Grizzlyman Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
Right now we're actually taking it pretty slow, because there's a lot happening in our personal lives. But we've not walked off the face of the earth and we will continue to make music.

2.So far you have released a demo, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
We would like to think that the songs on this EP is a mix of everything we like to listen to outside of this band. We tried to incorporate some of our different influences as well as our musical backgrounds and connect it all into these three songs. We basically wanted to mix the heavy melodies of sludge with the droning parts of the post metal scene. We're really a bass and drum band, with the bass taking a leading role and the guitar steps back and supports the drums in keeping the rhythm down.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
We base the idea of Grizzlyman on personal struggles and the rift between the animal and human side in everyone. All this is personified with the bear god Shardik, a creation originally from the minds of Stephen King and Richard Adams. On future releases we will expand on those themes and go deeper with the imagery of split personality and the natural elements.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Grizzlyman'?
We wanted a name that explained the heaviness and low tune we were going for and something that represented the struggle and split personality we talked about earlier. The name is also loosely based on Timothy Treadwell who in 2003 was killed and eaten by bears but it was not our intent to take on his name and legacy. We named the band before we heard about him, but when we did it all kind of fell into place.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
We only have about ten shows behind us, but the best show must have been the release of our EP, the atmosphere was really amazing. Or the first show we ever played, we opened up for the swedish doom giants Switchblade which was pretty intense. It feels like every show we've done so far has just been like a rehearsal, as relaxed. But with more friends.
On stage we want to enhance the dark and heavy atmosphere by having the lights at our backs, creating a special kind of mood with only our silhouettes on stage. This combined with excerpts from movies and atmospheric sounds in between the songs, we hope that we can give the audience an extra dimension of our music seeing us live.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Not at the moment, but it's definitely something we want to do more.

7.Third I Rex are re-issuing your 2014 demo, what are your thoughts on the final product?
Roberto (Third I Rex) has released some great albums in the past and it's an honor be up amongst the other bands.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of sludge and doom metal?
Thanks to Ljudkassett and Tartarus who helped release the demo back in 2014 we reached out through Europe and the response has been great. It feels like people from all over the globe have been ordering shirts and tapes in the past year. And we hope that this release will help us reach out to even more people.

9.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
That's at least another year away. But we want to keep mixing heavy melodies with slow pace riffs. That's what we are here for.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
We listen to a lot of different bands and it feels like it changes on a daily basis. But when we wrote these songs we listened a lot to bands like ISIS, Cult of Luna, Kylesa, Kongh, Neurosis and Switchblade. We also get alot of inspiration from other genres in how you can create certain vibes or atmosphere.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Our guitar player paints a lot, mostly designs for shirts and record covers for other bands. For the rest of the band there’s also, of course, a lot of gaming, movies and series watching. The bass player has a kid, that’s a full time (awesome) job right there!

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Huge thanks for taking interest in our music and our band, it really means a lot to us. We think it's important to support the artists’ that you like in anyway you can, so they can continue to make music. Download, buy records, buy shirts, go to shows, spread music, anything to keep the scene alive. With that said, please check out the other releases of Third I Rex, there are some really amazing bands in that catalogue.