Q&A: ‘Happy People’ is Greer’s Introduction of Themselves
FRESH-FACED CALIFORNIA ROCKERS GREER HAVE ANOTHER EP UNDER THEIR BELT - and this latest release has pushed the band to grow together. The record came to life in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and gave the band a glimpse into their own mental health, serving to provide understanding into what they were feeling.
As a catalyst for creativity, Happy People is the product of being forced to self reflect. With lyrics like, “Love is everything but they don’t tell you what’s in between. What’s in between? A bitter life that’s full of hate,” the title track gives us a look into the darkness that hangs over so many, but can also go unnoticed. Greer is not afraid to take risks and open themselves up to vulnerability with their music, which in itself should excite their fans.
Composed of guitarist Corbin, vocalist Josiah, drummer Lucas and bassist Seth, Greer continues to expand their discography and develop their sound. Read below to learn more about their creative process, Happy People and more.
LUNA: How is the Fall season treating you all? With the seasons changing, do you feel like you all are changing as well?
GREER: October treated us quite well! Super excited to play a show on Halloween, we couldn’t think of a better way to spend the holidays. And yes, oftentimes during the winter it’s easier to become gloomy.
LUNA: What does Happy People mean to you? Collectively or individually?
GREER: I think Happy People meant a lot of growth to us, both as a band and individually. The process of writing the EP itself was a year or two long period of confusion and discomfort as we struggled to find our footing within an awkwardly shaped confine. After the songs were solidified, it felt as if we’d overcome the things holding us back, the EP became a success among many failures, it helped us get a better understanding of our battles with mental illness, and allowed us to find some wiggle room for growth within our little pea brains.
LUNA: Where did you gain your inspiration for the album from?
GREER: Self-reflection was our biggest struggle when writing the EP, but I think it’s appropriate to say it was also our biggest inspiration. For a while there were a lot of mental and emotional problems setting us back as a group, we were anxious of not meeting expectations, and unsatisfied with ourselves and our own music. After a while though, it became apparent that we could use the things holding us back to our advantage, and writing about our problems didn’t cure us of them, but made us feel at peace.
LUNA: What was your creative process like? I really enjoy how it doesn’t seem like you were going for the traditional verse chorus verse chorus sound we see in lyrics.
GREER: Our creative process came as naturally as it could, without initial focus on structure or continuity, it was purely riffing or sudden and surprising bursts of inspiration where, in some cases, a song would magically appear in our heads, sometimes in full. There were also times when it came slowly, and songs struggled to come to a finish.
LUNA: What song are you most proud of from the EP?
GREER: The song that we were most excited about after recording was definitely “Happy People.” It felt the freshest out of all the songs with it being the most recent song we had written. I think it really reflects more of the direction we’re going in.
LUNA: You’re on tour, you’ve stopped at the last gas station for the next 30 miles. What are you stocking up on?
JOSIAH: Mini donuts
CORBIN: Now that I'm 18, I'm stocking up on scratchers. I'm not really into the whole food and water thing, but the chance to win five dollars is exhilarating.
LUCUS: A slim Jim!
SETH: Rats or ants, whatever I can find crawling around
LUNA: What is your favorite venue to play? Any bucket list places to play?
GREER: Favorite venue is a tough one. We aren’t exactly seasoned veterans on the tour circuit, in fact we still may have barely passed the double digit marker for live shows in general, before venturing out with the Regrettes. I remember really enjoying The Metro in Chicago. The venue was beautiful and seemed to have a lot of history. It also seemed that every band I loved had played there, which probably heightened my adoration for the place. As for bucket lists, there are tons of great venues in LA: The Shrine or The Wiltern, but I would say my personal dream venues would be The Teragram and The Troubadour, one of which we were almost lucky enough to play. Playing the Hollywood Bowl one day might be incredible as well, but that may be dreaming a little too big.
LUNA: The year is winding down, what do you hope to accomplish before 2022?
GREER: Collectively, as a band, I think we would love to finish a record, or at least finish a record’s worth of material. It would also be nice to play some shows. As many as is safely possible!
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