Loud and proud go getters Greber is a duo of musicians who have been doing the music thing, for a while now, this is just one of the bands who is still actively alive and well. Creating a style to call their own, they would write and record material that would release to their new album titled "Cemetery Preston", with so much more following suit, there would be no knowing where Greber would go from that point.
1. Give me a brief history of Greber, music style, and the members, if you please?
Greber started out after and group Steve and I played together in disbanded. After the years that we had spent together we had become really good friends and wanted to keep doing music in one way or another together. It’s been almost 10 years now and I’m still super excited to play music with that guy.
As far as the musical style goes it’s always changing. We’re huge metal head but also like a ton of other weird and artsy fartsy shit so that always seems to find its way into our music. Just having bass and drums forces us to keep it as stripped down as possible and work as efficiently as we can with those two elements. The style of the band has changed a ton since we started out and I couldn’t be happier.
2. Why go with making this band a duo act, as opposed to a full fledge group or even a trio act? What was it about it being a duo that made it stick?
It was just what we had to work with. There was a brief second where we were thinking about getting someone to do some guitars and who knows, we may still someday. It was a pretty daunting task at first to try and make some “full band” sounding music with less than a full band and even to this day it’s something that we’re constantly struggling with. In the end, we sound how we sound and it wouldn’t have come to be if it was not just Steve and I.
3. How did you end up with a name such as Greber, what does it mean if it has one in the first place?
Just a placeholder really. We had bounced some name ideas around but just ended up going with that one. It’s a street in Gatineau, QC. Doesn’t really mean all too much.
4. Where does the band draw influences from when creating their music?
All over the place. The songs on this record were written with very specific themes in mind when starting out. There would be a phrase or a working title that would dictate where the mood and theme of the song would go. I found it super helpful to stay focused on one idea rather than bouncing shit all over the place. Sometimes that limitation (of sorts) helps with writing.
5. What about lyrical context, what does the music cover in terms of topics of discussion if anything?
Most of the content deals with a less than perfect side of humanity. Illusions of fate, individual tragedy and capitalist fed delusion are a few things I wrote about on this one. It’s all just our attempt to paint the world as we see it and hopefully remind people that it isn’t all that bad. It’s pretty fucking bad, don’t get me wrong, but at the end the recognition of it’s poison underbelly has always felt like a redeeming force for me.
6. Can you tell me about the assortment of record labels that you are a part of, how did this happen and why get signed and not go the DIY approach?
Scott Miller at Ancient Temple Recordings took on the mixing duties for the record and after it was all said and done he expressed interest in helping us release in on 12”. Seb from D7-i is a good friend of ours who has always supported us and the Canadian grind scene and also wanted to help us release the vinyl. The rest of the cash to press the record itself was fronted by the band itself so we haven’t completely cut our DIY ties.
Cameron from Hibernation Release was introduced to us by Scott (Miller) and I sent him the album. He liked in and agreed to help us out with a cassette release in the US. As for Pink Lemonade Records they are a new label starting up out of Cambridge. Scott and Derek are super passionate about the local scene and the birthing of physical release from it.
7. What is the difference between your latest album "Cemetery Preston" and your very first few records?
Cemetery Preston is just the next phase of songs from us. A ton of material was cut after jamming it out and finding that it just didn’t really work in the live setting. A few of the “studio only” tracks we kept but for the most part we could be able to play them live and not have them sound like mud/shit. All in all, the release is a bit more on the darker and dissonant side than Kiln Hardened Psalms. We got older and uglier and our music came with us.8. Where does the title of "Cemetery Preston" come into the picture, in terms of the music?
I had a dream where I pictured Preston (a bourough of Cambridge) with tombstones littered all over it. It wasn’t a scary or even remarkable dream but I couldn’t really shake it. It’s also the working title for “Backhanded Interest”. For the most part it represents a grim Polaroid of a city plunged into the depths of an unknowing purgatory.
9. What about the album's artwork, does it have a meaning or connection to the title or music, or is it just there as the artwork only?
We sent Yanni (Panos) lyrics to a few songs off the record and he created the artwork from that. To be honest, I can’t remember which song it was. I’ll have to ask Steve. Super stoked on how it turned out. That guy is talented as hell. I remember getting it and zooming in really close and was blown away by how much detail there was. He works as a tattoo artist in Montreal at DFA.
10. Would you like to add anything more to discussion about your album called "Cemetery Preston"?
Well, I’m stoked it’s out and I’m excited to see what people think of it. It’s pretty different from shit we’ve done in the past so we’ll see how it goes. We’ve already started writing a whole slew of new shit so it feels good to get the record out and move the fuck on. Amirite?
11. What does the band plan on doing in the mean time?
We’re heading out on and eastern Canada tour at the start of February and planning on doing some local shows after that. Other than that we’re just being dads/employees/dudes/chuds.
TOUR DATES:
February 1, 2018 - Ottawa, ON @ Pressed
February 2, 2018 - Montreal, QC @ Atomic Cafe - info
February 3, 2018 - Quebec City, QC @ Scanner - info
February 6, 2018 - Fredericton, NB @ Manic Mansion
February 7, 2018 - Saint John, NB @ Second Spin
February 8, 2018 - Moncton, NB @ Plan B
February 9, 2018 - Halifax, NS @ Gus’s Pub
February 10, 2018 - Sherbrooke, QC @ Le Murdoch - info
February 23, 2018 - Toronto, ON @ Coalition
February 24, 2018 - Cambridge, ON @ Scout Hut
12. Any further messages to our readers?
Thanks for reading. Listen to Manowar.
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