Review Fix Exclusive: Grey Gordon Talks New Record

Review Fix chats with singer/songwriter Grey Gordon, who’s currently romancing fans on his 2014 Winter Tour with the promise of his debut full-length album. He also contributes to his younger brother’s band, “The Wickerwolves,” plays guitar in the hardcore band: “Parasitic Twins,” does vocals in “Antlers As Roots” and contributes to hip-hop collaborations. He holds a deep appreciation for his family and all of the supporters who peek through his filter of reality.

Review Fix: In Jan 2011 you put out “Demos,” and since then you’ve been releasing work nonstop. In April, you get signed to No Sleep Records, a West coast record label. How do you feel about all of this happening so quickly?

Grey Gordon: Well, I suppose in a macro sense, it has all happened really quickly, but it doesn’t necessarily feel that way. I’ve been attending shows for a decade now, and playing/booking shows for nearly as long. In that sense, it’s been a long time coming. I’ve played in god knows how many bands, most of them within the hardcore scene. It was a total fluke that this material happened to take off, I think. It’s easily the most “accessible” music I’ve put out thus far, so that definitely contributed to it catching on more quickly. Honestly, I’m just thankful that people believe in me enough to continually support my various musical projects, and that Chris and No Sleep have enough faith in me to bring me aboard the roster. It’s a dream come true, in the realest way.

Review Fix: What elements of “Sebadoh” and “Braid” are you incorporating in this debut indie/emo record?

Gordon: I think more than anything, I want this record to be reminiscent of a time when indie and emo weren’t so easily distinguishable from one another, in a sonic sense. Back when those bands were in their heyday, I think one of the main things that separated indie and emo were regional scenes and associations more than sounds. In the strictest sense, a band like say—“Dinosaur Jr.” is post-hardcore/emo in a lot of ways. That is to say, Lou (who went on to form “Sebadoh”) and J. Mascis played in arguably one of the most influential early hardcore bands before they formed “Dinosaur Jr.”. “Dinosaur Jr.” definitely incorporated a hardcore influence into their music, and even cover classic hardcore songs live to this day, and yet, history remembers them as the forefathers of indie rock as opposed to emo. I don’t want people to hear this new record and say ‘that’s an emo record,’ because that makes it easy dismissible by certain parties. On the other hand, I’m not at all hesitant to say that I’m drawing heavily from that early emo scene. I just want it to be apparent that I’m drawing just as much from “Nada Surf” or “Swervedriver” as I am from “Braid” or “The Promise Ring.”

Review Fix: You’re having a 10-day studio session with Ben Barnett of “Kind of Like Spitting,” for your first full-length album [Who has created 12 albums in seven years.] What song of his resonated with you most when you were young, and do you suppose this will covertly reveal itself somehow in the new record?

Gordon: It’s really hard to narrow it down to just one song. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Ben is my favorite singer/songwriter of all time. I can say that the first album I ever heard by him was ‘The Thrill of the Hunt,’ and it stuck with me right away. My friend Dusty Neal burned me a huge MP3 CD full of music when I was like 17, and “Kind of Like Spitting” was on there. It legitimately changed the course of my life. I think the influence he’s had on the music I’ve made up to this point is pretty apparent, but for this record, I think his influence will be more in the subtle production choices we make. Ben and I are very much on the same page as far as our tastes go. We’ve been talking a lot, and we’re stoked to throw some weird stuff at people that they’re not really expecting.

Review Fix: What’s the story behind your mom giving you a guitar at 14? Did you ask for it?

Gordon: I did ask for it. She bought me this little campfire acoustic guitar from my friend Jared for something like 15 dollars. Once it was clear that I was actually dedicated to learning how to play, she bought me an Squier Strat the next Christmas and a little practice amp. I dove headfirst into it at that point and began dedicating every second of free time to learning how to play.

Review Fix: You completed high school at R. Nelson Snider in Fort Wayne, but did you ever go to college? What went into that decision?

Gordon: I briefly attended a local college right after I graduated from high school. I really didn’t have any interest in pursuing higher education, but my mom and my girlfriend at the time were pressuring me to go. In their defense, I didn’t have much else going for me, so it was probably wasn’t a terrible idea. But at the end of the day, it just wasn’t for me. I was dead set on being a full time musician, but I just didn’t have the work ethic at that time. I was 18 years old, so I wasn’t ready to dedicate myself fully to something so work intensive quite yet. It took me a few years to get my head straight and start working through personal issues so that I could end up where I am presently.

Review Fix: Considering you are Straight Edge, how do you feel about pop culture today, as it is increasingly supporting the alternative?

Gordon: I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with pop culture, but that relationship has grown even more complex in the Internet age. With the easy access to information via the Internet, pretty much all culture and subculture IS pop culture. It has always been like that to some degree, but the Internet has magnified that effect to the nth degree. On one hand, I recognize all of the terribly problematic aspects of mainstream culture. Which include but are not limited to, rampant sexism, racism, classism and a plethora of other isms that we could all do without. However, I do think you’re correct in observing that alternatives are becoming increasingly welcome in today’s pop culture climate. Veganism and Straight Edge have definitely entered into the mainstream consciousness in a big way. We’ll see what, if any, lasting effects that has on our mindset as a society. I could honestly write a thesis on this subject, though. Find me at a show and talk to me about this if you have a few hours to spare.

Review Fix: You’ve played shows for fund raising and charity, what do you think others should do to contribute to positivity in society?

Gordon: I’m really in no position to tell others what the best way to contribute is. Ultimately, my decision to pursue a life as a professional artist is intrinsically selfish. Me doing charity events is an attempt to set a positive example and reconcile my own guilt about my lifestyle choices. I could easily go join the Peace Corps and do real and lasting good somewhere, but instead I’m playing music. Not to undermine the importance of artists in our society and throughout history, but I nonetheless feel accountable for the selfishness of my choices. If anything, I hope my very small contributions and nods to those who are working hard to change this world for the better will inspire some young people to think more critically about the world in which they live, and perhaps even push them to contribute in a way they feel works best for them.

Review Fix: You posted “I tend to be a negative dude, but the dialogue that music allows us to establish with one another will forever remain my one beacon of hope,” on Facebook recently. You’ve been very grateful for the positive feedback you’ve received, and encourage listeners to connect with you.

What growth do you hope to see in yourself and your fans from this bond?

Grey Gordon: Man, I hope you guys aren’t following my Facebook activity too closely. I say some pretty zany shit on the Internet, and most of it is tongue in cheek. That being said, the post to which you’re referring to is absolutely heartfelt. My greatest hope is that there are kids who can connect with me in as meaningful a fashion as I did with certain artists as a young person. Even though what I talk about via this project only represents certain facets of who I am as a person, it is all one hundred percent real. I hope that’s apparent to people, and I hope my honesty encourages reciprocation and a willingness to be open. Ideally, art should become a conversation. That’s what I want. I want people to talk back. What I’ve gained from this whole experience is some personal perspective on accountability. For the first time in my life, I’m a public figure in a very real sense. People are paying attention to what I say and do. I can’t be as haphazard about what I project to the world. That’s been a really important lesson for me, and it’s helped me become more focused and directional in my intentions. I’m still a loudmouthed asshole, sure, but overall I’m taking better care to be the best person that I can be, because now there are some people counting on me to be that. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still myself through and through, but I’m just trying to be the best version of myself possible.

Review Fix: What time period do the poems and memories of “Lights of the Firmament”, published by XXVII Press, mostly focus on?

Gordon: All of that writing was composed between 2010 and 2012. That was a very transitional period in my life. To put it bluntly, I hated myself for a big portion of my life. Those writings represent a person very much in flux. I was still clinging to a lot of the self-doubt and self-loathing that had largely defined my formative years, but I was gaining perspective on it. That writing also represents me at my most honest. I did not censor myself whatsoever. I think the goal was to put forth a completely accurate portrayal of my thoughts, no matter how ugly or uncomfortable it was. Those parts of me still exist, and they still express themselves in my music and writing, but I’d like to think the nature of those ideas has shifted somewhat. Overall, I’m not proud of the period of time “Lights of the Firmament” represents, but I’m proud that I found it in me to document it unabashedly. I couldn’t be more grateful that people were so receptive to it.

Review Fix: I could not have been more surprised when I heard your eloquent voice come out of such a hardcore exterior. Where’s the balance? How do these opposite characteristics come together to establish Grey Gordon?

Gordon: First of all, thank you. I think the apparent dissonance between my aesthetic and the way I express myself is more based upon societal perception than anything else. I enjoy subverting the status quo. I always have. That being said, I grew up in a house where my father and grandfather were tattooed, so it wasn’t odd for me to get tattoos as well when I came of age. Beyond that, many of the figures I admired in Punk/Hardcore and Hip-Hop as a kid, were heavily tattooed, so it seemed natural for me. On a basic level, I just really enjoy tattoos visually. I like how they make me look. If you look close, the contradiction really doesn’t exist. Yeah, I have face tattoos, but half of them are lyrics by “The Smiths”. I get that it’s funny and novel in some ways, but then again, this is the post-modern world. Most people have access to an unfathomable amount of information at any given time. Is it really so strange that a person could have equal parts interest in Oscar Wilde and trap music? I grew up in a lower income home and a generation raised on gangster rap, but my parents were also extremely literate and encouraging. All of these things play equally important roles in making me who I am. People tend to forget that human beings are extremely nuanced and multifaceted creatures. I just wear those characteristics in an unusually visible way.

Review Fix: Your “CRY OR DIE” 2014 winter tour ends on the 24th. What do you expect for it?

Gordon: As I write this, I’m actually preparing to leave on that tour, it starts tomorrow in Chicago. I’m pretty confident that this tour is going to be great. I’ve never played out West before, but booking it was made super painless with the help of my homie Nabeel Shaikh. Promotion has been good for it, so that’s encouraging. You always prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Having recording at the end of it is nice, because whether the tour is great or subpar, I have something awesome to look forward to. Even the worst tour is better than being home, in my opinion, but I fully expect this one to be dope. I’m going out with a full band, so it’s going to be an all-new experience for the crowds and myself. Hopefully people are into it. That’s all I can ask. If people go away from these shows thinking about things in a different light, I’ll consider it a success.