Review Fix Exclusive: Gideon’s Army Robert Bray Talks ‘King of the League’ and More

Review Fix chats with Gideon’s Army’s Robert Bray, who discusses their new single, “Don’t Mind,” from their forthcoming full-length album, King of the League.

About King of the League:

Recorded with Anthony Gallo (Bon Jovi, John Legend, Common, Norah Jones, Gavin DeGraw, Yeasayer) at Virtue and Vice in Brooklyn, Gideon’s Army, brainchild of vocalist/guitarist Robert Bray has since taken his act to some of New York’s most well-known stages, including Pianos, Leftfield and The Bitter End. The band is poised to hit the road again in support of  King of the League and will look to return to the studio for the album’s follow-up in late 2016.

Review Fix: How did you guys get together?

Robert Bray: We were all one degree of separation away from each other. I knew a guy who knew a guy who knew a guy who knew a guy. And we’re all local to New York City. I met producer/engineer Anthony Gallo through Patrick Ermlich who was the Studio and Production Manager at The Cutting Room Recording Studios from 2000‐2008 and is now the Owner of Modern Vintage Recordings. Anthony “Rocky” Gallo was the Chief Engineer at the Cutting Room for years before he opened his own studio, Virtue and Vice, in Brooklyn, New York where we recorded the ‘King of the League’ album. Pat’s been on my team for a while now and I trust his taste and judgement. I asked him who I should be looking at to record the next album, Anthony Gallo was one of two names he mentioned. We looked high and low and ultimately decided to go with Anthony. I couldn’t be any more thrilled with that experience and outcome and I owe a big thank you to Patrick for connecting us.

Review Fix: What’s your creative process like?

Bray: I’m constantly on the lookout for sounds and rhythms that excite me and move me and illicit a vital response. Whether they come from other artists or non-artists or whether they come from me and my expression, musically or otherwise. I spend quality time every day singing and playing my guitars. Most of the time the phrases and musical ideas I come up with are enjoyed in the moment and then never heard from again, even though I know they still reside deep inside me. Then, every once in a while you hit a deep nerve and a song wants to come out, a song needs to come out. Once you hit the nerve, it possesses you until it’s been fully expressed. The visceral emotional response takes you to the time and place where the song exists and provides the images that lead to the word pictures of the lyrics and the tone of the vocal expression. Once the possession has left my body and psyche, meaning the song is finished, I take it to my bandmates and they add their genius to it.

Review Fix: What do you think makes this band special?

Bray: We combine great songwriting with great playing and our songs move you and make you want to move. We are a Rock AND Roll band.

Review Fix: How would you describe your style?

Bray: We are a southern infused Rock ‘N Roll band. Rock ‘n Roll with seasonings and flavoring of blues, country, southern rock, and soul. We’ve got a little New York City style and musical variety to us too.

Review Fix: What are your goals for this album?

Bray: I want it to reach a massive audience and take us all over the world.

Review Fix: What’s the standout song on the album? Is there a story behind it?

Bray: I love all of my songs equally. That’s like asking me to choose amongst my children. Of which I have none. We decided to lead with “Don’t Mind” because that song is like a starter pistol at the beginning of a big race. It springs you to high velocity motion quick.

Review Fix: How did it feel to work with Anthony Gallo?

Bray: Anthony has diagrams and charts of the human ear hanging on the walls of his recording studio along with his platinum records, that should tell you a little something about him. He can hear if something’s off or not right or not interesting immediately and he has the sonic vocabulary and history at the ready to communicate it to the musicians effortlessly. Everything goes smoothly with him, from the set-up, to the recording, to the mixing, to the troubleshooting. He takes away all of the headaches of what could be an extraordinarily lengthy, stressful, and expensive project.

Review Fix: What’s next?

Bray: We’re in the process of releasing our album ‘King of the League’, the first single ‘Don’t Mind’ is out now! We’ll be releasing another few singles on its heels and then the full album, all 12 songs, in March/April. After it’s release, the plan is to tour around the world playing live these songs we’re so proud of for anyone who wants to listen.