CoSigned Toronto outfit Greys are more than just another band making a lot of noise. Their 2014 debut, If Anything, brought them comparisons to pals METZ thanks to their penchant for ear-shattering assaults of sound. On their follow-up, Outer Heaven, however, the band has explored their more experimental and atmospheric sides, tucking the distorted blasts of their first record inside warm melodies and surprising subtlety.
New single “Blown Out” does well to demonstrate that progression. Using drum machines and an unexpectedly thoughtful guitar strain, the track doesn’t smother so much as hug your brain. It’s comforting in a way that isn’t typically expected from something classified as “noise-rock.”
Of course, that’s part of the whole point of the song and it’s video. Both seek to peel back the common fallacies about how to deal with mental distress, as vocalist-guitarist Shezaad Jiwani, who co-directed the clip with Allison Johnston, explained in a press release. He said, “The video alternates between stark, Godard-esque candor and Lynchian surrealism to illustrate what it’s like inside and outside the mind of someone who suffers from depression, anxiety and other mental health issues.”
Check out the song and video below.
Greys have also announced a new North American tour. Find those dates below.
Greys 2016 Tour Dates:
04/08 – London, ON @ Call The Office %
04/09 – Hamilton, ON @ Casbah %
04/21 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz %
04/22 – Allston, MA @ O’Brien’s
04/23 – Philadelphia, PA @ First United Church
04/24 – Washington, DC @ Comet Ping Pong ^
04/25 – Brooklyn, NY @ Alphaville
04/26 – Cleveland, OH @ Mahall’s
04/27 – Detroit, MI @ PJ’s Lager House
04/28 – Kalamazoo, MI @ Millhouse
04/29 – Chicago, IL @ Mousetrap
05/13 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison
05/29 – Winnipeg, MB @ Handsome Daughter
05/30 – Saskatoon, SK @ Vangelis
05/31 – Edmonton, AB @ The Buckingham
06/01 – Calgary, AB @ Broken City
06/04 – Seattle, WA @ Black Lodge
06/06 – Portland, OR @ Valentine’s
06/08 – San Francisco, CA @ Hemlock Tavern
06/09 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Smell
% = w/ Odonis Odonis
^ = w/ Two Inch Astronaut
