ION INDIE MAGAZINE December 2015, Volume 19 | Page 40

Getting a Grip with Music by BEHIND THE GREY “Seamless” Photo credit: Keith Perks By Mark Uricheck On a chilly November evening, in a nondescript rehearsal studio situated next to an industrial supply lot, littered with decades-old truck parts, tires, and torn fencing, the familiar bluecollar scenery that dots their hometown of Scranton, PA, and perhaps subconsciously drives their similarly hardscrabble work ethic, the five members of BEHIND THE GREY break the monotony of rehearsal by cracking wise. “We’re here, you’re welcome,” quips bassist Steve Saypack, coming off with a soon-to-be classic one-liner about the band pulling in to a recent gig in Maryland. The joke drew a howl from the other guys in the band. “That will be the t-shirt,” continues guitarist Dan McDonald, enjoying the tongue-in-cheek take on his band rolling into town. The members of Behind The Grey trail off into this sort of entertaining ribbing often--an outsider can’t help but notice that it makes them a tighter unit. They’ve surely become tight-after enduring a few bumps in the road (both figuratively and literally, as you’ll see in a bit), and changes within the ranks since their formation in 2012. There have been some big changes even since the band released their last three-song EP in 2014--new bassist Saypack