|
bio
Grey Eye Glances, �A Little Voodoo�
Jennifer Nobel � vocals
Dwayne Keith � keyboards, vocals
Eric O�Dell � bass, vocals
Brett Kull � guitars, vocals
Paul Ramsey � drums, percussion.
Some of the
best music is brought about by collaboration. For their seventh and most
accomplished album, �A Little Voodoo,� Grey Eye Glances took that
idea to its logical conclusion, from the writing of songs, to working
with an all-star cast of producers and engineers which included Jerry
Marotta, Kevin Killen, Peter Moshay, T-Bone Wolk, Paul Bryan, and Todd
Vos.
During the writing phase, a series of rehearsals were held at each band
member�s home, the stipulation being whoever hosted the session had to
bring something to the table � be it a lyrical snippet or a finished
piece of work. The
resulting burst of creativity produced 50 songs with a variety of
musical perspectives. The
group whittled the list of songs down to 19, and sent them to a wish
list of producers. An
overwhelming response prompted the thought: Why not work with all of them?
So the album�s
working concept was born: Record
the album over a six month period, spending two weeks at a time with the
various production teams at their favorite studios.
�The idea was to keep the energy level up,� Eric says. �When you start, everything is
exciting; everybody likes each other.
But after a while, if it�s not working, you end up going
through the motions. We
were lucky to get these amazing people.
They worked us into their schedule, 10 days to two weeks at a
time, and the idea was to finish two songs with each production team. There was no room for any sort
of nonsense to develop.�
Grey Eye Glances� desire on �A Little Voodoo� was
to enhance the melodic themes of their previous releases, by adding a
more rhythmic approach � to reproduce the distinct and distinguished
pop sound the band achieves in concert.
�We knew what we did well,� Dwayne says, �so we took that
and amplified it. Our goal
was to make an album that showcased our strengths.�
With that in mind, the group cut four songs with Paul Bryan (Aimee Mann)
and Kevin Killen (U2, Elvis Costello, Tori Amos) at Mission Sound in
Brooklyn, NY. Then it was
off to Woodstock, NY for two tracks with Jerry Marotta (Peter Gabriel,
Indigo Girls, Paul McCartney) and Todd Vos (Paula Cole, Natalie
Merchant, Phish). The next stop was Pawling, NY to work with Peter Moshay
(Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, Sean Lennon/Yoko Ono) and T-Bone Wolk
(Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Eric Clapton, Hall & Oates). The band members finished up the
album by producing and recording two tracks themselves at FarmHouse
Studios in West Point, PA.
Perhaps the
most remarkable aspect of �A Little Voodoo� is that, despite the use
of various production teams, the album holds together as a single,
cohesive piece of work. �We knew this was going to be an experiment,�
Jennifer says, �but the finished product is one complete set of songs
that really do work well together.
It�s the first of our albums that I can listen to and not want
to change anything.�
The history of Grey Eye Glances � the name is cribbed from an Edgar
Allen Poe poem � begins with Jennifer, Dwayne and Eric recording a
pair of Indie albums, �Songs
of Leaving� (1993) and �Further On�� (1994), for their
self-owned label, Sojourn Hills Records.
In 1996, they signed with Mercury Records and released �Eventide�
(1997) and �Painted Pictures� (1998).
During the recording of Eventide, guitarist Brett
Kull and drummer Paul Ramsey joined the band. Prior to �A Little Voodoo,�
the group�s most recent work was the six-song EP, �If I Was...�
An integral part of the band�s history is their innovative business
sense. It was Grey Eye
Glances who, as recognized by Billboard Magazine, invented the practice
of using Borders Books & Music as a venue to perform and promote
their music, as opposed to the traditional in-store appearance. They were one of the first bands
to recognize the value of a website � something that seems natural
now. �I remember a music
executive telling us, �The Internet and music: that�ll never go
together,�� Eric says with a laugh.
�A Little Voodoo,� on the band�s label, Sojourn Hills Records, was
financed by forming a partnership with their fans called: The Grey Album, LLC. It seemed logical to form a
company made up of those who cared the most about the music. �It�s a unique idea,� Eric
says, �a band and its fan base joining forces to produce, manufacture,
market, and distribute a music CD.
We started with the dollar figure we needed to raise. We�ve
been at this a while now, and we know what works and what doesn�t,
where money is best spent and where it�s not.�
To go into
business, a priority is having quality goods, and that�s where �A
Little Voodoo� excels. The
album presents a variety of musical moods, thanks to ebullient, uptempo
numbers like �Big Red Boat� and forthright rockers �If I Was,�
�He and She� and �Keep On.� There are the quiet, contemplative
offerings �Good Folks� and �All Because of You.� �Close Your Eyes� and �The
One� have the potential to cross over into various music genres. The album reveals the band�s
musical strengths, a richly textured approach to song writing and
arranging, and the perfect balance of rhythm and melody.
The band is doing the best work of their career. While vagaries of the
music business have taken many of their contemporaries down, Grey Eye
Glances has not just survived, but also thrived. The reason, as Jennifer puts it,
is simple. �We started
out as friends and we�re still friends, whatever has happened to us,
it�s only made us stronger. Being
in a band is a lot of work, and it is stressful, but it�s also a lot
of fun and very rewarding.�
website
www.greyeyeglances.com
|
