NIGHTMARE TOYS

Sunday, June 30, 2019

GREYSTONE CANYON! Interview and Video

Melbourne based heavy metal band featuring
Darren Cherry - guitar / vocals
Luke Wilson - drums
Rich Vella - guitar
Dave Poulter - bass
In the 70s and 80s, Australia gave the world great hard rock/metal acts like AC/DC and Rose Tattoo. Now, joining those Aussie giants of rock are GREYSTONE CANYON!
The name GREYSTONE CANYON is inspired by the freedom of wide open landscapes, something Australia and America very much have in common.
“It was inspired by our love for the old western films and the images these films conjure. The vast plains, endless horizons, the freedom, and heck, GREYSTONE CANYON is one hell of a cool name for rock/ metal band!” says vocalist /guitarist Darren Cherry.
GREYSTONE CANYON will release their debut album “While The Wheels Still Turn” on March 9, 2018, in Europe, U.S.A and Canada through Rockshots Records and on Hellfire Records in Australia on March 12, 2018.
“While The Wheels Still Turn” was tracked at the splendidly named Goatsound Studios in Melbourne, Australia, and then mixed in Canada, making ‘the album a real rock n’ roll frequent flyer. Mixing duties were undertaken by none other than Grammy nominated producer and legend Glen Robinson, who had engineered, mixed and produced equally legendary acts like Annihilator, Queensryche and Voivod.
Inspired by legends like Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne, Megadeth and King Diamond, “While The Wheels Still Turn” is an album that could not only sit well beside the works of those legends, but with the current tsunami of all things 70s and 80s inspired, GREYSTONE CANYON are in the right place at the right time. We are travelling back to the future and they are the soundtrack!
As vocalist/guitarist Darren Cherry proudly states.“We really wanted to make an album similar to old Ozzy Osbourne record where songs like ‘I don’t know’ and ‘Goodbye To Romance’ can sit comfortably. This is music from the heart and soul!”
Album pre-order available on Amazon here and www.Rockshots.eu.
 
1.What is the name of your band and how did you come up with it?

What is your name and what do you do for the band?


Greystone Canyon.   Like all bands we came up with a bunch of names and everyone really liked Greystone Canyon, we are fans of the Wild West and western films and thought it was a good descriptive name that reflected the sound of the band.

2.Tell us where you are based and describe the scene. How do you think where you are located influences your sound.


Melbourne, Australia has a very vibrant and healthy music scene, we have many great local bands and international bands are playing in our city every week.  I've been fortunate to have played in many influential bands here and each one has influenced me in one way or another on a musical level but also on a personal level, it's hard not to be influenced when you have great people around you.


3.Who influences your sound that would surprise people?


Our influences would be everyone from Ozzy

To ZZ Top.. we mix classic metal with classic rock and everything in between..  influences can come from Black Sabbath to Pink Floyd and Fleetwood Mac.

4.Are you endorsed by musical companies , if so who , and if not who would you like to be endorsed by?


Our guitarist Richard Vella has a deal with Brock guitars but not exclusive and he also used other brands..  other than that we don't have any deals in place.   The most important deal for me personally would be strings... im happy playing and buying different guitars and amps so I can be as diverse as the song demands but strings... and endless supply is what we all need..

5.When you started what was your ultimate goal? And how close to the goal are you now?


The only goal was to record an album that we could be proud of... that goal was reached..  albums are your legacy and is important  to me that I can stand proud by our work.

6.In today's digital environment it takes creative strategy to keep things moving. What creative ideas do you have to keep your band relevant over time?


The thing that keeps bands relevant is quality in my opinion..  the reason there are so many bands from the 70's and 80's still on the radio and still selling out venues is because what they did had heart and connected with people and the quality of what they released keeps finding new audiences.


7.We've all seen a terrible live band that is awesome on CD. Is that cool with you or do you lose respect for bands that cannot pull it off live?
         

I guess it depends on what the band wants.... there are just as many good live bands that don't record well..  I think it's more difficult to put out an album of great songs that stands the rest of time than it is to play well live for 45 minutes..  both have merit and both are important but if a and I Love done play well live I'll still listen to their albums... albums and songs are forever, live shows are a moment in time.

8.Tell us your “core” are you Metal , Rock , Punk , Pop etc because people just have to categorize these days you know?


We are a rock band in the broadest sense of the term.. we have Heavy songs, we have acoustic songs.. there are vocal harmonies so I'd say we are a rock band...  I'm sure other people will have a different opinion but that's the beauty of music.


 

9.This is a tough question but a very real reality, Is your band actually talented or just popular?

Many bands make it with a cliche or publicity stunts etc. Would you accept fame even if it was just because of being the “ in” thing or is it actually important to you that you gain favor with talent?


I honestly don't care about fame..  making great music is a passion and the guys I play with are very talented and I believe that is showcased in our songs..


10.Tell us what to expect from you live. Nothing is more boring than watching bands stare at the floor and bob their heads to music nobody but the band knows. What can your band offer in a live setting that people will remember?


Our album has been out for 12 months and we haven't played live yet...  we all play in other bands and for this band it's important to me that when we play it's because there is demand to see the band live rather than book a show just for the sake of playing..  collectively we have a lot of experience playing live but Greystone Canyon has not played live yet.


11. What releases have you put out , When will we see something new?


Time to plug out album ...  ha ha.  Our debut album "While the Wheels Still Turn" was released March 12 2018 on Rockshots / Hellfire Records and has had some fantastic reviews including best debut for 2018 by Australia's TV show "The Hard Rock Show". For anyone interested the album was mixed by Glen Robinson (Queensryche, Voivod, Annihilator).  We are currently working on the follow up.. all the songs have been written and we are currently demoing them. 


12. If you have videos where can we see them?


We have 3 video singles out that are all on YouTube...

Just search Greystone Canyon and tell us what you think.


13.Everybody has Bandcamp , ReverbNation , Soundcloud , etc

Why do you think this is so important? Doesn't it seem like everyone is giving everything out for free?


We actually don't have those.. our label, Rockshots Records does have our album on Spotify, ITunes, Applemusic and Amazon as well as the physical copies distributed by Plastic Head in Europe and MVD in the US.  Yes music is now a free commodity...  it's never been harder to sell music

14.Best moment of your career so far?

Being on national TV and all the fantastic reviews and Love our album received from the music media... it's very rewarding

15.Your message to the fans?

Love music, love life, love one another... while the wheels still turn


Bonus Question who do you bring back
Dime , Cliff , Dio , Lemmy , Randy

All of them...  we need them, we miss them

Dime , Cliff , Dio , Lemmy , Randy


      *FROM WES
People used to make fun of me in the beginning because I would tag bands like Slipknot and Metallica in my post for my podcast and over the years I have made some great friends and been surprised at the awesome people in the scene. These days I never know what will happen but I still tag bands and look what happens this awesome band is signed they have PR they have no need of my services but did they blow me off? No they were awesome sent me a video a link to their album and did an interview that is enough to make me a BIG fan and luckily their music is kick ass! You will be hearing them on the podcast! I want to say thank you to my new friend Darren Cherry for his time and kindness.
 

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