#006 - Greyware
Welcome to our interview series, where we interview emerging creatives all over the globe!
Today, we will be interviewing Greyware, a Multi-Instrumentalist and Producer who enjoys producing music in the Cinematic Lo-Fi, Chill Hop, and Ambient realms. Greyware has over 29k monthly listeners on Spotify and was heavily influenced by Folk and Indie Rock in his earlier years.
With that being said, we will now dive into the questions we have prepared for Greyware!
Hey, Greyware! We appreciate your interest in taking part in the FTWS interview series. How are you feeling today?
Feeling about as well as can be expected these days. I’m pretty good right now, I think, thanks for asking.
No problem! Let's begin with our first question: Can you describe the steps you take to create a track? Do you begin with a melody, a rhythm, or a particular sound?
If I’m working by myself, it really varies from track to track, but the most common way for me is to pick around on my guitar mindlessly until something sounds kinda cool, then I’ll record it real quick on my phone if I’m not sitting in my studio. I’ve had to get used to leaving myself notes before I record it because I can’t tell you how many times I’ve listened to something later and been like “what the heck was I doing here?” lol. Especially if I’m goofing around with weird tunings. Other times I’ll find a new or interesting sound from a new plugin or tweak settings on an old one and just start playing around and sometimes that will spark an idea. Most often for me, the idea I originally started with ends up not even making the final version of the song, everything that gets built around it ends up being the actual finished product.
If I’m working on a collab with another artist, all that goes out the window. Collabs are probably my favorite way to work because when you find another artist you work well with, you both feed off each other’s creativity and can create some really beautiful work. Just recently I’ve worked with some really talented folks and created what I think is fantastic work, and I’m always honored to be a part of that.
What production techniques and equipment are commonly used to achieve the signature lo-fi sound, and how have these evolved over time?
There’s some standards I think that everyone keeps in their production environment, such as forest and rain foley, vinyl crackles (I’ve probably got 200 different types of vinyl sounds but probably only use the same 5 lol). I’m sure most of us have the RC-20 and some nice sub bass sounds stashed away and you have to have some great Rhodes sounds to whip out from time to time, if you’re not lucky enough to own the real thing. One thing that draws me to lo-fi is that it’s not about a crystal clear sound, it’s about vibe and character. Is the sound warm and can the beat make my head bob or the melody calm my anxieties or help me relax and unwind? If it checks those boxes, that’s quality lo-fi music to me.
How has lo-fi music's popularity on streaming platforms and study playlists influenced the genre's development and the types of artists who create it?
I’ll preface this by saying that I may be coming from a completely uneducated angle on this because there are others who have been in this way longer than I have, I’ve only really been doing lo-fi for not quite 3 years now. But I have tried to learn as much as I can about it and have listened to TONS of it, and I think the popularity of it has forced a lot of us to really stretch ourselves and think outside the box more; the producers I know and admire really bring a new level of creativity and musicianship to it. I think lo-fi’s roots are loops and beats, but now you need to bring new melodic ideas to the table. The cool challenge and enjoyment of that is to find ways to add those new elements to the heart of what started lo-fi, the beats and loops, and mash them together into a cohesive idea that’s pleasant to listen to.
There’s a ton of lofi out there in all sorts of forms (jazz, sleepy, boombap, ambient, just to name a few), and it’s not a genre where you can really stand out a lot because really it’s a very passive-listening genre. For most people, lo-fi is what you turn on when you want music but don’t want to really listen to music, ya know? But the evolution of these new styles within the overall lo-fi genre is pretty cool to see and I love hearing the new ideas that both old heads and new producers are creating.
What has been the most difficult obstacle you have faced in your music life thus far, and how did you resolve it?
Man, there have been a few, but I think ultimately, the biggest obstacle is time, in all its many shapes and sizes. Whether it’s finding time to create music, time to spend with my family, or time to do any kind of promo work, there’s not enough time to go around. Or in the bigger scheme, just feeling like I’m getting too old to keep doing this, and that my creative clock is running out; time is the thing that’s constantly ticking in my head, and it drives me nuts. Time is my worst enemy. Coupled with a lazy streak, a strong propensity for procrastination and loads of self-doubt, I’m a walking catch-22 of frustration. And I’m most likely not alone in that regard.
Does your production style draw inspiration from artists or genres beyond lo-fi music, and have you worked with artists from diverse backgrounds?
Outside of the lo-fi world, I’m kinda all over the map on my influences but I’m really into Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Muse (my wife and I have seen Muse live about 6 times) and Placebo usually top my listening list. Similarly, on the production side, Nigel Godrich is so damn good, so is Steve Albini. Daniel Lanois and of course Brian Eno.
One of my favorite productions of any album is “Burn the Maps” by The Frames, which was produced by Glen Hansard and Damien Rice. It rocks so hard and yet has these very delicate, intimate moments, the sounds they get on that album is just amazing to me. Matt Mahaffey from Self is someone I love to listen to, his production style is like a quirky, controlled chaos and I love it. I can’t fathom how he does some of the stuff he does but I love to listen to it lol.
As far as artists I’ve worked with, I’ve done a bit of everything, which I do recommend musicians branch out and test the waters of these styles they may not know or feel comfortable in. Music, like life, is best enjoyed in varieties. I’ve played rock, alt-rock, prog-rock, folk, a couple punk stints, some country and even a few polkas! The last band I played guitar in is this awesome Celtic rock group called 9 Castle Close, similar in style to like a Flogging Molly or Dropkick Murphys. I was in that group for about 15 years before taking a break to spend more time shuttling my kids around to their projects and passions, which is kinda how I ended up doing lo-fi, I still needed to keep creating music from home when I had the moments to do so.
The demands of the music industry can be high. How do you strike a good balance between your personal well-being, creativity and performance?
At the level I’m at in the industry, there are no demands on me lol. I usually get most of my work done late at night after my wife and kids have gone to bed, which means I can typically only get 1-2 hours of work at a time before I need sleep as well. Sometimes more on the weekends, but I have to keep the priorities straight. I’m a husband and dad first, so all that comes with that is at the top of the list. Sometimes I really want to work on an idea but my kids have theater rehearsals to get to, or my wife and I want to go out and have fun, and all of that comes first. But I don’t want to sell the music short either, it’s the creative outlet that I need to keep myself sane. So when I’m doing music, I’m 100% invested in that, for those couple late night hours, there are no outside distractions. But when I’m not, I can’t let it distract me from real life. Those that I love and love me are worth more of my time.
That concludes our interview with you. Thank you so much for participating! Would you like to share any new music or plans over the next few months?
Thanks so much for having me! My plans right now are to continue to make music that I enjoy and that helps me relax and express myself. Hopefully, there will be a lot more collaborations in the near future. There are a ton of super-talented folks that I’ve worked with and a lot more that I haven’t had the pleasure of working with yet, so I’m looking forward to those as well.
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