Ten Questions to ... Into Grey

Every now and then, a new band makes you sit up and take notice: you feel the synapses in your brain charging with a new creative energy, goosebumps appear on your arms and you feel almost paralysed as a new song takes another unexpected yet pleasurable musical turn. For me, Into Grey is one such project, an act which only begin releasing songs at the very end of 2019 but has quickly become a name on everyone’s lips. Whereas most of the bands featured on this blog so far this year (Sonsombre, Then Comes Silence, Antipole etc) have already well-established careers developed over several critically-lauded albums, Into Grey has so far released just one 5 track EP, plus a further half dozen songs only available digitally (so far) on Soundcloud and Bandcamp.

Based in the state of Indiana in the USA, Into Grey is the work of just one musician, a thirty-something named Jermaine, who creates a distinctive post-punk sound which is a perfect marriage of lyrics of alienation and despair over a beautifully stark low-fi darkwave/coldwave musical backing which has unpredictable twists and turns melodically to elevate the songs well above the scene norm. The debut EP  (available for "name your price" at Bandcamp), an usually strong set of five songs, deservedly received rave reviews on both Jö Claverie and White Light/White Heat websites as well as making many podcast playlists. Jermaine’s deep vocal and the Joy Division inspired backing calls to mind a more muscular and up-tempo version of Suffering For Kisses’ Forever Waiting debut, another classic of dark melancholia but with occasional added claustrophobia caused by the more detuned, string-bending, atonal effects which recall classic Sonic Youth/My Bloody Valentine musical alchemy.

Since the EP’s digital release in February, Into Grey has released a further six songs at roughly monthly intervals, with the latest two, Frailty and Bloom ample evidence that as the project sound matures, the essential elements remain: a syncopated drumbeat, a driving bass with a mind of its own and some shimmering guitar work providing the framework for a reverberating, confessional baritone vocal, a unique combination of the best the 80’s had to offer, with elements of the classic sounds of the Factory, 4AD and Merciful Release record labels that were synonymous with the best music of the first generation.

I took the opportunity to contact Jermaine to discuss how he writes these hymns of despair and to discover more of his plans for the project, and was delighted when he agreed to take part in “Ten Questions to …” for this blog.

With the likes of Antipole, Second Still and Red Velvet Deception having created wonderful twenty-first century guitar-based coldwave classic albums, Into Grey look set to join this elite group, but for now we must be content with their excellent offerings available from their Bandcamp site.

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     1.     You’ve been involved in the music scene for about fifteen years. What kind of projects were you involved in before starting Into Grey towards the end of last year?

Before I started Into Grey I was in a few very short lived Goth bands that never really got past the jam session period. After spending a good ten years in a handful of bands like that I really just stopped looking. The area I live in is not really making the music I enjoy either so I decided to just make it myself out of frustration.

     2.     Your influences list includes some of the usual suspects (The Cure, Joy Division) but also French coldwave legends Asylum Party. What was it about their sound that attracted you?

I feel what attracts me to the bands you’ve mentioned, and specifically Asylum Party, is that their sound encapsulates the atmosphere of a time I’m nostalgic for and a scope of emotions I think we all can relate to in a way. These bands speak to me on a level that not a lot of other styles of music really can.

     3.     The Peruvian label InClub Records are going to release a CD version of the debut EP. How did the link-up come about?

When I started releasing tracks, I made a Facebook page and Instagram for the project as a way to engage with the community more. InClub contacted me around the time my song Poison released; we’ve been in touch ever since. They've been really helpful and I'm grateful they took the time to reach out to me.

     4.     You’ve been very active during the lockdown, releasing a new track every month since the debut EP came out in February, six in total. The first four had the same artwork on Bandcamp and were more up-tempo and dance-floor friendly, whereas the most recent two songs are darker and feature different artwork. Do you intend listeners to see the songs in groups like that?

I did not initially intend that when I was writing them out. Once the EP was finished I felt like I needed to tell a different story and express it from a different angle. Using different artwork to set the new tracks apart felt like a good way to signify that.

    


     5.     Are these new songs going to get a physical release as follow-up EP or is there an album planned?

I do plan on the next release being a full album and I would love to do a physical release for it if the opportunity arises. I’ve just begun working on it, so I’ve got some time to figure that out.

     6.     You’ve recently joined Josh Kreuzman on his Twice Dark project, which seems to be as prolific as Into Grey in terms of new song releases. Do you prefer collaborating with other musicians or having full control over a project?

Honestly all of it is very new for me, I enjoy making music on my own, but I love working with other people as well. Having full control is great but can also feel like a double-edged sword. When working with others it feels like there's more opportunity to stumble across a great idea organically, and it's always more fun to explore stuff like that with other people and share the excitement. When you’re by yourself it's pretty much just you being excited by yourself.

     


     7.     There’s a dark thread through your lyrics, from melancholic musings about lost love to tales of abuse and despair. Do you write from personal experience or do you adopt different personas for each song?

Both, the EP was very personal, and it was from the perspective of the person then and the person now removed from that time. I'm not that person anymore, but they never really left. I just wore him for a time to remember clearly what I wanted to share.

     8.     Your vocal lines are deep, echoing, almost half-whispered and tend to range only over a couple of notes, with a very distinct timbre and a distinctly confessional tone. When you’re writing a new song, do you start with the lyric, the vocal line, the backbeat or a guitar riff? 

I start with a guitar riff followed by the bass and then drums; vocals are always the very last piece I put down. I usually don’t have a topic in mind when I start writing, the music always evolves and invokes what I need to say.

     9.     There’s often a beautiful melancholy in your songs, usually in the guitar lines which contrasts with the occasionally discordant bass and the stark simplicity of the drum sounds. Is your intention to make the music match the emotional claustrophobia of the lyrics? 

Honestly the music is the driving force of the emotion of a track since lyrics are the last piece to be created. A lot of the time I go in with a certain lyrical style in mind, but it always comes out different because of what the music pulls from me.

     10.  You have advertised on the net for other musicians to join Into Grey. Are you hoping to take the band on the road? What other plans do you have for the project?

Yes, a bit before I had an EP in mind I did look for others to join the project, but it didn’t quite pan out. My goal is to play live shows and go on tour. I really want to make videos for my songs as well but right now playing live is the main goal.

Thanks to Jermaine for answering my questions, and watch out for new Into Grey music soon!