Grey Season

What happens if you are given, quite arguably, the worst time slot at Bonnaroo? If you are Grey Season, you rock out like you're headlining the main stage, that's what. The young Boston folk rockers did just about the impossible at 1 p.m. on Sunday -- they successfully drew a grooving, writhing crowd out into the open sun when most of those on hand were likely recovering from a weekend's worth of wild nights.

With their five-part harmonies bringing to mind bands like Fleet Foxes or Dirty Projectors, their folk and punk influenced rock makes them difficult to pin down and put an exact label on their music. But maybe that's for the best. Why try to completely analyze their performance and their sound when they seem more concerned with simply creating great music? Grey Season were picked for 'Roo through Sonicbids, but we would be surprised if they don't return to the farm in the coming years. Maybe next time they'll be on a bigger stage? - Billboard.com

Some bands flyer to get people to their shows, others post on social media an hour before their set. Grey Season took a different approach, busking around Austin and organically developing a fan base that returned the favor and watched the young folk/bluegrass band completely take over Brush Square Park. Catch them on home turf April 2 at Church in Boston with Amy & the Engine and the Silks, and let’s hope the good people at the Newport Folk Festival people are paying attention. - Vanyaland.com

Presenting, Sound of Boston’s Top 10 Albums of 2014:
1. Grey Season – Time Will Tell You Well
2. Faces On Film – Elite Lines
3. Magic Man – Before The Waves
4. Viva La Hop – Fantasize
5. Gem Club – In Roses
6. Michael Christmas – Is This Art?
7. Chain, Red Shoes, and Stone – Emma-Liz Sings The Blues
8. Ben Cosgrove – Field Studies
9. STL GLD – My Monday Morning Music
10. Nemes – I Carry Your Heart - soundofboston.com

"Grey Season wowed us all in 2014 by putting out not only one of the best records amongst the impressive crop of Boston bands who put out albums this year, but also one of the best records of 2014 period... These Boston boys have a long career ahead of them and if TWTYW is any indication, it’s going to be one hell of a ride." - mainedandtamed.com

Satellites Selected as #2 song for 2014. - soundofboston.com

"I first stumbled upon Grey Season earlier this year at a Sofar Sounds show and wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. The band’s prior experience busking has given them a leg up in the live setting, as they’ve perfected the art of getting casual ears to wake up and pay attention.

Not to discredit Guip and Grotto – but the recordings on tape are just a hair too clean for my taste when it comes to Grey Season (gotta leave some of that “stink” in there). These are five guys, most of whom wear (play) multiple hats (instruments), who are damn good at what they do and smile the whole way through. You’ll be rocking back and bobbing on your heels in no time." - Allston Pudding/BDC Wire

Pro's:
Interesting blend of genres with unique sound
Covers integrated well with original songs
Excellent for a first album

Con's:
Tracks don't do justice to live performances

Overall Score: 8.4/10

If you’ve been to any of Grey Season’s shows, many of the songs on Time Will Tell You Well should be familiar to you. As regular performers and buskers at local venues, Grey Season has been ready to record their first full-length album for a long time, and finally got the chance in January when they road-tripped to Woodstock to record at Levon Helms Studios, also known as “The Barn.”

Similar to Grey Season’s previous EP, Troilus, it’s hard to put a finger on exactly what genre category this album falls under. A hodgepodge way to describe their sound would be a serving of Mumford & Sons, heavy on the rock and garnished with a touch of bluegrass. Two songs from the last EP, “Roslyn” and “New Kind of Dirty,” were re-recorded and re-mastered for the album. The songs themselves may not be played very differently, but if listened to with noise-canceling headphones or blasted on a good stereo system, the full, balanced sound is a pure eargasm.

Also included on the album are three covers: Bob Dylan’s “Mama, You Been On My Mind,” Richard Thompson’s “1952 Vincent Black Lightning,” and Si Kahn’s “Aragon Mill.” Grey Season does covers well – so well that it’s hard to tell that they’re not original tracks. “Mama” is an example of the Grey-ification of a cover on Time Will Tell You Well: Dylan’s slow drawl transforms into Grey Season’s signature five-part harmonies, while the sizzling harmonica is replaced with fast-paced banjo plucking and energetic drumming. Grey Season’s covers are more integral to their collection of music than a cover of Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You” is to James Blake.

The mood of the album makes just as much of an impression as the distinctly bluegrass rock Grey Season is known for. The nostalgic, pondering lyrics give off Americana vibes reminiscent of Simon & Garfunkel and Cat Stevens-filled road trips, but with lots more laughter. “Satellites” — painful and bursting with joy at the same time — makes you want to speed down a highway in a vintage Chevy. One of the few mellow songs on the album, “Lost and Found,” contains such lyrical gems as, “But it’s funny who you meet at the end of the Earth / As we ride in someone else’s hearse.” “Good Friday” is a fun song both live and recorded; the alternating tempos induce a rush just like an electronic bass drop can. On top of it all, singer John Mills’ raspy voice stands out above the harmonious cacophony of instruments, still comforting enough to croon you to sleep.

Because many of the songs have been played live, most of the album won’t come as a surprise to those who frequent Grey Season shows. Time Will Tell You Well is basically a carbon copy of their live set list. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though — fans can finally enjoy crowd favorites like “Look At Us Now” and “Good Friday” at their leisure. But that’s where the good news about the album ends. Nothing can compare to a live Grey Season performance — the songs on this well-crafted album can’t even recreate the magic. - Sound of Boston

We’ve been big fans of local alt-bluegrass (yea we just went there) group Grey Season for a long time now and with the impending release of their debut LP we’re prepared to become even bigger fans. The band will be celebrating Time Will Tell You Well this Saturday April 26 at The Middle East Upstairs and if you plan on joining in on the fun (which we highly advise) you better grab your tickets while you still can. We were lucky enough to score an advance copy of the album, which was recorded at Levon Helm Studios with producers Benny Grotto and Justin Guip, and we can safely say that all in attendance on Saturday will be in for quite the treat.

If you’ve been to a Grey Season show over the past 6 months you’ll recognize some beautifully produced versions of songs that are staples of a Grey Season live show, like “Aragon Mill”, “Satellites”, and their impeccable cover of Richard Thompson’s “1952 Vincent Black Lightning.” From beginning to end Time Will Tell You Well is a captivating rock ‘n roll album, and we can guarantee that Saturday’s show will bring much of the same enchantment found on the album.

Buy tickets to the show at the button below and name your price for a download of the album’s lead single, “Satellites” via bandcamp. - Maimed and Tamed

I hope you’re ready to fall in love because up and coming Boston folk outfit Grey Season have shared the first song off their forthcoming debut album.

Having only been a band for a little over a year, it’s hard to believe how far Grey Season have come from the time they first appeared on our radar. “Satellites” showcases the latest evolution of their sound, transitioning from simple folk offering to full-blown alternative rock jam halfway through without jeopardizing the simplicity of the song’s message. You can stream the song below:

“Satellites” features a slightly more rock-driven sound than what we have come to expect from Grey Season, but that certainly is no reason to complain. In fact, I would not mind in the slightest if the entire album sounded like this track, as long as the heart laced through each verse is still firmly intact.

Time Will Tell You Well hits stores April 26. - Under the Gun Review

Grey Season is a 5 piece folk-rock band out of Boston, MA. They got their start in 2011 gigging all around Boston and began to develop a dedicated local following. Since then, they have recorded their first EP entitled "Troilus" and have built a following across the North East with radio play from many local airwaves including Northeastern, Boston University, Harvard, Unregular Radio and more. Recently, the group had their EP release show, and among other accomplishments, have been featured in Allston Pudding's mixtapes, (namely their mixtape to benefit Boston Marathon victims), as well as the Boston Strong Music Project released in May (alongside such notable artists as Amanda Palmer, Dwight & Nicole, and Barrence Whitfield). Under the Gun Reviews called their EP Troilus "...five songs on life, love, heartache, and hope that are so wonderfully constructed they could leave an impression on even the coldest of souls." Most recently, they have been in the studio with pro engineer and producer Ted Paduck (Aerosmith, Nine Inch Nails, Duran Duran, Busta Rhymes and more). - See more at: http://www.myradio929.com/local929/story.aspx?ID=2013435#sthash.RfPYTkMI.dpuf - myradio929.com

Last Sunday I was sitting at my desk working on a story when my phone rang. Brimming with excitement on the other end of the line was Craig Silva, a friend whom I run a small label with called Antique Records here in Boston. “Are you near a radio,” he asked in a frenzy, “tune into Harvard’s radio station as fast as you can or you may miss it!” I ran to the nearest stereo in my apartment and quickly spun the dial to the small, student-run station. When I got there I heard a group I had until that point never knew existed, and it took only a few seconds for me to realize what had inspired Craig’s passionately demand for my attention.

Hailing from Boston, Grey Season is a folk rock band consisting of five guys and a passion for creating original music that is second-to-none. There are many ways one could describe the typical sound of a New England band, especially one made up of twenty-somethings from Boston, but I can assure you none of those stereotypes come close to describing the style of Grey Season. They bring to mind contemporary favorites like The Lumineers or The Wild Feathers, but their structure and lyricism is far more reminiscent of Bob Dylan’s heyday. Their debut EP, Troilus, features five songs on life, love, heartache, and hope that are so wonderfully constructed they could leave an impression on even the coldest of souls. We knew we had to be involved in the promotion for the EP’s release, and fortunately the band was looking for someone to premiere the record online. Click below to enjoy Troilus.

If you would like to learn more about Grey Season, who we should mention have only been together since December 2012, you should visit them on Facebook. The group consists of Jon Mills (lead vocals, guitar and Irish Bouzouki), Chris “Gooch” Bloniarz (banjo, backing vocals, mandolin, dobro and piano), Matt Knelman (lead guitar and backing vocals), Ian Jones (bass and backing vocals), and Ben Burns (drums and backing vocals). There is an EP release show scheduled for this Saturday, May 4, at Store 54 in Allston, Massachusetts. Click here for ticket information. - James Shotwell

"Since their formation three years ago, the Newbury Street quintet have been creating timeless folk music with an honest attitude and a sincere outlook. It’s a simple approach that has yielded big results." - arena.com