Galway-based emo-pop-rockers Light Grey release maniacally catchy new single ‘Crazy’ alongside music video
Co-produced by Luke Bovill (happydaze / ex. Woes) and Light Grey
FFO: HELLOGOODBYE, STATE CHAMPS, THE READY SET
“This one’s gonna be hard to forget…”
That was the first phrase singer Ciaran Nevin of the Galway-based emo-pop band Light Grey remembers uttering through the studio talk-back after putting the final vocal touches on their newest single ‘Crazy’, out now via Never Meant Records.
Powered by the production duo of Ciaran Nevin and Mikey Connolly, Light Grey have quickly entrenched themselves within the captivating domain of the current pop-rock landscape while expertly drawing on elements of emo, hip hop, and electronic music to create an effervescent energy all of their own.
Since the bands formation in 2017, they have already collaborated with members of notable bands like WSTR, House Parties and Smrtdeath, gained significant praise from members of genre heavyweights like State Champs and The Wonder Years, and welcomed critical acclaim for their 2022 breakthrough single ‘Loser’.
Ciaran recalls the manic undertaking he went through while bringing ‘Crazy’ to life in the studio, and how the process seemed to induce the same neurotic headspace it was meant to capture; “During the recording process it just looped on and on and on in my head for weeks. I literally had to write another song just to get it out of there!”
“It’s highlighting the fact that you don’t always ‘like’ the ones you love, and sometimes the people you fall for are the very same ones with a knack for driving you to the brink of madness,” adds Connolly.
“The whole song has such a night and day vibe,” Ciaran continues. “Mikey's lyrics were written from the perspective of someone perpetually trying to navigate the bi-polar highs and lows of a volatile relationship. It’s the out-of-body realization that sometimes the negative traits of your partner can drive you insane, but somehow your love for them always seems to drag you back in.”
Much like the sugary-sweet candy you come back to regardless of the havoc it wreaks on your teeth, ‘Crazy’ masterfully balances a nostalgic dopamine hit of pop energy with the acidic bite of Light Grey’s signature punk ethos.
However, the track was nearly cut from the band's studio docket due to the internal debate about whether it was a step too far outside of their stylistic comfort zone. “In the past, we’ve had a tendency to be overly-critical of our music - often to the point where we can ruin it for ourselves,” explains Connolly. “We call this our Irish shame. When we started as a band it was always a struggle for us to fit in with the local scene, which made it feel impossible for us to get gigs. It seemed like we were always either ‘not poppy enough’ for the pop bands, or ‘not punk enough’ for the punk bands. But this track exemplifies not only the fact that we can do both at the same time, but that we’ve grown to do it quite well.”
Ultimately, the group decided to double down on the boldness of ‘Crazy’ in an effort to better showcase who the band is at its core: a bunch of overly-introspective, Irish emo-punk misfits who aren't afraid of a little pop dance party now and again.
LIGHT GREY ARE:
Ciaran Nevin
Mikey Connolly
CONNECT WITH LIGHT GREY:
