Emily Ely reported this story on assignment from the Rutland Herald. The Community News Service is a program in which students work with professional editors to provide content for local news outlets at no cost. This is the latest installment in an ongoing series of articles that introduce readers to local Rutland individuals who are making a difference in their community.
Nick Grandchamp is a pivotal figure in Vermont’s punk rock scene, blending his love for music, community and sustainability into his projects. With over 20 years in the scene, his commitment to fostering punk culture for the next generation, while promoting artistic freedom and growth, is unmistakable. Through his band, Mystery Dreamers, and initiatives like the Dream Machine pop-up vintage arcade and “Mystery Machine” art vending machine, he champions the punk ethos of creativity and community.
Q: What was your inspiration behind starting the Punk Rock Flea Market, and what do you hope it achieves?
Grandchamp: I’m a thrifty kind of guy, I like reusing things and I like physical media. I’m really big on seeing a record, holding a record, looking at the art. … I found out a lot of my friends like the same stuff, so I was like, ‘It would be great to host a yearly flea market where all my friends can come and sell their stuff and their bands’ stuff.’ I like the idea of community and the idea of sharing things and trading. It’s kind of like this old school way of giving credit without actually money. Money sucks.
What is the importance of keeping the punk rock scene alive in Vermont?
I started my first band when I was in high school and it quickly emerged into the punk rock scene, which was huge. … I was full of passion and energy. I still am, but I was fortunate to have older folks bring me into the scene. … I’m an artist, I’m a musician and I will always be that. And I want to enjoy that, but I also understand the space and the scene. … So, if I can help younger folks out with a show or if I can help book their band or a festival, I’m happy to do that because older people did that for me. … Punk rock has just been everything for my whole life, it’s a part of my soul and my being.
When did your passion for creating music first begin?
I grew up in a K-12 school and I always felt like I always had something to say, even at a young age. I always felt like I wanted to create. When I started my first band, none of us knew how to play an instrument. We were all self-taught. The idea of creating music was super attractive to me because I could get my emotions out and I could be the person I always wanted to be through my music.
What does your writing process look like, and where do you find inspiration?
I play guitar every day. I’m a writer at heart, I don’t play covers. When I sit down with my guitar, I’m focusing my energy on being a creative. … I start off with a riff and I’ll see if this is something worth pursuing, and then I’ll try and write a verse, a chorus and a bridge. I’ll write some lyrics and then I’ll let it sit for a day or two and go back and see if it’s something worthwhile, and if it is, I’ll bring it to the band and throw it out to them at practice.
Do you envision a specific audience when crafting your music, and how does this influence your work?
I always write the music for me. I feel like if you’re not writing it for yourself, then it’s not going to show to people. It’s about sincerity. You want to write something that’s coming from your soul. …
If it’s not coming from a place that has meaning, then I think people pick up on that. There’s gotta be notes of truth within it.
What’s it like being from a state where we don’t see many punk artists from, and how does that impact your career?
I think it’s a beautiful thing in a lot of ways because you can be a big fish in a small sea. You can inspire even more people being in a place like Vermont because the spotlight is on just a very few sections. … In rural Vermont you have to find your kind and you really have to work hard at doing that. I think, for me, it’s been a beautiful thing…. Vermont gives you the opportunity to really make change in your community.
What does being punk mean to you? Can it be difficult to stay true to that while dealing with the music industry’s demands?
So I’m straight edge [a subculture of hardcore punk that refrains from using alcohol, tobacco and recreational drugs] and I learned about straight edge through the punk scene when I was 15, 16 years old. That was a huge thing for me. It really gave me a purpose and a sense of belonging and I think that as times changed, punk rock gave me that youthful feeling that I still have today. Basically, I’m not really concerned about how much or how little success I receive. … I don’t even really see it as a career, I see it as something I love doing.