By Laura Glick
"I’m going crazy today."
Grey Area’s Vinny Value is having a rough day. Amidst bank hassles and work, he is contemplating the hardcore scene and his place in it.
"A lot of the people now are really young. The scene has changed so much already, there’s so many new kids into it now, they’ve never even heard of these older bands," he says.
Formerly the drummer of the seminal hardcore band Warzone, Value has opted for a more melodic ride with his latest endeavor. With Grey Area, he is able to experiment with different styles and formulas all while maintaining a personal connection with the music and fans.
"Every song I write about is real. It’s about experiences I have had, basically [it] is knowledge. If I can have someone read [the lyrics] and do something a little differently, that would be amazing. That’s what I’m trying to do."
Tackling sensitive topics like domestic abuse and suicide on their latest album, Fanbelt Algebra, Value attempts to relate personal encounters and provide a different perspective and train of thought for listeners.
"You’ve really got to read in between the lines. It’s more personable, a little more serious lyrically, just a deeper record. We wanted to incorporate machinery and how things work. It’s mathematics and machinery," he explains.
Fanbelt is not a political record, despite the subject matter discussed.
"You see so much of that [political] crap on TV, I don’t need to see it in the music, I don’t need to hear it either. We’re just here to have fun.
"Anything is fine with me, straightedge, vegan, all that stuff, that’s great. If people believe in it, that’s fine, and that’s what they want to have come across, and have that be representing them. But don’t force it down my throat."
Instead, the music speaks for itself. Carefully weaving punk rock threads with melodic hardcore ones, they have constructed a patchwork of influences resulting in a neat aural package.
With the second release comes the usual touring duties, which Grey Area manage themselves.
"We do as much as we can without killing ourselves," he says laughing.
On the road they hope to motivate audiences.
"I would hope we can influence some people to get involved by either starting a band, starting a ‘zine, something."