Q: How did Greyscale form and decide on the band's name?

MK: We formed from the ashes of several different Long Island bands in the summer of 1999. Jon Middleman (bass) and Tom Senior (drums) found me at college where i was playing in some jazz workshops. We were all doing different things but we all yearned to play something louder and harder. We went through several names that were all taken until our friend mentioned Greyscale. Ididn't know what it meant at first but I thought it sounded really cool and so did everyone else.

Q: Greyscale move from the East coast to Nevada, how tough was it for the band to pack up and move cross country?

MK: It actually wasn't all that tough. The tough part was leaving all our friends and family behind in New York. We were all psyched about a change of venue because the New York scene was getting kind of stale. We also knew that in Reno we would be able to spend much more time working for the band. We are now signed to a brand new indie label that has some fresh ideas about getting us out there. We get to tour much more now.

Q: How would you describe Greyscale's sound to a stranger not familiar with the band's music?

MK: It's a mix of a lot of things. We all have some very different views on music and we all have different approaches to playing our instruments. Larry Coleman's (guitar) favorite guitarist is Dime Bag Darrell while I am more into George Harrison. It makes for an interesting mix. I've heard us called reggae metal, rap metal ( even though we never rap) and emo (even though we don't cry). I always hate describing it, I would rather people just listen to it and take what they will from it.

Q: As an Indie, is it more difficult to get airplay on radio stations?

MK: Definitely. What people don't always know is that radio play is expensive...it's like buying commercial time. With new technology it's getting less and less necessary to go through traditional media outlets so we are trying to explore that more.

Q: What's the name of your latest CD?

M K: "Discord For The Dead Kid."

Q: What personal favorites off the album do you have?

MK: My favorites are the 3 newest songs on the cd because they are more reflective of our current direction. "The Fold", "Now You Wonder" and "Get At." I love all the songs on the album but they are the freshest to me. The other songs have been around for a while and were written in New York. The three new ones were written out here in the desert and have a new flavor to them.

Q: Where do you draw inspiration for your songs?

MK: From just about anywhere. Kristian Raimo's (vocals) lyrics touch alot of areas. A lot of them seem to be about people we know or situations that alot of people can relate to. It's usually disguised so that it can mean different things to different people. When I write my guitar parts I try to find something that sounds completely new. I use a lot of my jazz influences to try to create interesting new heavy sounds while Larry might use a gut reaction to throw it over the top in more of a sonic way. One song,"sfs" is all about anxiety so we tried to compose parts to reflect that.

Q: How can readers sample The CD?

MK: You can hear some of these songs on our My space page and you can also hear tracks at Greyscale.tv or Purevolume.com/greyscale.

Q: Now that they've sampled your music how can they purchase it?

MK: Our album SHOULD be available in March 2005. It will be available in retail stores or directly through our website, Greyscale.tv . It should also be available through our label at Battlebornrecords.com.

Q: How has the band changed since the first show Greyscale did?

MK: There has been one lineup change since the first show. We have become tighter, more musical and more energetic since the first show... We have played hundreds of shows now in all kinds of settings so our confidence has also grown.

Q: Do you recall where that show was?

MK: The first show was in August of 2000 at the Village Pub in Port Jefferson, New York.

Q : what are some of your favorite venues to play?

MK: USL in Levittown, NY - The Downtown in Farmingdale, NY - Rock N ricks in Limestone, NY - Stoney's in Reno, NV - Whiskey Dick's in South Lake Tahoe, CA - Whiskey Bill's in Denver, CO - CBGB's in New York City.

Q: What are the band's tour plans for the remainder of 2004 and the early part of 2005?

MK: We plan to do a month long tour in February of 2005. We will probably go across the south and up to NY. Hopefully we will get to play Florida for the first time on that run...We also plan on touring longer in the spring to promote the album release. Most of our tour plans are out of state. We want to play everywhere we can.

Q: How Important do you think online publications such as Florida Entertainment Scene are in helping promote artists like Greyscale?

MK: Publications like this are the most important thing for us in promoting greyscale. The major publications only cover major international artists. We have to do this more grass roots in able to be heard and publications like this are the only kind that give independent musicians a voice.

Q: Do you have anything to say to the readers who read this Interview?

MK: If you have the time, please check out some of our music at Myspace.com/greyscale or search through any of the other bands on that site. There are lots of interesting bands outside of the mainstream press and they are easier to find and listen to than they have ever been. If you have a chance check out your local bands. There are bands playing live somewhere every night. Support them and enjoy yourself.

Greyscale is from New York and now reside in Reno, NV. The band consists of: Larry (LC3PO) Coleman - Guitar, Matt Kelly - Guitar, Jon Evan Middleman - Bass, Kristian (K) Raimo - Vocals and Tom Morrow - Drums.

Interview by Michael Montes - © 2004 Florida Entertainment Scene - All Rights Reserved.