an intense musical relationship with the fine artist and songwriter Kyle Ranson. Recording as Strawberry Smog, they released "Purgatorious"", "2 & 3" and 2018’s "Forevers", all produced by Gary. In 2011, another GRW L.P., the hard rock inspired “Wet Rocks” emerged on the desert rock label Treasure Craft.

Gary has had a long and fruitful collaboration with David Catching of Eagles of Death Metal fame, recording at Rancho De La Luna in Joshua Tree, Ca.- contributing several tracks to Catching’s solo L.P. “Shared Hallucinations Pt.1” he has produced many artists at his Sacred Dog Studios, including the reggae of Desmond George Smith, art rock band Arms + Legs, the spooky folk duo Pale Horse and, under pseudonyms, two stylistically different solo records: the electro-pop “Secret Projex” in 2016 and Beatlesque “Beat The Orphans” in 2015.

GRW has performed on stage with:

Rayland Baxter,David Catching (EoDM), Junior Reid, Eric McFadden, Junior Toots, Jackson Brown and many others. And He’s comfortable playing in any environment- be it a benefit for cannabis farmers in the mountains of Mendocino, an underground Hip Hop party in Queens, New York, Jamaican T.V. or serenading Rita Marley during her private birthday celebration in Miami. There are no boundaries. Check out GRW’s transformation of the Stooges “Search And Destroy” here: GRW SEARCH AND DESTROY (Official Video).

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