Power of Music - GREYE
- Written by Jonathan Widran
Q: How did the onset of COVID-19 and the shutdown of all live performances affect the members of the Daytona, FL based band Greye?
HANNAH: Our band was the busiest of the busy when everything shut down due to COVID-19. Our latest single “Lucky” reached #1 on the World Indie Music chart and had done back to back to back shows, playing for thousands at the huge Bike Week event in our hometown of Daytona Beach. We’ve toured the U.S. numerous times and we were all excited about finally touring the UK and other countries in Europe this summer. We were obviously disappointed, but ultimately chose to see the lockdown as a blessing in disguise. When you play as many shows as we do, it’s challenging to nail down a big block of time to write and record music. Not gigging the last few months has allowed us to record the final few tracks of our upcoming sixth album sooner than we expected. Whether it’s music or any other artistic endeavor, the creative spirit always finds a way to emerge.
RAY: It’s easy to get caught up in the routine of play, unload, reload, come back to the studio, then get ready for the next gig. This lockdown gave us time. After the initial shock and novelty of “nothing to do” wore thin, it was time to make the best of things. The band immediately went into writing mode. For Greye’s upcoming sixth record, four additional songs had to be written, recorded, mixed and mastered. The band went into a 3 to 4-day weekly rehearsal schedule and completed the needed 4 songs. All songs for the So Far So Good record are currently in mastering. In an attempt to remain connected with our audience, the band also did three livestream concerts, which seemed to bridge the gap between isolation and audience connection. Just seeing the comments from people all over the country reinforced the feeling that we were all connected - even if it was via a webcam.
Q: Besides the opportunity to work on new music, have you found any personal positives in this “new normal”?
JOSHUA: When COVID-19 went sweeping across the nation music was more than just another way to stay positive. For me It was a way to make myself feel like I was making progress in my life. Being shut away inside and every business closed due to the pandemic. I was still able to get a sense of achievement while working on new music with the band. A feeling most lost, and one of the many causes for the feeling everyone was getting inside their houses. Music was giving me something on top of entertainment, and that is accomplishment.
Q: What do you feel is the overall role of music in helping us through life’s most difficult times?
HANNAH: Music is one of the greatest forms of escapism we have as a species. As someone who is constantly turning to the world around me for inspiration, I’m not sure that writing music keeps my mind clear, but it’s certainly an excellent way to capture the sentiment of a time period and process the challenges that exist within it. Music has always had the ability to give people a very unique sense of togetherness and affirmation, and it’s incredibly rewarding in such uncertain times that my method of catharsis can be a means of escape for others. We’ve seen an unfortunate decline in people’s passion and attention for music over the years. Now that rooms are filling up again after being empty for so long, I believe that everyone has gained a renewed sense of respect and appreciation for live entertainment. People crave nostalgia and escapism, and I think that as long as we don’t lose that feeling, we can use these difficult times to give the music industry a whole new life.
JETT: Music is inevitable and inescapable. You can’t go through a day of your life without hearing or singing or whistling a song – or hearing lyrics in your head. I’m into prog rock. It’s a style that may not be useful for many people but it pulls my brain into a space that helps me focus on my own music and other things. It takes me on a journey. Ray and I agree that music can make you hate and love. It’s not just about the message of the lyrics but the sound itself. A minor chord structure will make you feel sad. If you play a major chord, it’s happy. A seventh gives you a bluesy feel, and a minor seventh is ethereal. Different music gives you different feelings. People will always listen if it’s a meaningful piece of art.
Q: What can music do for our emotional and spiritual well-being – and as an extension, our collective social consciousness - that perhaps nothing else can?
JETT: Playing, performing, and practicing music provides incredible clarity and focus to all other aspects of my life. During trying times, you can pick up your instrument and sail away with your music. Music lets you explore your mind. It pulls memories out of your forgotten past. It can even take you back in time. It provides wonderful escapism and reprieve in difficult times. Music is also a constant reminder that you must be able to forge great opportunities out of unfavorable circumstances and now, there is no better a time to practice this methodology. If you pick up a guitar, nothing happens until you breathe creation into it.
KEN-E: I think in everything, music is the common denominator. Diversity today means that folks from different walks of life are coming together – and music to me is the glue that gets us there. We all listen to every kind of music, and it provides the incentive and the courage to move forward and bring out the best in us. I have seen these times wear heavily on my family and friends, from loss of lives to loss of sanity. Fortunately, music has always been my passion, and I am able to use it in every walk of my life. Being able to use it as a therapeutic tool every day hasn't stopped, so I have been able to keep a clear head through my music when everything seems to be going off the rails. If I had one wish for the world, I'd wish music will have the same effect of everyone it has on me. We'd be in a much better place.
RAY: I think more of today’s artists need to be like Marvin Gaye, whose landmark album What’s Going On remains relevant because it encapsulated a time of people in struggle but with a positive end to it – whereas a lot of the music today thematically seems to be quite pessimistic and self-centered. It takes zero bravery to be a pessimist, and it’s hard to be an optimist when times are hard – but music, as a tool of universal communication, has the power to bring people together for a common purpose.
https://www.facebook.com/greyemusic/
https://greyemusic.com/home
