Grits at Poor David’s Pub
Summertime can’t come fast enough for Lake Highlands High School graduates Cooper Littlefield, Seth Eastman, Jackson Maurer and Josh Brown. The four make up Grits, a rock band they founded in 2024, and it’s not easy finding ways to rehearse for gigs since they went off to various colleges last fall. They’ll open for Saturn Mac in the Cambridge Room at House of Blues on May 16, and they’ll perform at The Ruins in Deep Ellum on May 28.
Maurer attends the University of Arkansas and says the four use recordings of their songs to practice while they’re apart.
“It’s sort of nice, because I can loop any one part I’m having trouble with, but it’s definitely not the same. It feels more natural when we are all rehearsing together.”
Growing up, Maurer remembers going into his dad’s office, where Craig kept a collection of unique guitars.
“I recall thinking about how cool they all were,” he says. “Then somewhere around junior year of high school, I got my first bass and immediately enrolled in lessons to learn the basics. Ultimately, I have to thank my parents for my decision to play the bass and create music.”
The group is heavily influenced by bands like Led Zeppelin, Pinegrove and The Beatles, and their idols include David John Levy from Unprocessed, Jacob Umansky from Intervals and Ryan Martinie from Mudvayne.
“Their playstyles and tones are all so unique, and I really love their incorporation of different techniques — not to mention that their signature guitars look amazing.”
Eastman, a sound engineering student at the University of Texas, says he, too, inherited a love of music from his family.
“My dad’s been playing guitar since he was a kid, and my mom’s a dancer, so I’ve been surrounded by music my whole life. I joined the choir in middle school, and I was fortunate to have peers and directors who pushed me to be my best and showed me the joy of singing. My high school choir years were very foundational to the musician I am today.”
Eastman says Grits’ origins go way back to the third grade. That’s when he met Littlefield at White Rock Elementary.
“All four of us have been in and out of each other’s friend groups over the years, but we all did band or choir together in high school, and that’s when we realized we could play music together. The greatest thing about Grits is that we musically understand each other. Music is deeply embedded in all four of us, and I think it really comes alive when we play together. None of us have really had to guide someone on how to write or play a part, for example. It just clicks naturally. It’s something I’ve never experienced with anyone else.”
Grits may sound like the name of a band with an appreciation for Southern Rock (or southern food), but the band acquired its name by accident.
“They started the band without me and referred to me as ‘Drummer TBD,’” says Josh Brown, now studying at Baylor. “When I joined, Cooper accidentally slammed his amp into a wall of my house, and I said, ‘You’re grits, buddy.’ And that’s how Grits came to be.”
Brown is self-taught on the drums, but he learned percussion from Jeremy Noyes while a member of the LHHS drum line.
“Performing is a blast, and I feel like some of my best ideas are born when there’s an audience present,” he says. “The hardest part is how much stuff I have to move for each gig.”
Over the years, Grits has played at Shady’s, Underdog, the Elks Lodge, Poor David’s Pub and the Granada Theater. They’ve wowed student audiences at LHHS events, such as Homecoming’s Varsity Revue and the Highlandette Spring Show.
“The best thing about performing live is the energy,” says Eastman. “We’ve all gotten a lot more comfortable being on stage in front of an audience, and I love just jamming out and making a fool of myself on stage without worrying if everyone knows their parts. Coincidentally, the most challenging part is the energy spent. I feel like every show I’m asking someone for water on stage, and I’m drenched in sweat.”
“I just love performing our songs for other people,” agrees Maurer. “It’s really cool to see others smiling and having a good time because of our music. I also really enjoy the brotherhood that it brings, because it is pretty challenging to put on these shows. No matter what, the other three guys are always with me, and it’s just super great to be able to have these great guys around me. The most challenging thing for me would have to be the anxiety. I am usually a pretty anxious person, and at first, I would get on stage and stand as stiff as a board for the whole set. I have been really trying to grow out of that, and little by little, I see improvement. Grits forces me to grow as a musician. When we are creating new music, I force myself to think outside of the box. I try to figure out how I can integrate the techniques that I love in metal — sometimes it works, sometimes it’s challenging, but I really enjoy that.”
Tickets to the House of Blues show are available here. Tickets for the gig at The Ruins may be purchased here.
“Come check us out,” says Brown. “We have hours and hours of music that we love to share with the world.”
House of Blues is at 2200 N. Lamar. The Ruins is at 2653 Commerce.
Josh Brown, Jackson Maurer, Cooper Littlefield and Seth Eastman of Grits
