INTERVIEW: Old Grey

1)      What do you want people to hear most when they hear your music?

Adam: I want people to hear crushing emotion. The EP we have out right now touches upon that a bit, but the newer songs we've been writing are really up there. Our live shows really are about catharsis, because these songs mean a lot to us, and we want people to feel that we're putting every bit of ourselves into playing them.
Derek: Absolutely, one of the main reasons we started the band was to get this energy out in a cathartic way. I think along with that though is a concern that the music be fun to play and fun to listen to. There are a lot of bands out there that sometimes focus more on conveying an idea or emotion without stopping to think "well would I listen to this if I wasn't the one who wrote it?" That's something I think we ask ourselves at a lot of points during the writing process. You know, "if we were the audience, at what point would we check out, and then how do we fix that?"

2)      Having music on Band Camp, along with other such platforms in music right now such as Sound Cloud, Spotify and others, do you feel that music is moving into a virtual age?  Personally, I fully support the idea of downloading songs for free from Band Camp and then if I like them buying them on vinyl.

Adam: I think digital music is great, but it is not the end of vinyl. I, like you, love purchasing and playing vinyl. With just a playlist of songs on iTunes, music passes by and sits in the background, which can be good if you're at work or whatever. But with vinyl, you have to make an effort to find the records, play them, flip them over, scan the grooves for songs, etc. It's a much more attentive process and makes you really listen and pay attention.
Derek: Having Bandcamp and stuff like that is a great tool for local and underground musicians. The real problem with it is that vinyl is so expensive to produce for a local band. We gave most of the CDs away or sold them cheap and it's great that it's out there, but the end result is that the vinyl thing won't happen due to cost, so while free music is great for fans and for bands trying to get exposure, people not paying for a band they like can prevent stuff getting out there in physical formats. It's a double-edged sword. I think if we were looking at this as a job and not a compulsion that we're passionate about, we'd probably add a pricetag to the EP. As we are though, it's fantastic having people sing the few lyrics we wrote down back to us in basements.

3)      How important of a factor do you feel that record labels play in music these days when pretty much anyone can put their music on the internet as opposed to having to hand out demo tapes at shows, the distribution record labels can offer, etc.   It just seems like it’s a bit easier these days to succeed as a band- and even build up a strong fan base- before a label possibly comes calling for you.

Adam: I think record labels are great because they can help bands tour and get records pressed and distributed. I know a lot of bands do this on their own, and that's awesome, but not every band has the funds or ability to do so. And record labels also provide a great resource to group bands together, throw them on shows, and get people into bands they didn't know about.
Derek: This one kind of goes back to what I was saying in the last answer. Like, if we had a label, not that we're looking for one really, we'd be able to put out stuff on vinyl if people wanted it, and we'd have some extra exposure by being able to possibly tour with some of the other bands on that label, maybe get on a comp or two, etc. because there'd be a label there helping sort out the details and cover the cost. There are some labels that seem to take a casual approach to it too, which can be great for people who have other things they need to work on more full-time, jobs, family, etc.

4)      If you could tour with any single band or musician who would you pick and why?

Adam: We would really love to tour with OH THE HUMANITY, also from Massachusetts. We've played a handful of shows with them already, and they are really good friends of ours. The closest thing we did to a tour was playing two dates in a row in Haverhill and Lowell, haha. If we're talking fantasy then I would really love to tour with Cobalt, because they are fucking rad.
Derek: Yes, OTH all the way. Also, god...I'd love to tour with Cobalt too, in an unrealistic "suddenly we're famous" way. Ultimate fantasy tour for me would be traveling back in time and opening for Thin Lizzy back when the singer was alive. That would kick ass.

5)      Who is your favorite New Kid on the Block?

Adam: Donnie Don.
Derek: Agreed.

6)      Who would win in a musical fight: Jack Black or Jack White?

 Adam: Jack Black, because he knows how to cut his hair.
Derek: I think Converge's Nate Newton would see the whole thing going down, walk over without being noticed, and then swing his bass like a battleaxe and call it a day. Just because. Guy's nuts.

Thanks for checking us out! If you want to link to the EP we reference here, this is the link: http://oldgrey.bandcamp.com/album/partners-in-archaeology-ep and a few of our new songs ("BM Song" and "Kingslayer") can be found in this live recording: http://oldgrey.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-the-ant-cellar