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Based out of the City of Brotherly Love, Philly's own pop-punk sensations Grayscale are looking to take that next notch up the ladder later on this year. The guys just recently finished recording their brand new LP titled "What We're Missing Out" that features rhythmic, intense pop-punk tunes that are conjured upon a strong musical foundation that is the result of the strong friendship and camaraderie between these five guys that can really take the band to places never before dreamed of. Guitarist Dallas Molster was nice enough to sit down for an interview with MusicBoxPete as we getter better acquianted with the fellas, and also learn more about what they like to do away from the music gig. Here is the transcript:
Give us your names and roles in the band?
Collin Walsh - Lead Vocalist. Andrew Kyne - Guitar. Dallas Molster - Guitar/Vocals. Derek Parker - Bass. Nick Veno - Drums
Take us behind the formation of the band and how you guys all met?
Collin, Nick and I (Dallas), all met in high school playing in another band. We met Andy and Derek because of another local band in the area. The three of us messaged those two to come hang out and jam a few songs in Collins old house (that burnt down by the way it was on the news. Pretty interesting stuff) and that’s how Grayscale started.
Getting started in the Philly area, how did it feel to be from the same area as The Starting Line and how big of an influence were they on you?
The Starting Line is an awesome band. We all thoroughly enjoy getting nostalgic and listening to them. Also very cool that they are putting out music again. Their new track “Anyways” is rocking. For anyone reading this if you haven’t heard it you should go listen to it right now. They are definitely a big influence on us I would say.
How did you guys initially get started playing shows and what were some of the first shows you played?
To the best of my knowledge, I think our first show was in a basement in our hometown, Kennett Square. Our good friend Kevin was nice enough to let us set up and play there for a decent amount of our friends and family. I remember there was some pretty solid crowd surfing going on as well. A majority of our first shows were house shows in Kennett and Philly to be honest.
What is the common theme or subject matter that typically runs through your music?
At this point Collin and I try and write about topics or subject matters that are hard for us to open up about in general conversation. Whether its about Divorce, Addiction, or relationships. Those are tough things to talk about for anyone so our mission has sort of become like “hey if we say these things in our songs maybe we can help someone who is listening come to terms with something they are having issues with”. Talking through those hard things helps get you to a better place.
Take us behind the recording process of your upcoming LP, "What We're Missing” and what was it like putting it all together?
“What We’re Missing” is something we are all very proud of. We put a lot into this record emotionally. Working with Gary Cioffi (Transit, Misser) is an absolute blast. He will break you down if you just absolutely suck at a take or a part, while still being a loving dad figure who believes in you. It’s like you wanna punch him and yourself in the face at the same time but in the end he gets what he wants out of you and its beyond rewarding when you hear it in the mix. Gary is pretty much the glue to this band when it comes to songwriting. We will bring him demo’s every time we go up to Boston to work with him, and he will go over them with a fine tooth comb and make them into something we had no idea we could do.
If you had to pick a favorite song off the new record, what would you choose and why?
My personal favorite is Catholic. It’s not about bashing any type of belief system or anything I don’t want people to get the wrong impression of that. It is just about growing up in a home with someone who is very much about said belief system. But, in the end they were going completely against everything that belief system and just kinda saying “alright well see ya later I’m outta here”. Plus it’s a good tempo to jump around too and I love jumping around like an asshole when I’m playing.
Besides music, what do you guys like to do for fun in your spare time?
We’re all big hockey fans so watching hockey is something we do a lot. We also very much enjoy video games. We have almost destroyed friendships and gamecube controllers on more than several occasions over Mario Kart Double Dash. Collin and Nick have dodged blue shells twice in that game that I’ve seen and I don’t know how but its beyond infuriating. We also love WWE. To our Philly friends: See you guys March 21st at the Wells Fargo for Monday Night Raw. #AmbroseAsylum
What do you guys have planned for the rest of the year, any upcoming shows/tours you'd like to plug?
The plan is to do some pretty substantial touring off of this record. We have a few shows that are currently unannounced that we are very excited for. The best I can say there is to keep an eye on our website www.grayscaleband.com.
Lastly, what does it mean to you personally about being in this band together?
For me, It has been nothing but a positive influence on my life. These guys are my best friends and I wouldn’t want to be writing or sharing the stage with anyone else. They have helped me through some shit and I like to think I have helped them too. The five of us have been friends for about 5 years now and we have become brothers. I hope we can soon have the same positive impact on our fans with what we have to say on this record.
Thanks once again to Dallas for taking time out of his hectic schedule to do this interview! Hopefully, you guys got a sense of what these guys are in and outside of the band, and it affirms your love and appreciation for young, upstart bands and everything that they hope and strive to accomplish when it comes to getting their music out into the open. For more on Grayscale, 'Like' them on Facebook here and follow their travels on Twitter over here.