Geordie Greep Explained

Geordie Greep
Birth Name:Geordie Wade Greep
Birth Date:1999 8, df=yes
Birth Place:Walthamstow, London, England
Years Active:2011–present

Geordie Wade Greep (born 20 August 1999)[1] [2] is an English musician. From 2017 to 2024, he was the frontman and lead guitarist of the rock band Black Midi, often considered part of the emerging wave of British rock music known as the Windmill scene.

While attending the BRIT School, he met Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin, Cameron Picton, and Morgan Simpson; together they went on to form Black Midi. The group began performing live at Brixton pub The Windmill, the only venue to reply to Greep's emails requesting gigs.[3]

After signing with Rough Trade Records in 2019, the band enjoyed critical acclaim with their three studio albums, Schlagenheim, Cavalcade, and Hellfire. Following the hiatus of Black Midi, Greep began a solo career and is set to release his debut studio album, The New Sound via Rough Trade Records on 4 October 2024.

Greep is noted for his unique singing voice, partly due to his accent, which has been described as "geographically unclassifiable".[4] He often writes dramatic narratives in his songs, many of which are centered around specific characters, as seen in the Black Midi song "John L", for example.

Early life

Geordie Wade Greep was born on 20 August 1999 and raised in Walthamstow.[5] He has considered his upbringing in the town beneficial, citing its cultural diversity as "brilliant for a young person".[6] He has credited his father with helping him developing a taste for music in his youth, teaching him that " good and bad music, and there are no boundaries between genres".[7] His mother worked at a salsa club during his childhood, which resulted in him developing a distaste for the genre;[8] however, upon revisiting salsa music as an adult, he acquired a newfound appreciation for it.[9] He listened to his father's record collection of progressive rock, classical music, and country and was also interested in the "whiz-bang impact" of cartoon scores.[10]

Greep first took interest in the guitar when he was given the video game Guitar Hero for his seventh birthday. He grew fond of the music featured in the game, in particular "Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand, and later received an electric guitar for his eighth birthday. Around this time, his father would lend him CDs of Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin from his own personal collection, as well as those of progressive rock bands such as Pink Floyd, Genesis, and King Crimson and jazz musicians such as Miles Davis.[11]

His first experiences of playing live music came at around age 11, when he began playing gospel music in churches, despite the fact he did not have a religious upbringing.[12] The performances had a profound effect on his musical development, bringing him experiences of improvising while playing, a practice that he has stated is lacking in the education of secular white musicians.[13]

Career

2017–2018: BRIT School and formation of Black Midi

What would become Black Midi first began when Greep met fellow guitarist Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin at the BRIT School, which they both attended. During this time, he and Kwasniewski-Kelvin began to perform together regularly, busking in Bromley.[14] Through their MIDI lessons at the school, Greep would learn of the genre black MIDI.[15] Though he has stated he knew little about the genre, he suggested it to Kwasniewski-Kelvin as a potential band name.[15]

The two later met drummer Morgan Simpson, and their sound began to take on more rock and funk influences.[16] Their lineup would be completed when they enlisted bassist Cameron Picton a month before their first show at The Windmill, in Brixton.[17] After a later show at The Windmill, the group would find themselves approached by record producer Dan Carey, with whom they would record their debut single, "bmbmbm".[18] [19]

2019: Schlagenheim

Their experience with Carey was positive, and the band naturally decided to work with him again for their debut studio album Schlagenheim.[20] Greep said of the process: "it went really well and started such a good relationship, so when it came time and we had the means to make an album, he just seemed like the best choice. I could just tell from the way he was talking about the music that he got it completely." However, instead of being released under Carey's Speedy Wunderground label, Schlagenheim was released under Rough Trade Records, with whom the band had signed earlier that year.[21] Schlagenheim was released to critical acclaim, being nominated for the 2019 Mercury Prize.[22]

2021: Cavalcade

Following the release of their single "Sweater" in 2020, Black Midi looked to move in a different direction with their next album.[23] Their songwriting process moved away from jamming and improvisation.[24] According to Greep, they would start bringing in songs they had completed on their own and would then play together. In order to capture the new direction of their sound, they worked with producer John "Spud" Murphy for what would become their sophomore studio album, Cavalcade.[25] The lyricism of Cavalcades songwriting would put greater emphasis on narratives, consisting of stories centered around characters written from third-person perspectives.[26]

Cavalcade was similarly acclaimed to Schlagenheim, with critics noting that it was more ambitious and difficult than it predecessor.[27]

2022: Hellfire

The following year, Black Midi released their third studio album, Hellfire, a title Greep had originally suggested for Schlagenheim.[28] The role of producer was this time filled by Marta Salogni, with whom the band had previously recorded "John L" from Cavalcade.[29] In contrast to the third-person narratives of Cavalcade, the songs of Hellfire are largely written in first person. Greep has stated that the album was not explicitly inspired by the idea of hell, rather the concept served to tie the album's stories together under a cohesive theme.[30]

Hellfire, much like the group's first two albums, was released to widespread critical acclaim; their third, however, also achieved considerable commercial success, becoming their highest charting album in the UK to date, and their first album to chart in the US.[31]

2023–2024: Black Midi on hiatus and The New Sound

After the release of Hellfire, Black Midi continued to tour into 2023, but would not release any studio material that year or the following. In August 2024, a representative of the band confirmed that they were on indefinate hiatus;[32] the announcement was preceded by postings from Greep on social media, in which he stated that "Black Midi was an interesting band that’s now indefinitely over."[33]

Earlier in 2024 and prior to the announcement, Greep had been performing solo live shows. Shortly after, on 20 August 2024, came announcement of his debut studio album The New Sound, with lead single "Holy, Holy".[34] He said of the album, "the main theme of the record is desperation; you don’t hear an unreliable narrator but someone who is kidding themselves that they have everything under control, but they don’t."[35]

Artistry

Musical style

Sonically, Black Midi's sound has been variously labeled as experimental rock,[36] [37] [38] art rock,[39] progressive rock,[40] [41] math rock,[41] [42] [43] post-punk,[44] and avant-prog.[45] [46] He has denied that the band's experimental sound was an intentional part of their formation, instead saying it was simply the result of the band playing together as friends first and foremost.[3] Greep's decision to play a baritone guitar came from his fondness for spaghetti Western music, learning from his father that baritone guitars played a part in its sound.[47] Stylistically, Black Midi's songs often start out as pastiches of other styles or genres that change and evolve through improvisation and experimentation. For example, Greep has said that "27 Questions" from Hellfire was inspired by Argentine tango.[7]

Greep has stated that his signature singing style was inspired by a desire to subvert typical rock vocal stereotypes, in order to avoid coming across as "macho", instead desiring a more melodic approach. In combination with his accent, his unique sound has been described by one critic as a "warped croon".

Lyrically, Greep prefers to write fictional stories into his songs rather than speak on real world issues, saying: "I can't speak too intelligently about any of that. I don't really have anything intelligent to say. Of course there are things going wrong all the time but when we write lyrics it's more about stories than real stuff."[48] Speculation surrounds much of Greep’s lyrics, as he leaves much to obscurity. However, he has gone on record as stating that “27 Questions” is his most personal lyrical work yet.[49]

Influences

Greep has taken a large amount of influence from classical music.[50] Classical music had influence on him from his youth, and he has called John Eliot Gardiner's recording of Mass in B minor his "two favourite hours of recorded music ever".[51] He has also named Igor Stravinsky, Béla Bartók and Alfred Schnittke as classical influences.[52]

Greep has also taken great influence from Frank Zappa and Boredoms, whose albums We're Only in It for the Money and Vision Creation Newsun respectively he has both listed as two of his all-time favourites.[51] His experience with Zappa goes back to playing "Willie the Pimp" with his electronics teacher at his school's winter concert.[53]

Personal life

Greep is an avid fan of boxing, often expressing his admiration for the sport in interviews. He has named Sugar Ray Leonard as his favourite boxer.[24] Boxing has also had an influence on Black Midi's music, serving as the inspiration for the band's song "Sugar/Tzu", with Greep stating: "In boxing, there's the intensity, just nonstop—everything is over the top. That's kind of with our stuff as well. If there is a more emotional song or whatever, it's pushed to the max, it's very brash and almost comedically intense."[24] [54]

Greep is an active user of Twitter. Jazz Monroe said of Greep's activity: "Given his propensity for charming anachronism, it is surprising that Greep is fantastic at Twitter."[55] In 2023, several music publications reported on a short-lived Twitter feud between Greep and Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast over the Beatles album Revolver.[56] [57]

Discography

with Black Midi

Solo

Notes and References

  1. 1561401365259239425. GeordieGreep. The most anticlimactic day of the year – the day after your birthday . The Greep .
  2. Web site: Geordie GREEP personal appointments . gov.uk.
  3. Web site: Connick . Tom . Inside the buzz of Black Midi . Crack . 9 December 2023.
  4. News: Aroesti . Rachel . Mercury hopefuls Black Midi: 'All great art comes from self-indulgence' . The Guardian . 18 September 2019 . 9 December 2023.
  5. News: Black Midi: the Brit School boys who are the most exciting band of 2019. Will. Hodgkinson. 23 December 2023. www.thetimes.co.uk.
  6. Web site: Chelosky . Danielle . On Hellfire, black midi explore the darkness of life through genre-bending comedy . Alternative Press . 3 August 2022 . 12 December 2023.
  7. Web site: Amai . Junnosuke . An interview with Geordie Greep: On the Source of black midi's Creative Musical Ideas . Tokion . 24 January 2023 . 13 December 2023.
  8. Web site: The Quietus | Features | Baker's Dozen | Thirteen Convulsions: Geordie Greep's Favourite Albums. The Quietus.
  9. Web site: Richards . Sam . Black Midi Q&A: End Of The Road Festival 2022 – Day 2 . Uncut. 2 September 2022 .
  10. News: black midi's Music Embraces the Extremes. Jon. Pareles. The New York Times . 25 May 2021. NYTimes.com.
  11. Web site: 19 May 2021 . Cavalcade of light and noise: the return of black midi . 24 December 2023 . The Face . en-gb.
  12. Web site: The Quietus | Features | Baker's Dozen | Thirteen Convulsions: Geordie Greep's Favourite Albums. The Quietus.
  13. Web site: Doran . John . Boom Boom Pow: Black Midi Interviewed . The Quietus.
  14. Web site: Cartledge . Lucas . Black Midi – crusade against the unnecessary . Loud & Quiet.
  15. Web site: Black Midi are the most progressive guitar band in London right now. Loud And Quiet.
  16. Web site: Black Midi – crusade against the unnecessary. Loud And Quiet.
  17. Web site: Inside the buzz of Black Midi. Crack Magazine.
  18. How London's Black Midi Embraced Improvisation on Debut Album 'Schlagenheim'. Catherine. Lowe. . 17 June 2019.
  19. Web site: Black Midi – Album Launch And Surprise Intimate Gig – God Is In The TV. Ian. Patterson·Features·. 17 May 2019.
  20. Web site: Best Music Producers: Dan Carey | Norman Records UK.
  21. Web site: black midi announce debut album schlagenheim on vinyl and cassette. Anton. Spice. 14 May 2019.
  22. Web site: Bloom . Madison . Monroe . Jazz . Mercury Prize 2019 Shortlist: The 1975, slowthai, Black Midi, More . Pitchfork . 25 July 2019 . 7 September 2019.
  23. Web site: black midi release new track 'Sweater'. 7 February 2020. DIY.
  24. Web site: If There's Hell Below, Black Midi's Gonna Go. Justin. Sayles. 14 July 2022. The Ringer.
  25. Web site: Helfand . Raphael . In Conversation: Black Midi on the Colorful World of "Cavalcade" . Flood . 16 December 2023.
  26. Web site: Review: black midi – Cavalcade – SLUG Magazine. 2 June 2021. www.slugmag.com.
  27. Web site: Black Midi: Cavalcade. Pitchfork.
  28. Web site: Album Review: black midi, 'Hellfire'. Konstantinos. Pappis. 13 July 2022.
  29. Web site: MPG Producer of the year Marta Salogni on Tape, Black Midi's Hellfire, and Choice Plugins. Andy. Price. 22 November 2022.
  30. Web site: Nuta . Sara . Inside the worldbuilding of black midi . Front . 22 July 2022 . 16 December 2023.
  31. black midi | Biography, Music & News. Billboard.
  32. Web site: Strauss . Jazz Monroe,Matthew . 2024-08-12 . Black Midi Go on Hiatus as Geordie Greep Says Band Is “Indefinitely Over” . 2024-08-20 . Pitchfork . en-US.
  33. Web site: Kreps . Daniel . 2024-08-11 . Black Midi 'Indefinitely Over,' Singer of Acclaimed British Band Says . 2024-08-20 . Rolling Stone . en-US.
  34. Web site: Dunworth . Liberty . 2024-08-20 . After Black Midi split, Geordie Greep announces debut solo album 'The New Sound' with single ‘Holy, Holy' . 2024-08-20 . NME . en-GB.
  35. Web site: Carter . Daisy . black midi’s Geordie Greep announces debut solo album ‘The New Sound’ . DIY.
  36. Web site: Review: Black Midi at Zebulon . Cubbison . Jeff . . 22 November 2019 . 24 November 2019.
  37. Web site: Enis . Eli . 23 March 2021 . black midi Announce New Album Cavalcade, Share "John L": Stream . 29 May 2021 . Consequence.
  38. Web site: Kinnett . Tristan . 23 March 2021 . black midi Announces New Album Cavalcade for May 2021 Release and Detail the Demise of a Cult Leader in New Video for "John L" . 29 May 2021 . MXDWN.
  39. Web site: Kearse . Stephen . Review: black midi – Live Fire . Pitchfork . 24 December 2022.
  40. Web site: Lockett . Mac . 28 May 2021 . black midi Delivers Punishing Dynamics & Edgy Prog On 'Cavalcade' (Album Review) . 14 July 2022 . Glide.
  41. Web site: Russell . Scott . 26 May 2021 . Listen to black midi's New Album Cavalcade, Surprise-Released Early . 29 May 2021 . Paste.
  42. Web site: Black Midi Share New Track 'Talking Heads' Gigwise . Gigwise.com . 23 May 2019.
  43. Web site: Segal . Dave . Math Rockers Doing Big Numbers . 13 August 2022 . The Stranger . en.
  44. Web site: Black Midi – "Talking Heads" . Spin. 23 May 2019 . 30 April 2019.
  45. Web site: 28 May 2021 . Black Midi: Cavalcade review – freakish parade of prog-jazz extremity . 13 August 2022 . The Guardian . en.
  46. Web site: Paste Staff . 1 August 2022 . The 10 Best Albums of July 2022 . 13 August 2022 . pastemagazine.com . en.
  47. Web site: McStea . Mark . Black Midi: "We played for two hours; the first hour and 20 minutes was all improvised" . Guitar World . 9 October 2019 . 16 December 2023.
  48. Web site: Sarosiek . Krzysztof . It will be there forever. An interview with Black Midi . Undertone . 7 August 2019 . 13 December 2023.
  49. Web site: https://www.axs.com/artists/1106920/black-midi-tickets . AXS . 6 February 2024.
  50. Web site: The Quietus | Features | Baker's Dozen | Thirteen Convulsions: Geordie Greep's Favourite Albums. The Quietus.
  51. Web site: Cashin . Cal . Thirteen Convulsions: Geordie Greep's Favourite Albums . The Quietus.
  52. Lowe . Catherine . How London's Black Midi Embraced Improvisation on Debut Album 'Schlagenheim' . Billboard . 15 December 2023.
  53. Web site: Monroe . Jazz . Get to Know black midi, a New Type of British Guitar Band . Pitchfork . 15 May 2019 . 15 December 2023.
  54. Web site: Sayles . Justin . If There's Hell Below, Black Midi's Gonna Go . The Ringer . 14 July 2022 . 13 December 2023.
  55. Web site: Monroe . Jazz . Shit-Talking and Boat Riding With Art-Rock Misfits Black Midi . Pitchfork . 12 July 2022 . 14 December 2023.
  56. Web site: Brasil . Sydney . Japanese Breakfast and black midi's Geordie Greep are Beefing over the Beatles . Exclaim! . 14 December 2023.
  57. Web site: Chelosky . Danielle . Japanese Breakfast's Hot Take On The Beatles Upset Many Music Lovers On Twitter . Uproxx . 22 February 2023 . 14 December 2023.