Band: GREYSCALE
Genres: Post-Hardcore / Screamo / Punk / Rock
Related artists: Adaje.
Country: Memphis, USA
Years Active: 2012-present
Song: "Iron Veins"
Album: "A Breathe Of Fresh Air"
Year: 2012
For fans of: Funeral Diner, City Of Caterpillar, L'Antietam, Off Minor, Todos Caeran, Coma
Regalia, The Fiction, The Fall Of Troy, D'Amore, (old/good) Hopesfall, Itto,
and Deers aka Proper SCREAMO.
Before the interview, let me first talk quickly about GREYSCALE's first EP, 'A Breath Of Fresh Air'.
The band employs some beautiful dynamics with their instrumentation - be it groovin', twinkly or serene. Just listen to the introduction of "The Closer You Get to the Light, the Stronger Your Shadow
Becomes" to get a good idea of this - or "Iron Veins". They generally balance these slow and intricate parts with speedy chaotic parts - but perhaps balance isn't the right word, as they're usually a little more heavy on the hardness.
The vocals jump between two vocalists and range from lower, coarse yelling to very high-pitched screaming. From what I've read, the lyrics are great and very introspective. I find that bands which incorporate the soft/hard dynamic of screamo can choose very poor placement for their vocals. This is not the case with GREYSCALE, as the vocals carry their own beat that still fits with the instrumentals.
You can listen to the band's first EP here. They are releasing a new split with Coma Regalia which you can stream here. It looks like they may have another split coming out soon with Our Weakness, as well. If these guys record a proper LP I'm going to shit myself - as I'm salivating at the direction they're going in.
Scroll down to read my interview with Zo who is one of the guitarists in GREYSCALE and a former Adaje member. It's a great interview with some very honest and entertaining answers.
Can you reveal anything interesting about the
other band members?
Zo: Chance has a tight ass. Barrett is unbearably
afraid of homeless people. Sameer has disgusting sleeping habits.
How did you guys meet? How did you get involved
in the band together?
Zo: I met Sameer
when he was born. That was pretty cool. Chance and I met under pretty strange
circumstances involving a girl neither of us are in contact with anymore. We
ran into each other a couple years later and became fast friends over people we
didn't like, fake screamo bands from 2004, and copious amounts of food
consumption. Barrett I met at a show Sameer's and my old band Adaje played at,
which was a church. He walked up to me and whispered sweet nothings about our
band. It was cute. I've been in love with him ever since. A year later Adaje
broke up and we all wanted to start a band together with our friend Taylor
calling it a "best friend band". Taylor quit a few months in, but we
all remain close to him. Hell yeah.Zo: My only personal conflict is always and always trying to make the most out of this life I've been given. I try to keep my mind and my heart honest and so far it's worked out pretty well. As far as band conflicts go, we hit a rough patch on our last tour, but since then we've all hashed it out and focused on what really matters to us in this band.
Zo: Sameer and I
started Adaje in 2006 while I was still in high school and Sameer was in grade
school still. From 2006 to 2012 we stayed pretty active as far as touring and
putting out releases. The band went from sounding like a metalcore Fear Before
the March of Flames, to a post hardcore/emo outfit, and finally ended on our
last full length ‘Yore Veils’. A few
months later I broke up the band as it was becoming something that I wasn't
enjoying and that should always be the basis of being in a band. To help you
forget about the bullshit we all deal with and to be an outlet to vent all
that. Not add on to a list of problems and stress.
Zo: We were all
super stoked on that song as soon as we finished it. But come to think of it,
after every song we write we get stoked on it. I think it's been that way since
we started a year ago which is good. You want to be stoked and proud of every
song you write. All killer no filler.
Do you feel like your new/next material can be likened to something in regards to its significance – such as a thought, idea, feeling or specific purpose? Is this communicated lyrically, instrumentally or thematically? (If this question is too ridiculous, how’s this -> “Can you talk about your new material?”)
Zo: I have more of a role in the instrumental communication of things in the band. Chance writes all the lyrics and is usually behind concepts, artwork, and keeping an eye on the overall aesthetic of the band. Musically, the 4 of us communicate very well. It's gotten even better lately because everyone's been bringing their own ideas to practice to elaborate on. Practices are becoming more of an event rather than fulfilling 2 hours of playing music. As far as new songs go, the 5 songs we recorded earlier this summer played a little bit to our aggressive, slightly more abrasive side. They're faster, tighter and transition smoother than our last batch. But now we just started writing again after we got back from this tour, and there's already a progression into a more full, aesthetically pleasing sound. Think "Iron Chance" but more room to breathe.
Zo: As a guitarist,
my first real influence was The Fall Of Troy. I love every aspect of that
band's writing and for what they did, they were wildly underrated. Nowadays, I
prefer not to think of any certain band when I’m writing to try to come up
something new and fresh. Although I’m sure people listen to our songs and think
"this sounds like so-and-so", that's fine with me. I'm not trying to
write something completely original. Just something completely honest.
Zo: “The Quiet Things
That No One Ever Knows” by Brand New
What song would you like to cover?
Zo: "I’m Just
a Girl" by No Doubt
Zo: Most of the time I don't agree with people's
interpretations or references to what we sound like, but I'll just be like,
"Oh thanks man". It doesn't bother me much because everybody has
their own ears and own way of deducting what a band sounds like. However, if
somebody came up to me after we play and was like "DUDE LYKE IF KATY PERRY
AND MATCHBOX TWENTY COLLABORATED. FUCK YEAH.", I'd be like wtf?
Zo: Stoner pop
Are there times when you feel like the writing
process stagnates? How do you overcome this?
Zo: When the band
is writing together, not at all. We all bounce ideas off of each other like
it's nothing. When I’m at home trying to get a riff going however, it happens
sometimes. When it does, I just put the guitar down and let the idea come to
me. Whenever I try to force something out, it ends up getting tossed to the
wayside.
Zo: I can honestly
say the people that we play shows with/for all across the country are the most
genuine, nicest, most respectable people I've ever met. We go to their town and
they take us in, give us a place to stay, feed us and put on killer shows. When
their band rolls through Memphis, we do the exact same thing. This community of
DIY punk bands is something so rare and so special, and if you're stupid enough
to take it for granted then that is unfortunate.
Zo: What bums me
out is that 90% of the time, kids go to shows because their friend's band is
playing. They go for that band and could give two shits about the other bands
playing. From a musician's perspective, it's insulting. We put a lot into the
songs we write, so when we get up and play them at shows, we at least want
people to give us their undivided attention for 20 minutes. That's all we ask
for. Afterwards you can go right back to ignoring us and talking to your
friends who you came there to see. You asked about people, promoters, and
bands. The answer is all about the attitude. Good attitudes at shows affect
everything about them. The band's energy, the people's energy and how well the
show is promoted. Most of the time, it takes being in a touring band to
understand what touring bands need. The funny thing is, all we want is a good
fucking show.
Zo: This winter
we're heading out west with our friends in the band "Been" featuring
members of Alta and Acidic Tree for 11 days. Then next summer we're heading up
to Canada (hopefully).
Zo: I would've
absolutely loved to see City Of Caterpillar. Or These Arms Are Snakes. Both on
one show would be the tits.
Zo: I used to have
a hard time with it because I care so much about music. Like, a lot. So when I
would see a band that I didn't like, I'd get pissed off and write them off
completely. But then I realized that it backfired and my love for music was
being compromised, so I took a step back. I still see and know bands that I
don't like, but my passion and love for music outweigh what pisses me off about
it, and that allows me to look at things more objectively in that department.
Zo: I had my metalcore phase just like everybody
else. Although I still listen to Killswitch Engage and everyone I know hates
it. It's awesome.
Zo: Videogames.
Comics. Driving like a maniac.
Zo: The fact that
we work just as hard as an active touring band that tours 6 months out of the
year but still retain the love for each other and for our music. Once you lose
yourself completely from doing what you love, then it's time to take a step
back. I can happily say that the 4 of us remain very close and have been having
the best time playing in this band the past year.
What’s the most challenging thing about being in
GREYSCALE?
Zo: Well like I
said earlier, we all bounce ideas off of each other at practice, but sometimes
that backfires. Chance and I are pretty opinionated, so we'll clash from time
to time, but 5 minutes later we're all good.
Zo: "I hope he
doesn't ask us stupid questions."
Zo: I’m sure Chance
elaborated on this a little, but on this past tour we had some fun nights. In
Champaign, IL however, things just got stupid. We played with Gas Up yr Hearse
that night and they took us to a party/place to crash for the night. Chance got
some whiskey and Sameer got four loco. Yes I said four loco and am still saying
four loco. He would take a shot of whiskey and chase it with that shit. So
we're all hanging out, and this beyond drunk dude walks outside and just starts
spewing utter nonsense. Chance nicknames him "fuckboy" and kept
calling him that. He didn't appreciate and punched chance in the back of the
head. Chance then turns around and is like "really?" then pushes the
dude off this porch which is like a 5 foot drop. He gets up without a scratch
and was like "that was a little aggressive." 5 minutes later Chance
is taking a picture with these friends we made and Sameer walks out laughing
hysterically and fucks up the whole picture. When everybody left we passed out
but before hearing Sameer throw up all over the floor in some dude's room. Good
times. Then there was the time where we played sxsw last year with Adaje and
Chance got lone star drunk which I believe is 12% alcohol. He didn't know this,
got way too drunk, and moshed his dick off to Full of Hell. Chance does not
mosh so it pretty much made our night.
________________________________________________________________________
DISCOGRAPHY
2012 - A Breath Of Fresh Air cd (stream/download/purchase here)
2013 - Coma Regalia Split 7" (stream here)
________________________________________________________________________
GREYSCALE additional links
Awesome, hilarious interview. Great work, guys!
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