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Gray Matter | |
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| Origin | Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Genres | Post-hardcore, emo, hardcore punk |
| Years active | 1983–1986 1990–1993 |
| Labels | Dischord |
| Spinoff of | Iron Cross |
| Past members | Dante Ferrando Mark Haggerty Steve Niles Geoff Turner |
Gray Matter was an American post-hardcore band from Washington, D.C., United States, who played in the 1980s and 1990s. They disbanded in 1986, but reformed in 1990 before disbanding again in 1993.
Gray Matter officially formed in the summer of 1983 from the remnants of several Washington, D.C. area punk bands. Geoff Turner, Mark Haggerty and Dante Ferrando had been playing in bands since their early junior high school days. In 1983, Dante and Mark were playing in Iron Cross, but when the band's image began to reflect its violent supporters more than the members themselves, Dante quit. Soon after Mark also left and the two reunited with Geoff and Steve Niles and started playing shows around Washington D.C. as Gray Matter.
The band's first album, Food For Thought, was recorded at Inner Ear studio in November 1984 with Minor Threat's Ian Mackaye assisting with production. It was originally released on R&B Records in 1985, while the members were still in high school. In 1986, Dischord Records released the EP Take It Back. Shortly thereafter, Mark left the band to go to college and Gray Matter broke up. Dante went on to play drums for Ignition and Geoff, Steve, and Mark reunited and formed the band Three, with Jeff Nelson from Minor Threat. Gray Matter reformed in the spring of 1990 and released a double seven inch in 1991 and the full-length, Thog, in 1992. The band officially disbanded in 1993.
Dischord originally re-issued Food For Thought and Take It Back (DIS 49) onto one CD in 1990. [1]
Niles later gained fame for writing horror comic books, in particular 30 Days of Night . Geoff Turner went on to found WGNS recording studios, [2] and Dante Ferrando is the founder and owner of long running D.C. alternative and punk nightclub the Black Cat. [3]
On September 21, 2003, the band reunited for a one off show to celebrate to 10th anniversary of the Black Cat. Subsequently, Gray Matter has performed at the Black Cat's 15th, 20th, [4] 25th, and 30th anniversary shows.
Gray Matter took influence from psychedelic rock and rock and roll, particularly Janis Joplin and the Rolling Stones, as well the blues scene based around D.C.'s Food for Thought cafe. [5]
Peter Heyneman of Brightest Young Things.com: "Was it all the British and psychedelic influences that set you apart?"
Mark Haggerty: "Yeah, we like rock and roll…We loved the Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin. We weren't necessarily the band we thought people in the scene would like but it was really music that we loved."
Steve Niles: "It's not exactly like the other bands were all stepping in line, but…they did have a theme that all brought them together, and we were different."
Mark Haggerty: "Rehearsing the songs today I was joking about being influenced by Teague [ed. Didn't get this reference, sorry if his name's misspelled!] who was an old Food for Thought person who taught us bar chords and twelve bar blues. And playing the songs – a lot of them are kind of in that mode."
Dante Ferrando: "There was this scene around Food for Thought in the '70s that probably influenced us a lot."
Mark Haggerty: "Just straight up rock and roll stuff."
Geoff Turner: "We weren't a hardcore band, really. We weren't a thrash band."
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