Grandpa Winnie, a local band of three Theodore Roosevelt High School students, is gaining attention after their performances and a new album release. 

The band, which performs indie and alternative music, was formed in 2021 and was started by Theo Bednar, a current junior in high school, who had a different idea at first. 

“At first, I sort of got bored of waiting around for other members,” Bednar said. “I just sort of formed my own solo act.” 

Bednar was interested in music from childhood, where his father played a primary role as his support system. 

“My dad actually got me into music,” Bednar said. “We watched ‘School of Rock’ when I was seven and I said, ‘I want to play guitar, Dad.’ He told me that he played guitar in high school, in his own band, so he actually gave me his old guitar.” 

Through his father’s help and his own exploration of music, Bednar started writing music and finding what piqued his interest the most. 

“Just recently, I’ve gotten into The Smile, which is a [band], and I’ve just been experimenting with stuff like that, different time signatures, so it’s really just a mix of everything, which sort of reflects my music taste as well,” Bednar said. 

While Grandpa Winnie only had one member for two years, when Bednar started playing more shows last summer, he realized he needed other players to join him. Aiden Thornton and Bernie Rosenberg, Bednar’s friends, ended up joining Grandpa Winnie to play as a group. 

With Thornton on drums and Rosenberg playing bass, Bednar said what once started as a solo project is now much more than that. 

The three of them began writing together after becoming a group and discussed what they wanted the band to focus on, including what type of music they played. 

“We didn’t really put a label on the genre that we play because we’re always listening to new music and experimenting, but I’d say it’s more geared towards indie alternative rock music,” Bednar said. 

Grandpa Winnie has new songs lined up to be recorded and released to the public in the near future, with no concrete timeline, but the three members going to high school and participating in other activities outside of the band is slowing the process. 

“My voice memos are just filled with songs that span all the way back to 2017,” Bednar said. “We have a bunch of different songs that we have written that we just need to record. The hard part is finding time to record and mix and master them.”

Despite their busy schedules, the members of Grandpa Winnie are hoping to schedule more shows in the coming months. 

Grandpa Winnie’s album “The Blank Times” is out now, as well as their single “Like a Mother to Her Son.” Both can be listened to on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube Music.

Kayla Gleason is a beat reporter. Contact her at [email protected].