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| Photo by Douglas Seymour 2012 |
the lovely people at Paste Magazine have done
on Grey Reverend....
Go to pastemagazine.com to read the article
Also, check out our Soundcloud page for special
versions and outtakes from the Of The Days LP
Cheers
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Review in Stereoboard July 14, 2011 for Of the Days LP by Lee Johnston
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This is an album where the gentlest strum of an acoustic guitar sounds as powerful as the most emotive of guitar solos and where the delicate straining of vocal cords is all the more pleasing than the most finely tuned of harmonies. Opening track 'Altruistic Holiday' is as close as this record gets to perfect. Carrying with it an intimacy that makes one feel as if Brown is sitting next to you rather than thousands of miles away in his Brooklyn home, the track sets out the stall of the record from the start. There is nothing flashy here and nothing more is needed. What was often so good about folk records from the glory days, by artists like Nick Drake and John Martyn, was that they did not try to create an intimate atmosphere between the songs and the listeners. Frankly, there was no need. The simple beauty of the music was what mattered and this record takes this concept to heart. In an age in which musical excess is no longer measured as such and in which singer-songwriters often feel free to layer on extra instrumentation as if there is no tomorrow, this makes 'Of the Days' wonderfully refreshing to listen to. Any additions to the voice and guitar combination are subtle and enjoyable rather than being superfluous.GREY REVEREND – OF THE DAYS (MOTION AUDIO) - There are certain voices that instantly transform the aural landscape into something coloured with melancholy, but still make that location seem like the best place in the world to be. Grey Reverend, aka Larry D Brown, has one of those voices.
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Review By Don Sinnamon, Brisbane Street Press UK:
This is Brooklynite L.D. Brown telling his guitar stories about his life, quietly, soulfully and beautifully.
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Interview with JusLIkeMusic
Grey Reverend - Walk The Same by motionaudio
Interview with JusLIkeMusic
Grey Reverend - Walk The Same by motionaudio
Jus Like Music are very pleased to be able to bring you an upfront exclusive from American singer/songwriter Grey Reverend. A recent signing to Jason Swinscoe’s (Cinematic Orchestra) Motion Audio Records label – also home to Lou Rhodes – Grey Reverend‘s new album, Of The Days, is set to drop on 11th July.
A precursor to the album will be the lead single, One By One, available on 9th May, but today we have another track from the album to share with you. The track is called Walk The Same and you can download it for FREE courtesy of Jus Like Music and Motion Audio Records!
We also had an opportunity to grab a few words with Grey Reverend, about music, the creative process and the new album…
Jus Like Music: In your own words, who are you and where are you from?
Grey Reverend: I am L.D. Brown, the sole member of Grey Reverend, and I am from Pennsylvania, U.S.
JLM: How did you come to link up with Jason Swinscoe and the Cinematic Orchestra crew?
GR: I met Jay in Brooklyn in 2006, and I think that we were both in a vulnerable musical growth moment. We just seemed to connect on a lot of ideas about writing and creating music.
JLM: And what would you say it is that drives you to create music?
GR: Relationships, other musicians, boredom, I guess I don’t really know the answer to that.
JLM: So, if you weren’t creating music, what do you think you would be doing instead?
GR: Not creating music.
JLM: Do you have a set method or system when it comes to creating something new, or is the process a bit more random?
GR: I try not to limit myself too much when it comes to creating, so I’ve never come up with a method. I wouldn’t say that it’s random though, as that makes it seem like songs are just flukes or luck or fated etc. I don’t really know where most songs I write come from, to be honest. Sometimes I listen to a song I wrote years ago, and don’t understand why or how I wrote it. Maybe I’m possessed.
JLM: Maybe! With regards to your creative processes, and also the style of music which you make, are there any artists who inspire you specifically or that you have looked to emulate in some way?
GR: When I first began to write songs for guitar and voice I was really into Elliott Smith. I admired his use of metaphor in his lyrics, and the way his chord progressions juxtaposed the despair of his voice and words. I learned a lot from listening to loads of artists. Cynthia Mason was a songwriter who I worked with for years, and she had a wicked ability to write such smart and unique songs, yet they were not above your head and you could still enjoy them. I can’t say I’ve ever tried to intentionally emulate anyone, though you can’t avoid comparisons. Folks need to attach everything to something, it seems.
JLM: How would you, personally, describe your new album?
GR: This album is about as exposed as I can be artistically. It was recorded over a three-day period in my apartment and there are very few tricks to it. By that, I guess I’m saying that it is a collection of ten songs that have nothing to do with each other, save the fact that I wrote them. A lot of people seem to put out records that have heavy production and arrangement on them, and when you break the songs down they’re actually quite similar in structure. I guess it’s a different approach to pragmatism, but it’s quite transparent to my ears and it makes me feel cheated. I felt that it would be more challenging to not recycle anything musically, so that the album could exist in earnest. Oh, and it’s kinda mellow, and depressing at times. Which is cool, right?
JLM: Right. And what do you hope to achieve with your music?
GR: I would hope that the people who listen to it can understand that I am trying to write songs with a very acute sense of sincerity, meaning I would never like to be categorised or used as a subjective artist.
JLM: So, what are your plans for the future then?
GR: To grow old gracefully! To keep writing and learning about music and other people’s music through traveling and general interaction, and to someday release the hundreds of songs I’ve written over the years.
JLM: Well, thank you for your time. In closing, do you have any tips on other music that our readers should check out?
GR: As far as ‘new’ music that I’m hearing these days, I like the direction things are headed in. I’m really into the writng that The Bowerbirds are doing, Grizzly Bear, Sufjan, as well as Bon Iver. All of their members are super talented. I like James Blake’s LP. That being said, I’m a bit out of the loop with contemporary stuff.
Grey Reverend’s single, One By One, is out 9th May and the new album, Of The Days, is out 11th July. Remember where you heard about it first!
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