1. Interview
with The
Gray
Company
By
Laura
Curry
Named
after
a
chapter
in
The
Lord
of
the
Rings
series,
The
Gray
Company’s
sound
combines
the
sadness
of
leaving
one’s
home
and
confronting
the
world,
along
with
the
thrills
of
trekking
through
Middle-­‐Earth.
If
you
are
unfamiliar
with
these
fictional
locations,
just
know
that
their
music
has
the
power
to
transport
you
to
a
realm
of
solitude
where
you
are
left
to
ponder
the
wonders
of
life—while
dancing.
The
Gray
Company
is
Zebeeb
Awalom
on
vocals
and
guitar,
Jason
Fandino
on
guitar,
Adrian
Kabigting
on
bass,
and
Josh
Howard
on
drums.
Together,
they
sweep
you
up
into
a
majestic
storm
of
windy
contemplation,
and
you
will
find
yourself
swaying
to
the
music,
in
rhythm
with
the
waves
that
wash
over
your
feet.
While
The
Gray
Company
is
a
Union
Township-­‐based
band,
they
rarely
have
shows
close
to
home.
You
will
find
them
playing
in
New
York
City,
Montclair,
and
New
Brunswick,
specifically
in
basements,
small
bars,
and
clubs.
Or,
maybe,
if
you
are
a
Rutgers
student,
you
have
seen
them
at
a
RUPA
event
like
the
Scarlet
Harvest
this
past
fall.
Kabigting
is
the
only
member
who
attended
Rutgers,
and
his
house
acts
as
the
band’s
practice
space.
Listeners
may
find
that
The
Gray
Company’s
sound
reminds
them
of
bands
such
as
Young
The
Giant,
St.
Vincent,
and
the
Montclair-­‐based
group
Pinegrove.
The
band
is
inspired
by
the
tones
and
arrangements
of
The
Smiths
and
Radiohead,
along
with
the
lyrics
of
Regina
Spektor.
Their
releases
include
The
Bedroom
Singles—three
soothing
tracks
recorded
in
Awalom’s
basement,
and
Island
Fortress,
Island
Home,
which
features
four
thought-­‐out
songs
that
instantly
engage
listeners
and
urge
them
to
sway
to
the
music.
I
sat
down
with
Fandino
and
Awalom
at
a
café
whose
affable
owner
supplied
us
with
fresh-­‐baked
cookies
and
an
entertaining
discussion
about
the
difference
between
currants
and
raisins.
We
also
squeezed
in
time
to
discuss
the
group’s
strong
friendship,
the
sounds
they
create,
and
the
Island
Fortress,
Island
Home
EP.
Early
in
2014,
Fandino
set
out
to
start
a
band.
He
had
an
idea
that
his
friend
of
ten
years,
Howard,
would
play
drums,
and
he
knew
Awalom
and
Kabigting
had
their
own
group
together.

2. Once
he
saw
an
online
video
of
Awalom
singing,
he
got
in
touch
with
her
via
Facebook.
Soon
after,
they
met
up
at
his
house
to
look
over
songs
he
had
been
working
on.
After
a
couple
of
weeks,
when
Awalom
had
written
lyrics
to
one
of
Fandino’s
songs,
he
knew
he
could
not
lose
her.
Then
it
was
time
to
add
Howard
as
their
drummer
and
Kabigting
on
bass.
Since
everyone
had
experience
in
other
bands,
it
was
not
difficult
to
get
on
track.
After
two
months
of
practicing
and
developing
a
set
list,
they
played
their
first
show
in
May
of
2014.
Fandino
says,
“People
always
ask,
‘What
kind
of
music
do
you
play?’
And
I
say,
‘The
kind
of
music
your
grandma
doesn’t
listen
to.’”
Despite
the
humor,
classifying
their
music
as
indie
soul
came
about
when
someone
asked
that
same
question,
and
a
friend
of
theirs
replied
matter-­‐of-­‐factly,
“indie
soul,”
so
they
stuck
with
it.
Awalom
says
they
are
not
rock
enough
to
be
indie
rock,
so
the
most
accurate
term
to
use
is
indie
soul.
Originally,
they
wanted
to
play
sad
music
with
an
upbeat
tempo,
which
may
be
noticeable
to
listeners.
It
is
possible
to
hear
the
contrast
between
the
emotions
in
the
lyrics
and
the
music
itself,
while
you
subconsciously
move
to
it.
“The
music
is
set
up
to
go
along
with
whatever
you’re
feeling.
If
you’re
feeling
down,
you
can
still
listen
to
it.
If
you
feel
like
you
want
to
dance
alone
to
very
loud
music,
it
still
works,”
said
Fandino.
Then,
Fandino
went
more
in-­‐depth
about
the
feelings
explored
in
their
music.
“Zebeeb
is
writing
introspectively,
but
on
your
first
listen,
you
won’t
think
that
at
all.
You
won’t
get
that
until
you
really
listen
to
it.
So
for
a
crowd
that’s
never
met
us,
and
you’re
all
sitting
at
a
bar,
it’s
the
perfect
music
to
half
listen
to
and
be
like,
‘this
is
great.’
But
it’s
also
the
best
music
to
really
listen
to
and
be
like
‘oh
this
is
even
better
than
when
I
was
trying
to
talk
to
that
girl
who
didn’t
want
to
talk
to
me,’”
he
said.
What
sets
The
Gray
Company
apart
from
other
bands
is
their
cool
hair,
says
Fandino.
Awalom
had
other
ideas
and
said,
“I’ve
been
told
that
a
lot
of
people
can
tell
by
the
way
we
interact
on
stage
that
we’re
friends.
And
sometimes
I
miss
that
from
some
bands.
It
seems
like
sometimes,
they’re
musicians
who
work
well
together,
but
I
don’t
get
the
feeling
that
they
hangout
all
the
time.
Like,
we
go
to
so
many
shows
together,
and
people
ask
‘Oh,
are
you
performing?’
and
we
say,
‘No,
we
just
like
each
other
and
like
going
to
shows.’”
Fandino
added
that
his
band
mates
are
more
than
just
people
he
makes
music
with.
He
says
that
they
are
all
like
different
shades
of
the
same
person.
He
is
outgoing;
Awalom
is
thoughtful
and
much
more
quiet;
Kabigting
is
an
accountant,
so
he
is
very
logical,
and
Howard
is
the
one
who
will
let
Fandino
know
when
he
is
acting
presumptuous.
Fandino
thinks
that
is
why
they
work
well
as
a
unit.
“I
always
think
of
us
as
a
four-­‐headed
monster,
because
we
really
don’t
go
anywhere
without
each
other.
So
it’s
like
every
time
one
of
us
is
there,
the
rest
of
us
are
within
earshot
of
the
other,
which
is
cool,
because
it’s
like
a
gang…they’ve
always
got
my
back,
and
vice
versa,”
Fandino
said.
The
amount
of
time
that
went
into
the
Island
Fortress,
Island
Home
EP
is
apparent
upon
first
listen.
Fandino
explained
that
the
EP
name
is
a
literary
reference
to
Kurt
Vonnegut’s
“The
Sirens
of
Titan.”
Over
the
course
of
a
few
months,
they
realized
some
of
their
songs
follow
similar
themes
including
unrequited
love
and
its
direct
effects,
and
loneliness,
which
is
the
over-­‐arching
idea.
The
final
decisions
were
made
after
deliberating
on
what
songs
fleshed
out
the
main
song
of
the
EP,
“Landlocked.”
“If
you
break
down
the
lyrics,
it’s
all
about
losing
something
for
the
most
part…It’s
really
just
about
missing
something
you
don’t
have
anymore,
and
maybe
coming
to
terms
with
it,
or
maybe
not,”
he
said.

3. “Object
Permanence”
begins
with
rain
and
thunder
and
ends
with
the
sounds
of
the
ocean.
It
speaks
to
ones
we
have
left
behind
or
things
we
have
lost.
Fandino
said
that
for
nearly
80
percent
of
their
shows,
practices,
and
recording
sessions,
it
is
raining.
People
walk
into
the
venues
from
the
rain,
and
he
wanted
to
recreate
this
experience.
Awalom
and
Fandino
agree
that
the
recorded
versions
are
what
people
will
remember,
and
they
will
live
on
forever.
“The
recordings
capture
a
certain
moment
in
time
that
I
lived
when
I
was
22,
and
when
I
listen
to
it
when
I’m
an
old
man,
I’d
like
to
fully
feel
like
I
was
22
again…Most
bands
don’t
have
weird
recorded
outside
stuff.
And
when
you
see
us
live,
that
definitely
can’t
happen.
I
can’t
make
seagulls
all
of
a
sudden—”
“We
could
bring
seagulls
with
us,”
Awalom
chimed
in.
Fandino
said
matter-­‐of-­‐factly
that
it
would
be
a
terrible
idea,
and
proceeded
to
act
out
the
scene:
“Release
the
seagulls!
I’m
so
sorry,
there’s
going
to
be
bird
sh*t
everywhere!’”
Fandino
considers
“This
Old
House”
the
most
edible
song
for
listeners—it
is
like
the
peanut
butter
of
music,
unless,
of
course,
you
are
allergic.
If
that
is
the
case,
Fandino
suggests
listening
to
“Landlocked”
because
it
is
“roast
beefy.”
He
wrote
“This
Old
House”
in
response
to
a
story
Awalom
told
him
about
an
elderly
neighbor
of
hers
passing
away.
Fandino
thought
about
all
the
people
who
would
miss
the
man,
and
it
prompted
him
to
create
a
melancholy
guitar
part.
When
he
gave
the
melody
to
her,
she
based
the
song
on
the
concept
of
new
owners
moving
into
a
house,
and
the
bitterness
and
nostalgia
felt
by
the
previous
owners
who
had
trouble
letting
go.
It
goes
along
with
the
theme
of
holding
on
to
something
that
is
not
yours
anymore.
“Morning
Alarms”
reminds
them
of
New
York
City
and
playing
their
first
show
at
RockBar
on
the
Lower
East
Side.
Kabigting
came
up
with
the
bassline
for
the
song
a
few
days
before
the
show.
At
the
beginning
of
the
track,
the
sounds
of
the
city
are
present,
and
the
rhythm
of
the
bass
and
drums
conveys
the
fast-­‐paced
urban
lifestyle,
which
contrasts
with
the
lyrics
about
staying
in
bed
to
avoid
the
world.
Fandino
said,
“The
idea
of
the
ambient
sounds
in
the
song
really
came
from
‘How
can
we
create
a
feeling?
How
can
we
put
you
somewhere,
even
if
it’s
a
sunny
day
out?
How
can
we
make
you
feel
like
it’s
still
raining
on
this
album?’”
The
final
song,
“Landlocked,”
is
full
of
complex
instrumental
arrangements
and
build-­‐
ups
that
leave
the
listener
with
a
sense
of
serenity.
Although
the
song
refers
to
finding
solitude
in
one’s
own
head,
Awalom
thinks
that
if
every
man
is
an
island,
but
you
are
landlocked,
you
are
still
surrounded
by
others,
and
you
are
never
truly
alone.
The
way
the
band
approaches
songwriting
has
been
evolving,
said
Awalom.
At
this
point,
it
is
music
first.
Fandino
comes
up
with
a
melody,
and
he
meets
with
Awalom
to
show
her
the
guitar
parts.
Then
they
bring
it
to
Kabigting
and
Howard
and
everything
seems
to
change.
Awalom
will
put
words
to
the
songs
during
this
process
or
afterwards.
She
writes
the
lyrics
for
most
of
the
songs,
and
she
tries
not
to
be
autobiographical
with
all
of
them.
Sometimes
she
will
take
an
idea
and
put
it
into
someone
else’s
perspective.
Fandino
admits
that
it
takes
a
little
more
time
when
they
write
songs
as
a
full
band,
but
this
enables
them
to
work
on
certain
parts
together
until
it
all
sounds
good.
Awalom
says
that
in
comparison
to
her
other
band,
“This
feels
more
like
a
dialogue.
People
are
giving
you
something
back.
The
other
band,
people
were
listening
as
if
you
were
giving
a
speech.
But
now,
people
are
moving
around
to
it…it
feels
like
a
stronger
connection.”

4. The
Gray
Company
would
like
to
have
a
full-­‐length
album
planned
out
by
the
end
of
this
year,
and
Fandino
added,
“My
own
personal
goal
is
to
not
stop.
If
anything,
just
keep
going.
You
can
never
be
stagnant;
always
be
progressive.
That’s
my
idea.
We
have
shows
booked
from
here
until
June,
and
we
have
a
tour
in
June.
So
as
long
as
I’m
pushing
forward,
and
sometimes
I’m
falling
forward,
it’s
a
good
thing
no
matter
what.”