Start Listening To: Greytooth

Discover the creative journey of Greytooth, an artist whose eclectic music and introspective lyrics bridge the gap between the analog and digital worlds.

We're thrilled to present an in-depth Q&A with the talented and multifaceted artist, Greytooth. With a unique sound that blends genres such as bedroom folk, industrial ambient, and lo-fi, Greytooth's music stands out for its innovative use of modern technology and deeply introspective lyrics. Hailing from diverse locales like Melbourne, London, Leeds, and Manchester, Greytooth's experiences and travels have significantly influenced his musical journey.

In this conversation, Greytooth delves into the origins of his intriguing moniker, the creative process behind his latest EP An Afternoon For A Fact and how various cities have shaped his sound. He also shares insights into his artistic influences, his approach to blending disparate genres, and the philosophy that even the ugliest sounds can find a perfect place in his music.

For those unfamiliar with your music, can you tell us who you are, where you’re from and about the music you make?

I’ve lived in Melbourne and London, Leeds & Manchester in the UK. It’s a project rather than a band. The music is just singer-songwriter with modern technology. Songs often start analog and then the arrangement is the bit which is most involved. I want it to sound novel, that’s one of my criteria. I think you achieve that with computers, basically. Both for new sounds and the flexibility of composition and production afforded by digital multi-tracking. You can push songs to new places.

Greytooth is a unique name with an intriguing origin. Can you tell us more about why you chose this name and how it reflects your music?

It’s a little arbitrary. It looks nice written down, sounds like a metal band or something from fantasy. And my music is not similar to that; it’s good to have that difference, to have a word which is ambiguous and then it can take on meaning depending on the output.

Your new EP, An Afternoon For A Fact, was written across various cities including Berkeley, Melbourne, London, and Manchester. How did these diverse locations influence the sound and feel of the EP?

Mostly through lyrics I suppose. Places are good for little details. Makes the content more specific. Then I guess the music comes in and compliments whatever you’ve written down, arrangement-wise. LBNL has granular, metallic elements because it’s about a lab. So pretty straight forward in that sense. 

Your music spans multiple genres such as bedroom folk, industrial ambient, and lo-fi. How do you blend these different styles together, and what draws you to each genre?

It’s nice to pull from all the music you enjoy. Like most people I like all kinds of music. I just do it mostly myself so I can change the sound in whatever direction. The arrangements are varied in some ways but I do think it all bound together by the limitations of my voice. 

You mentioned that the ugliest sounds can be perfect in context. Can you elaborate on this philosophy and how it applies to your music?

I mean more that it’s difficult for me personally to start by looking for sound. I have words and structures first & then you know what sounds you need and where the ugly bits can go to make it less saccharine. Or you just listen to other people’s music and think that you want to use that instrument, or that sound in an arrangement. You write it down in a big document and come back to it when you need it. But also sounds can be the starting point, it just depends.

The tracks on An Afternoon For A Fact were written over a span of ten years. How did revisiting old ideas and feelings shape the final versions of the songs?

Essentially, I had some old melodies that I still enjoyed, but the lyrical content wasn’t there. I’m happy with my lyrics nowadays but when I was 18 it was all crap. Stuff about love which makes it obvious that you have no idea what it’s all about, cliché stuff.

Can you share some of the key themes or stories behind the songs on this EP?

The themes are varied, it’s like a collection of songs. But each song hopefully serves some kind of idea. The first song is kind of wistful hopelessness, the second is about sacrifices and the third is about claustrophobia. And so on.

You've been compared to artists like Alex G, The Magnetic Fields, and Jeffrey Lewis. How do you feel about these comparisons, and how do they align with your own musical influences?

I love all those artists especially Jeffrey Lewis. That’s pretty much the kind of stuff I listen to. Captivating but simple songs with thought-through lyrical content. And the lyrics don’t have to be like poetry it just has to be appropriate. I like modern music which could also be folk music.

What was the creative process like for this EP? Did you have a specific vision in mind from the beginning, or did it evolve over time?

I’ve got a lot of songs and I just want to get rid of some of them. The process was kind of: here’s 5 songs that sit well together, I’ll try and flesh them out and maintain some sonic consistency throughout. But it did evolve. There were some songs that I didn’t have the means of completing and they’ll just have to wait. And it was originally more acoustic, but that didn’t work it was boring and tired.

Can you tell us more about your experience working with Corridor of Dreams for the release of An Afternoon For A Fact?

Dylan’s my friend and he kindly offered to help me release the songs in a more formal manner than I have previously. I have another collection of song on Bandcamp called Weedkiller, Javelin. I just dumped that on there and on my social media. Dylan knows how to do these things and has more patience for it than I do. 

How does your background as a Manchester via Melbourne songwriter impact your musical identity and artistic expression?

Both cities have trams which is the best possible mode of transport alongside overground rail. I hope this comes through in my songs.

What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced while creating this EP, and how did you overcome them?

Money, resources, lack of studio time, over-listening. I did a lot myself which is not the ideal way of doing things. Thankfully I was able to pay for mixing, mastering and some session musicians. I chose more humble songs; the grandiose stuff will have to wait. Now that I’m in Manchester my flatmates and friends are all very talented and I’ll be able to do more ambitious stuff.

What do you love right now?

It being light until almost 10pm.

What do you hate right now?

Disdain for bugs and insects.

Name an album you’re still listening to from when you were younger and why it’s still important to you?

After the Gold Rush. Every song works.

Finally, what do you hope listeners take away from An Afternoon For A Fact? Are there any particular messages or emotions you want to convey?

I guess a sense of surrealism and futility is always good.