The Three Sisters of VON GREY Discuss Their Soon to Be Released New EP and Much More!

Photo Credit: Allister Ann

“Dawn” is the most important track from VON GREY’s new EP In Bloom: Acoustic due out on July 20^th. The song’s vulnerable lyrics mirror a voice of compassion, often unheard by those in need of care and understanding. By stating, “I want to be a soft shoulder for you to lean on,” the song’s singer represents a nurturing sister, sympathetically comforting a loved one and creating unity between the two. While tenderly consoling the individual, the singer gently reminds her that despite her experiences of trauma, which are so frequently silenced and distorted, she shouldn’t lose hope, because “hope will be in the light corners of the dawn.” (PRESS HERE to listen.)

In all ways, “Dawn” signifies the resilient and imperious musicians (and women) VON GREY have become, despite their young age, (Kathryn 23, Annika 22, and Fiona 20). The classically trained sisters are wise and strong souls who understand their craft and their worth as seasoned vets (+500 shows, Late Night stops, festival appearances) who entered the industry in their early teens.

The song highlights VON GREY’s swan dive back into their Southern culture and folk roots on In Bloom: Acoustic. Of the album’s first release, “Plans,” Refinery29 said, “There’s a sense of sadness [on “Plans”], enhanced by the string orchestration as well as the way their voices play off each other. It’s haunting and lovely” while Popmatters called it “a tune that seems destined for a slot on plenty of summer playlists, solidifies the sisters’ unique place in the contemporary musical climate.”

Learn more about Von Grey in the following All Access interview:

Thanks for your time! What is on tap for the rest of your day?

We are currently at the coast in the southern United States, and had the pleasure of watching a blood red moon rise above the shore line today! So magical and humbling.

All Access Music is currently compiling a list of our artists favorite songs this summer so what is YOUR song of the summer?

Evergreen by YEBBA. Her talent is insane.

How has 2018 been treating you all? What is one musical goal that you have had for this year and how close are you to reaching it?

2018 has been very gentle to us. Our primary goal for this year was to self-produce and self-engineer an EP, and we can already check that box off the list! Such a liberating and empowering process.

Can you recall the moment when you thought you could be in this group together? Has anything surprised you about it all so far?

We’ve lived our entire lives as part of a sisterhood unit. Creating music together adds one special layer to an already important and constant bond!

How difficult was it to come up with your band name? What other names were you considering?

We started the band in our pre-teens, so you can imagine that the band naming game took some interesting twists and turns in the early days. At one point we were called ‘Sister VG’. At another point, we had somehow convinced ourselves that ‘Smoking Strings’ was a groovy name. In the end, we settled for our last name. Not very creative, but also an easy thing to agree on. 

How do you think your hometown has influenced the sound and how you all carry yourselves in this group?

Photo Credit: Allister Ann

Although none of us were born there, Atlanta — the place we spent the bulk of our youth and adolescence — has absolutely shaped a big piece of our identity. Atlanta has such a rich and diverse musical culture and history, and there’s a strong sense of community. We have felt loved and supported by this city since day one. 

Let’s talk about your newest track “Dawn.” Where did the overall inspiration for it come from? How do you hope to inspire and comfort women with this song? How does it compare to the rest of your forthcoming EP “In Bloom: Acoustic”? 

Dawn is our overarching favorite out of the bunch, possibly because it’s a song that doesn’t only revolve around the self. As a group of female-identifying people, we care deeply about all of our woman sisters out there. There’s a distinct strain of unease and  resistance that nearly every woman has to face, encouraging defensiveness in the place of security and safety. Unity and support is of the utmost importance, in bad times and good. That’s where the inspiration for the song lies. 

If you had all the money and time in the world, what song either yours or someone else’s would you love to re-create? What the video be like?

Our self-recording experiment has actually resulted in us spending more time with and re-imagining 3 of our favorite songs from the our TRINITY. Reintroducing ourselves to and connecting with songs that were born out of very sincere emotional landscapes provides a lot of room for reflection. We love creating videos in overwhelming natural landscapes and need to figure out a way to film at the top of a fiery volcano without singeing ourselves! True aspirations. 

Where do you think you are all happiest- in the studio recording new music, on stage performing or elsewhere?

We really love playing shows in front of people and experiencing the special concentration bred in those spaces, but we are generally happiest sitting in a circle around some candles and writing new songs. 

Do you have any upcoming tour dates this summer that you would like to tell our readers about?

We have some one-off shows coming up, but are really enjoying spending time on writing even more new material and continuing our growth as engineers/producers! 

How do you think being musicians and in this band gives you all the most joy in life today?

We get to spend time with our sisters constantly. Also, we can be emotionally indulgent, manic, and a tad dramatic in front of a room full of people and they will accept is as a completely rational, artistic thing to do. 

Photo Credit: Allister Ann

We are currently living through a very trying and politically charged time right now so I am curious to know how your own music is reflecting this time period? If you don’t think it is, why is that? Would you say that other musicians are making music that has been influenced by this climate? 

While we don’t usually write lyrics that are too direct, we do believe that all art is intrinsically political. Even publicly existing as a group of three queer women serves as a passive but important thing to stand behind. While a quick listen through our recordings may not give it away, most of our music is born from a place of tension, and the political climate constantly surrounding us is a big factor in that.

How important do you think social media has been to this band? 

Very! Such an immediate and wonderful way to connect with the people we love who have supported us. 

Do all you help to maintain all your sites or is one of you more into it all? Or do you rely on your PR/management team to handle it?

We are the only people who post on our social media pages. It’s really important to us that we are expressing ourselves with complete autonomy at all times. 

Who would you love to work with in the future? Who are some of your favorite artists right now? What do you think would be a dream collaboration for this group?

Such a hard question to answer. There’s always appeal in letting your biggest inspirations remain slightly distant. It keeps things exciting and just slightly mysterious. We do love everything Laura Marling does. A lot. 

If you guys were all going to be stranded on a deserted island, what musical item would you want to take with you and why?

Probably a big drum. To use as a SOS signal. Being stuck on an island with no other people and no fun actives lying around would be a major drag.

What do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people continue to take away from your songs?

We hope that our music makes people feel some feelings! So much of our heart goes into what we create, and we hope that that’s

Photo Credit: Allister Ann

palpable. 

Where can our readers connect with this group?

We are spread out all over the internet. We use instagram, facebook, and twitter regularly. Our music is on Spotify, iTunes, Pandora … all of the usual suspects. 

All photography provided by Press Here Publicity