To the fans who feel disenchanted
Greywind is a band redefining emo music and are a class above. The Irish act has grown substantially since their inception and has stormed through the darkness to find the glimmering light where possible, and with their new Antidote EP, they’ve upped their game musically and lyrically, telling stories and fighting the demons in their heads.
We all thought emo was fading away, but you guys have certainly shaken it up, and have developed a sound so original. Breaking boundaries is difficult in this industry, but you’ve created an EP that breaks conventions. The melodies are fresh, and the music is daring and there is a story attached to it all. Who creates these fables? Is it a joint effort?
Paul: Thank you very much! We grew up listening to so many classic emo records that changed our lives, so this genre is incredibly important to us. The writing process always begins with just me, Steph, and an acoustic guitar. Songwriting has always been our therapy and has helped us cope through so many of our darkest times, so having people escape into our world with our songs and connect with our lyrics means the world to us.
The lockdown impacted your mental health as a band. How are you feeling now that there’s some normality?
Steph: Playing shows and meeting our fans is our favourite thing in the world so finally getting to do that now that there's some normality in the world again has been incredible! We recently did our first UK tour in way too long and it was so special to do what we love again.
You guys are humble when it comes to your fans. Is the EP a tribute to them in some way?
Paul: Our fans mean everything to us. This EP and especially the song 'You're My Medicine' is a love letter to them for supporting us through our darkest moments. They believed in us when no one else did and we are forever grateful to them. They're our medicine. They're our antidote.
You’re a brother and sister duo. How do you guys get on when developing a new project?
Steph: We've always had the exact same vision for Greywind since day 1 so we thankfully never argue! Life is so much easier when everyone is on the same page so we're very lucky that we grew up loving the same bands and have always had the same dream of playing music and touring the world together.
When I listened to the EP I was blown away by the song structures, and the dynamic lyricism. Where does it all come from, a dark place?
Paul: Yes all our songs on this EP come from a real dark place. In recent times, we've had to go through family members committing suicide to us struggling with our own mental health. Getting to release our feelings of sadness, rage, desperation and hope into these songs is one of the ways we try to heal. Songwriting has always been our therapy.
You guys have just come off a UK tour. How were the rooms? How was the crowd? And did you feel rejuvenated when playing?
Steph: It was such an incredible tour! We got to debut all these new songs live and the reaction was crazy. We had fans flying over from America and other countries to see our shows so we're very grateful to have such a dedicated and passionate fanbase.
I can see you growing and growing into a massive act. You have tailored a sound that would fit arenas. How would you feel about growing out small venues for bigger rooms?
Paul: Thank you! Headlining arenas is one of our biggest ambitions, so hopefully, in the next few years, we'll be able to tick some of our dream venues around the world off our bucket list.
Emotion is fundamental in your music. What message do you have for the fans that may feel downtrodden and disenchanted by this often-cruel world?
Paul: Our biggest message as a band has always been that you can survive your darkest moments and achieve anything you want in your life. Our band was created after our uncle committed suicide and our first song 'Afterthoughts' was written about us grieving and trying to get through that. We always try to find hope and meaning in the darkest of moments and writing that song changed our lives and led us on this journey of starting Greywind and achieving some of our biggest dreams. Even since then there's been so many more insanely difficult times. Life can be so dark and painful but a glimmer of hope will always arrive if you don't give up.
Follow Greywind Cover photo by Josiah Van Dien