Q: It’s been a while since you chatted with Bored City. Can you tell us what you’ve been up to since the release of Pleasant Valley Sunday?
JDP: We were blown away by the positive response to PVS. Within a short period of time we get over 75000 views and many great comments! Now we’ve just released the video for our 2nd original song Beyond the Cage of Silence, which will appeal to fans of progressive rock. For the video we really had to shorten the song from its full 9 1/2 minute length but the full version is available on all major music platforms here. We’ve also got a couple of covers that we’re currently working on.
Rob: Let me begin by saying thanks so much for having us back on Bored City! We’ve been busy, that’s for sure. As John stated, we’ve got a few songs on the go right now. Also, as we’ve become more well known, we’ve been inundated with requests from other artists and bloggers to do collaborations. Expect to see some of those once we’re done the current batch of tunes. Right now we’re promoting part 2 of the Trilogy of Silence, Beyond the Cage of Silence. That does tend to take us away from making music, but what can you do? Songs don’t promote themselves!
Q: How are you planning on growing your fan base and sharing your music with the world? What message do you have for anyone who is about to discover Gravelle-Perinbam?
JDP: We’re planning to continue to hit up as many music publications, blogs, and radio stations to maximize our coverage, same as we’ve been doing for all the material. We’re also active on social media and are happy to interact with fans. The best way to find us is via our website gravelleperinbam.com.
Rob: As a strictly recording duo, we don’t have the benefit of live shows to boost our profile. To compensate, we put a lot of effort into our song distribution, videos, social media presence. We’ve even begun to dabble in merch. So far we have a t-shirt for our last original, Black Veil of Silence, available from our shop. We also do a lot of interviews like this one. I love when people ask me “is it true that …”. It means that people are paying attention to us. We’ve also been fortunate that a lot of Internet radio stations have really supported us by putting us on regular rotation. For example, Radio WIGWAM in the UK has been playing us like crazy. It seems like we’re on there every day.
Q: Who is the most inspiring artist for you right now? And where do you find inspiration for making music?
JDP: Although there are many many artists I really enjoy, I don’t listen to any other artists for inspiration. That said, I think we are all probably subconsciously influenced by everything we see, hear, read, or otherwise experience.
Rob: I am really into Swedish bands these days; I love both Ghost and Avatar. In fact, I drove 7 hours to see Avatar in Philly just a few weeks ago. It was totally worth it too. I find it unbelievable how both those bands tour far away from their homeland and put on amazing shows night after night. I know this because I saw Ghost two shows in a row on the last tour. When I see bands like them putting our such great music, it really inspires me to do my best and live up to the standards they set. I also love Rammstein. They have the biggest live show I have ever seen. All I can to is revel in it and wonder what it might be like to have such a huge production. I can only imagine the cost of putting on such a show.
Q: What inspired you to create “Beyond the Cage of Silence”?
JDP: The original inspiration for the lyrics came from my thinking that many of us never reach our potential because of damaging thought patterns inflicted upon us in childhood. Thus we become trapped in a cage of silence, afraid to be ourselves, follow our dreams, or voice our true opinions. Instead we blindly follow paths that lead into misery because someone else told us that was the way. The song is about overcoming those obstacles.
Rob: We actually wrote most of the music way back in the Dr. Squish days in the 90s. We just never got around to recording it. I’d been wanting to for a long time because I just felt that the material was so strong. After Covid seemed like the perfect time to get down to recording it because the song is all about hitting the open road, something that I’ve been itching to do ever since the pandemic started. I’m super happy with how it turned out. The final product has such a classic rock feel, and progressive without being pretentious. I can unequivocally say that it is one of the best songs I’ve ever collaborated on. Often times an artist can fall in love with their creation and think that it’s better than it is. I don’t think that’s the case here, so I’m really hyped to see how it does. I really believe that, with the right promotion, this song could outlive us all. It’s the kind of song that an artist can only hope to have once in their career. And I don’t mind saying that Lady Luck has blessed us this time around.
Q: How would you describe your sound in one word for potential listeners?
JDP: Diverse.
Rob: One word?! That’s not easy because we aren’t easy to pigeon hole. I’d have to say eclectic, as we borrow elements of classic rock, prog rock, hard rock, and of course, metal! As an act that releases one single at a time, we don’t the usual pressure of making all our songs sound similar. That allows us to give the song whatever we deem necessary to make it the best it can be. We also don’t mind alternating between originals and covers. We’re not the only band to do that. Ghost puts out an EP of covers between every album.
Q: Did you face any challenges while writing or recording “Beyond the Cage of Silence”?
JDP: Hah, funny you should ask. As far as recording the parts, that went fairly straightforward, and I really had a blast working on it. However, there are so many layers and parts in the song that mixing was unusually challenging. For example, an apparent dropout in the lead vocal track turned out to be caused by an aggressive note on the bass guitar. But when soloed, each track sounded great on its own! It took a while to track down that issue since it only appeared on some, not all, speakers and headphones.
Rob: I would say that recording Beyond the Cage of Silence went fairly smoothly, but the mixing and mastering proved long and arduous. We went through many iterations before settling on the final mix. Another challenge was whittling the running time down from nine and a half minutes to just a little over five for the video. I managed to do it, but my guitar solo landed on the chopping block almost immediately. That was sad, because it really is a tasty solo. It was either that or the flute solo. We kept it because how many rock songs have flute in it. A few, now that I think about it, but it’s the only song of ours with a flute solo!
Q: What is the message of your music? And what are your goals as an artist?
JDP: My message varies from song to song. Beyond is really about self-empowerment – breaking free of the silence that can be imposed upon us by others.
Rob: John is the main lyricist of Gravelle-Perinbam, so I can’t speak to the message. However, I can say that my personal goal as an artist is to create quality music that will endure long after I’m gone. With Beyond the Cage of Silence, I feel that we may have our wish.
Q: Who is your dream artist to collaborate with? (dead or alive)
JDP: Can’t say I have one. There are so many great artists that I can’t single out any particular one.
Rob: Ms. Piggy
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
JDP: As an indie artist I can’t really comment on entering the industry. The only thing I can say is that if you want to avoid disappointment, the music has to be its own reward, but do get it out there!
Rob: The music industry is incredibly competitive. You had better eat, sleep, and breathe music. I remember starting out with stars in my eyes in my early twenties. Whenever I attended shows I said to myself that my band would never open for another band. That didn’t last long. My first bands practically got booed of the stage, we were so bad. That’s when I realized that music is a lot harder than it looks! My second awakening was when I entered Guitar Wars in 1990. Coasting on the clouds of my win at Ms. Pac-man a few years prior, I fully expected to take the top prize. Not only did that not materialize, but I didn’t even place for my night! However, my friend Fred Donkor got second place for Ottawa, so it wasn’t a total bust. You rock Fred!
Q: If you could go back in time and give a younger you some words of wisdom, what would they be?
JDP:
“Don’t sweat the small stuff”.
Rob:
Buy stock in Microsoft, Starbucks, and Lionsgate.
LISTEN TO THEIR MUSIC:
Follow Rob Gravelle:
Spotify – YouTube – SoundCloud – Twitter – Facebook – Website
Follow John Perinbam:
Spotify – YouTube – Twitter – Instagram – Facebook – Website