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Grayscale, the Fearless Records Philly-based quintet, prepares to release their third full-length album. The era of Umbra is one of the group’s favorite projects so far. Following the band’s 2019 Nella Vita and the 2017 debut Adornment, the new album will hold the same charisma and talent but a greater sense of their authentic selves.
After silence on social media, to sporadic vague posts, to the album’s announcement, Grayscale knows how to make the fans squirm! The band compiled of Collin Walsh [lead vocals], Andrew Kyne [guitar], Nick Ventimiglia [bass], Dallas Molster [guitar], and Nick Veno [drums], gave fans three killer singles in preparation for the album that drops on August 27th.
As big fans of their brand, we were lucky enough to have a chat with vocalist Collin Walsh as they embark on their journey that is the redefined sound and indescribable energy of Umbra.
Experience The Evolution:
Stepping into the era of Umbra, in what ways will this album set itself apart from your earlier releases?
Umbra feels like the record where we began to truly “figure ourselves out.” Some bands have their sound locked in from day one while others can take decades to find it; I feel like this was the biggest step for us in that regard so far in our career. While we are incredibly proud of Adornment and Nella Vita’s success, Umbra feels like the most authentic version of us sonically. We’re very excited to build on it.
In a previous interview with THP, Grayscale noted that Nella Vita formed a bass/drum connection and Adornment a bass/guitar link. What type of instrumental relationship can we find on Umbra?
The majority of our band are trained drummers. Rhythm is so incredibly important to our music in every way, including vocally. As I sort of alluded to in the previous answer, there was calculated expansion and refinement of sound on Umbra – much of that was very much driven by rhythm and feel; you’ll hear all kinds of musically diverse rhythms and feels across Umbra.
So far, the band has released singles’ ‘Dirty Bombs’ and ‘Babylon (Say It To My Face),’ both phenomenal and totally unique. How did you go about choosing which songs become singles?
Thanks for the love. That process is always an interesting and tricky one. There are a lot of opinions from our whole team (label, management, booking, press, etc.) regarding which songs should be singles to consider. We definitely listen to & value everyone on our teams’ thoughts when choosing, and ultimately, we were able to pretty much all agree on the same songs in the end. I will say, however, that there were a lot of different “favorites” among our team this time around. We’re excited to see which non-singles fans like the most. Many of them were in the running to be singles.
‘Dirty Bombs’
You guys are amid Sad Summer Fest and seem to be having an absolute blast! What are you guys enjoying most about the festival?
The whole thing has been unreal. It feels so good to be playing music live again. The reaction to the new Umbra songs has been insane as well. A lot of good people are on this tour, we’re making some great friends along the way for sure.
Following Sad Summer Festival, you guys are set to embark on a headlining tour to support the album. What are you looking most forward to on tour? What can fans expect to see? Hear?
We LOVE headlining. It gives us the opportunity to truly immerse our fans in an all-encompassing experience with lighting and full stage/sound capabilities. Fans can expect a killer show with killer energy every single night. If you haven’t seen us before, this is 100% the way to do it. Get your tix and VIP to the Umbra Tour now while you still can at grayscalepa.com.
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again, there’s something seriously special about Philly and, most importantly, Philly bands. Stemming from the city yourselves, we want to know who are some of your favorite hometown artists?
I think it’s more the attitude and vibe from the city than anything else. We care a lot about our city and community. Philly is incredibly artistic and historic; we’re very proud to be a part of its history.
What about influences outside of the city? Who are you pulling inspiration for this era of Grayscale?
We have a very wide range of influences artistically and musically. While we started pulling them in a bit more with Nella Vita, Umbra is the record where you’re going to hear those eclectic influences and love for all musical genres come out even more. Everything from jazz to hip-hop to ’80s is part of our DNA and always has been. It’s just been a matter of how we roll it out in an authentic way to us and our style. We are a band that writes rock songs, pop songs, and ballads. That is who we are. This is my favorite record so far by a mile, can’t wait for you to hear it.
While we’re more than confident that the new album will be a cohesive slam, are there any songs that stand out lyrically, musically, or personally?
I (Col) always write from personal experience lyrically. There are a few songs, like ‘Live Again,’ ‘Dreamcatcher,’ and ‘King of Everything’ that are the most personal to me in a cathartic sense. Instrumentally speaking there are a couple curveballs for sure, as there has been on all of our records. Obviously, that has been something we’ve always done and will continue to do where we see fit artistically.
The band dropped the album’s third and presumably final single as it makes its way to shelves this Friday. Like we mentioned, this one was personal. “This is a super meaningful song to us,” says Walsh. “‘Live Again’ is about my dad getting sick last year and what that chapter was like for him and I. It was a dark time for me.”
Certainly soulful and complete with a killer choir, this single will be held high in the heart of fans across the world. Listen to the recent release here:
‘Live Again’
Both as individuals and as a band, what plans do you have for the future?
Touring, writing, and living in the moment. We don’t take this s**t for granted. We love our fans. Can’t wait to see you this fall.
You’ve heard it here first! We’re in for a hell of an album from a band that never fails to give us their best—Grayscale steps out of the shadows and illuminates our skies. The future is bright; the future is Grayscale!
Catch the band as they make their trek on Sad Summer Fest or at their other-worldly experience at their headline tour this fall! Let us know what stops you’ll hit, or how excited you are for the album by commenting down below or hitting us @TheHoneyPOP on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram!
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Image Source(s): Grayscale on Facebook | Featured Image Source: Atom Splitter PR
