Matt Connarton Unleashed 1-17-26 hour 1

0:03 Speaker 1: You're listening to Matt Connorton Unleashed on WM and H ninety five point three.

0:17 Speaker 2: Good morning everybody, here we go. It is that time again, Matt Connorton Unleashed and we are live from the studios of WMNH ninety five point three FM and Glorious Manchester, New Hampshire. If you are listening live today is a Saturday, January seventeen, twenty twenty six, and of course we are if you are local in Manchester, please be careful if you're out driving this morning. A little slippery out, but at least it was when I was coming in, but I did not expect snow, but it did snow overnight and I completely forgot that it was in the forecast.

0:48 Speaker 2: And I woke up and I looked outside and I said, uh oh no, but it's not bad. We didn't get much, but it's enough to be a nuisance. So if you are driving this morning, please be careful. Let's see. So we are of course live from WM and H ninety five point three FM, and you can stream the show from anywhere. Of course, go to Matt connorton dot com slash live, as we do have a lot of listeners online as well, and we've got a great show for you today coming up in just a few minutes, we're gonna do the world radio premiere of the new track from Grim Rock called Cast a Shadow, and then we're gonna be talking to grim he's gonna be joining us via Microsoft Teams.

1:19 Speaker 2: And then later in the show we have Adam Steglitic from the band ever Felt, who is also going to be joining us online. But right now, to open the show, we do have a world radio premiere. This is the brand new single from Kenny Truon. It's a little topical, shall we say, It's called We All Saw the Same Thing, but you are going to be hearing it here on the radio for the first time. A wmn H ninety five point three FM exclusive. Matt Connerton Unleashed presents the world radio premiere of the new single from Kenny Truon Again.

1:48 Speaker 2: This is called we All Saw the Same Thing.

1:50 Speaker 1: You are listening to wm and.

1:52 Speaker 3: H world premiere.

2:02 Speaker 4: Shove your face save their right.

2:07 Speaker 5: Showing the face.

2:10 Speaker 3: Can't high behind the guys.

2:11 Speaker 6: It's just imagine a gun, a big stasion with a little thinkin. There's no pull shot in the head again, No one has to play stupid game. Nobody wins, sall, you just give us your stupid cross your speed.

2:25 Speaker 7: They got to come into Why no, that's just for the little speech.

2:28 Speaker 8: What I struggle to see lack of responsibility, the higher standard, and ain't con mat Who's that's the dorm at one stepped A'm not coming a going maybe the ladder not so that under the difference because we're looking at the same thing.

2:40 Speaker 4: What you say is not the same thing.

2:42 Speaker 8: What even happened just the light of imagine the boof think I want to burn it all down that you don't believe it just once it's it gonna take you for your farm over the skynop out on y'all. Not looking at the boot, not looking at the boom, I'm thinking, not looking at the boot, not look at the boom, not looking at the boot, not looking not looking at the boot, not look at the boom, not looking at the boom, not looking a boom, not looking at the boot.

3:06 Speaker 4: You don't got to play God.

3:09 Speaker 9: You just get to go home and sleep to.

3:12 Speaker 3: No yet I've got to play god.

3:14 Speaker 2: You know, Jesus got to go over and sleep at night.

3:20 Speaker 7: Fascist st seen, I tell geez you would think it's nineteen thirty.

3:27 Speaker 4: It's twenty twenty six.

3:29 Speaker 2: Fis or excuse turns to racings.

3:32 Speaker 10: No defending it.

3:33 Speaker 7: It's no secret. Just tired and yellings make something.

3:38 Speaker 11: You'll have to.

3:38 Speaker 3: Concentrate a little harder.

3:40 Speaker 1: But you see some intentional it's no accident.

3:43 Speaker 7: You'll let them be your homes.

3:45 Speaker 5: They'll never leave again.

3:46 Speaker 7: Just do what they say, always go, Never ask questions and can stoy a line up a stage rum in.

3:52 Speaker 3: Your day, take up a grave as in a present.

3:56 Speaker 8: Now just look at the other way starting the future of girl. Expect the guest to be well of its way to late in the gain to Rassi.

4:04 Speaker 10: When drunks off the power.

4:06 Speaker 4: And thing, we've lost control for all that we.

4:10 Speaker 8: Know where we're already indentity and the show away, the ghosts protected unknown, jet out of your head.

4:19 Speaker 11: You can't be here alone.

4:21 Speaker 4: The less you stir, the calmer he gets. You can sit with it.

4:26 Speaker 7: Just don't ask any questions. Yeah they really don't like that. Don't look here, look over there need new distractions. Are you buying what they're selling? Are you buying what they're selling? I'm not buying what they're selling. Are you buying what they're selling. So I'm not buying what they're selling, and that.

4:56 Speaker 4: What drinks me off ice.

4:59 Speaker 6: Shi can't watch it, Milton being the.

5:01 Speaker 8: Point of wax, I think my life is sneak without is it that can't get pay for harassment?

5:09 Speaker 6: Just a gestapo using the force rid.

5:13 Speaker 8: Us of drugs dot culture were people's livelihoods yesterday, the bloods of its building.

5:18 Speaker 2: It's everywhere.

5:19 Speaker 8: If you've made a mess and went just left to clean the evidence.

5:23 Speaker 3: Fascist, you're Nazi ideology.

5:28 Speaker 7: You would think it's nineteen thirty and twenty twenty six.

5:32 Speaker 2: This or excuse turns to reason no defending it. And now exclusively on WM and H, Matt Connorton Unleash presents the world radio premiere of the new single from grim Rock. This is called Cast a Shadow.

5:49 Speaker 1: You are listening to WM and H.

5:53 Speaker 12: World premiere.

6:12 Speaker 13: A people lies in stood in mountains, were stand flood over me in that maray. I don't min They'll be bayed sometimes, but real live away today. I grow mores.

6:46 Speaker 13: I'm just taking some of me. It cast a shadow,

6:54 Speaker 13: the spectin sulling me. It cast a shadow, movie.

8:00 Speaker 14: Grown stow.

8:01 Speaker 2: It breaks in the face and the mouths and.

8:08 Speaker 13: In all the Stars stone the shadow over me. There's no rain.

8:18 Speaker 2: I'm not fine, it's just my pain. It's on kind of you O. The cracks on the phone and all fake away. Not this taste for me? They cast a sadow.

8:42 Speaker 2: It's grads in sound of Me.

8:46 Speaker 11: They cast a saddle.

8:50 Speaker 13: What this taste on.

8:54 Speaker 11: It?

8:54 Speaker 2: Cast a saddle?

8:58 Speaker 13: It spreads this.

8:59 Speaker 4: Sound me.

9:17 Speaker 2: A shadow? Well you heard it here first. That is the world radio premiere of the new single from Grim Rock that is called cast a Shadow. And by the way, for those of you watching online, uh, you can see. I've got my grim Rock shirt on that I wore for the occasion. And let's see if we have Grim on the line with us. Grim are you there? Yes, I am, How are you hey? It's good to speak with you. I love the new song. You know, we're big fans here, of course, you know. We love that sort of garage rock vibe.

9:49 Speaker 2: That's so cool. But I think that's your best one. Yeah, that's my personal favorite so far. I really like that song a lot.

9:56 Speaker 4: Well, thank you. I actually did this one in a regular studio, you know, to give it a different effect, you know than what I normally do.

10:04 Speaker 2: You know, Yeah, it's still it still captures that same sort of vibe, but I did notice just sonically, it's definitely an upgrade. Can you tell us about that because and I'm curious to to. Obviously we've talked before, You've been on the show a number of times, but for listeners who might not have been familiar with you. You know, I know from our previous conversations that your process used to be, you know, you were kind of doing it all DIY, but you did mention going to a studio this time, and like I said, it's definitely an upgrade.

10:32 Speaker 2: So yeah, tell us about that.

10:35 Speaker 4: So yeah, you know, I did all my other tracks at my home studio and the last ones I sent out the Pine Box Studios in Connecticut done for g R five. And I have a friend is named mister Bob. He runs a Rhythmhouse studios in Shylo, Pennsylvania, about an hour from my house, and I go. I used to go to his open mics, you know, when I get chances, you know, because he does them on Saturday nights and he has a studio there and it's a really nice set up and he's a really good person and he actually got a physical set of drums, micd up there and everything, and that was something I felt that I was missing in all the other tracks.

11:09 Speaker 4: While the drums sounded good, they weren't an analog set, you know what I mean. Yeah, And that was one of the drivers. You know, I wanted to go in there, do that, get to clean up the vocals, you know, things like that, and being he had that studio there and we've talked about it. I couldn't tell you how many times we talked about it. I finally committed to it. So I'll be doing the whole album there.

11:30 Speaker 2: Oh, very good. So the whole album, So you're how many? I mean, have you already started the album or obviously this I assume this track is going to be on it, right.

11:39 Speaker 4: Yeah, that's gonna be the first track. That one is first, only because it bridges the gap between g R five with like faded and abyss to bring it into a familiar realm, and then I can expand from there. But it's gonna be ten tracks in the end.

11:50 Speaker 2: Oh, very good, Very good. That's a big commitment. Ten tracks. I'm always curious to know, because you know, we live in an era where you've got so many different options in terms of how you released music. You know, a lot of artists will do an EP. Uh, some will do a series of singles. It might eventually coalesce into an EP or an album, kind of the inverse of of what it was, at least when I was growing up, where it was, you know, the album comes first and then you release the singles. But uh, what what what went into your decision to to do a ten song album.

12:20 Speaker 4: Well, I've wanted to do albums before and I come up short on them, you know, with like Grim Rock Radio it was like six tracks, yeah, like five officially and that acoustic track, and you know, I kept going and I was like, man, I really want to do a whole album, and g R five was the closest I had to do a whole album with eight tracks. And I was like, you know what, I'm just going to do it this time. I'm going all out, since Ione has a studio time and you know tech, you know, detect there to be able to make it sound you know, better than what I had, and I'm just going to go for it.

12:49 Speaker 2: Have you started? I mean obviously this track, I mean technically you've started. If this track is going to be on the album, But I mean, have you started working on the other stuff yet or are you? Are you demoing or where are you in the process?

12:58 Speaker 11: Now?

12:59 Speaker 4: I have probably twenty five starter tracks to choose from and through, and I have three of them that are pretty close to completion, okay, And I plan on going in I think the twenty third of February to record track two and possibly track three depending on where I get.

13:12 Speaker 2: Okay, Okay, any kind of an et I mean, obviously it's a big, Like I said, it's a big commitment. Any kind of an eta on when the album might be done and out.

13:22 Speaker 4: Well, I don't know exactly. I'm hoping it'd be before Halloween, yeah, okay, Okay, how it's kind of the target.

13:29 Speaker 11: You know?

13:29 Speaker 2: Yeah? Yeah? Now in doing it this way, uh and again it is an upgrade certainly sonically, But is it is? Is it hard? Kind of you know, you you do let go a little bit of control right when you're when you're used to doing so much of it with your own process, because everyone has their own process, and now you're you know, it is more collaborative when you're going to a studio and doing it this way and and and working with someone who can really. Obviously it's advantageous you're working as someone who's bringing out your best sound.

14:02 Speaker 2: But is it also hard to let go of some of that control or because some people, For some people, collaboration is very natural and and but some people kind of struggle with it a little bit. I mean, how was that for you?

14:17 Speaker 4: No, I'm fine with it, you know, And you know, the advice he gave me when I was in for the first session was valuable to me. You know, it really helped me out with some certain things, you know, things that I was just re loose with before. Yeah, now I had I had to have a structure with it. And you know, I'm thankful to have that kind of guidance from somebody that has the experience.

14:36 Speaker 11: You know.

14:37 Speaker 2: Oh, that's great. Did you know, like at that first session, did you think, Okay, this is where I'm going to do the album, this is this is what I need.

14:45 Speaker 4: Well, I planned on it before and okay, I just I committed to it starting with this track.

14:49 Speaker 2: Oh okay, gotcha, gotcha? Now what was it that?

14:52 Speaker 10: Uh?

14:54 Speaker 11: It was?

14:56 Speaker 2: Is it Bob Bob Arthur's Is that the guy?

14:59 Speaker 4: Yes, sir?

14:59 Speaker 2: Oh okay, Now what was it? That caused you to commit to working with him, because I assume, I mean you probably talked to or maybe not. I don't know, but you might have talked to some different engineers and producers or like like why did you decide to work with Bob?

15:13 Speaker 4: Actually I didn't talk to anybody else.

15:15 Speaker 12: Really.

15:15 Speaker 4: I've yeah, I've been at mister Bob's studio because I can said he doesn't open mic on Saturday night. I've been there a lot, like over the last couple of years, and he even had me as a as a a headliner for Halloween Show like two years ago or whatever. And we've we've talked a lot. Yeah, and I have a lot of a lot of respect for him, and he's he's genuinely a really really awesome person, you know, and it just it felt comfortable, felt natural, you know, since I've talked to him so much, and like I said, we were going to commit to before for g R five, but things kind of changed over a little bit through the course of it, and I figured now's the time, you know, I have a first set of tracks, first set of ideas.

15:55 Speaker 4: I want to get that polished sound.

15:58 Speaker 2: Do you plan to for the album? Do you plan to redo any of your earlier work or is it all going to be new stuff.

16:03 Speaker 4: It'll all be new stuff.

16:04 Speaker 2: Okay, very cool, very cool. And you said you've got you've got twenty five songs kind of you know, sort of in the queue in your mind that you can you can choose from.

16:13 Speaker 4: Yeah, I have I have about twenty five starters. Okay, that could be possible for this track this, you know, album, and I guess that I have two other ones ready ready, pretty close to ready to go. Yeah, I should have it finished up or you know, ready to record in February.

16:29 Speaker 2: So oh, outstanding, outstanding?

16:31 Speaker 12: Now?

16:31 Speaker 2: Is there going to be kind of a theme to the album? Is there something that's going to tie these songs together? Or are you just kind of going with with what sounds good to you, what you feel? I mean, sometimes it's a feel thing, right, you know, songs just feel right together. But sometimes there's there's a theme. What's your approach there?

16:51 Speaker 4: No, this is more going to be like a feel like g R five was. Yeah, when I put when I put together g R five, you know, the first track on the album is called Angry. I didn't do that till absolute last, and I ended up making that the first track on the album because I felt like it was a heavy I got a real quick, you know shot to the head opener, and you know, then it just kind of graduated in and then then all the songs kind of flowed and like got you know, more advanced, more you know, like a more finished feeling I think towards the end fading abyss, and I'm trying to carry that over with this track and be on.

17:26 Speaker 2: So yeah, yeah, Now what's the situation there as far as playing live? Have you been playing a lot of shows?

17:35 Speaker 11: I have?

17:36 Speaker 4: I kind of I played all the way about November first last year, Yeah, and I decided I was going to focus on trying to get this new album, and between the holidays and working whatever else, you know, kind of everything kind of got delayed. But you know, I've been working on it, and I was just I just played a show in a local place, conners Will, Pennsylvania, and I'm actually gonna play a second show there in March, and I I have things lined up including come visiting you.

18:02 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, you're gonna be up our way. It'll be great to meet you in person and get to see you live actually in person. That'll be a that'll be amazing. Now do we do? We know at this point exactly when? Oh, yeah, it's May thirtieth, May thirtieth, okay, outstanding, outstanding, You're gonna be playing at Terminus.

18:22 Speaker 4: Yeah, I hope.

18:23 Speaker 9: So.

18:23 Speaker 2: Yeah.

18:25 Speaker 4: Well, I had sent out my feelers and I've gotten I got a couple of different people saying, well, you'd be better off doing this club because it's more year genre of music, and ended up there, yeah, on referral, and I got an email saying, yeah, we're good to go, but it was from March thirtieth, and I was like, send em back, and I just sent an email back. I'm like, I really hope it's a typo. They're like May thirtieth. I haven't heard anything back yet, but I'm pretty sure they'll probably, I mean, if they email me once, I'm sure they'll back again.

18:52 Speaker 4: Yeah. Yeah, excited about that, you know, because it's a whole new environment to be in, you know.

18:58 Speaker 2: Oh, Terminus is a wonderful place. Yeah. And we love Eleanor and Andre good friends of ours, and Jenny and I have known them for a long time. I've known jeez, I think I've known them both for more than twenty years now. Oh my god, I'm looking at my calendar and March thirtieth is a Monday and May thirtieth is a Saturday. So I think you're right. I think it was a typo.

19:19 Speaker 4: Yeah, I hope.

19:20 Speaker 2: And so I'm pretty sure because they don't do shows on Monday nights there. So if March thirtieth is a Monday, yeah, I'm sure she meant May thirtieth. So but but good, good, So yeah, Jenny and I are really looking forward to that. So that's that's going to be wonderful. And then now, so where are you again? For newer listeners who aren't familiar with you, where in Pennsylvania are you?

19:40 Speaker 4: I'm right around the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area.

19:42 Speaker 2: Okay, what's the scene like there currently?

19:45 Speaker 4: The music scene, it's happening. Yeah, a lot of different places to play, especially with original music, and certain ones like the Green Beacon Gallery in Greensburg are really in tune with that. You know. Mister Fiel's a great person. He has a lot of original acts there, you know, even if they're not even established. I did my first, my very first show is grim Rock there, and boyd, I film isn't really added, but he had me back a whole bunch of times after that, so you know, I'm very thankful for him.

20:15 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, excellent. By the way, Let's see in the chat room here, Jenny is in there. Of course, hello, she's she's at home. She's not with me today because we're gonna be going We're gonna be doing something later that I'll I'll talk about later on the show. But Katie Michelle is in the chat room and says, we live grim Love. I do like the short albums, but go big or go home.

20:38 Speaker 4: Right, that's that's tattoo baby. That's my album cover model.

20:41 Speaker 2: Oh yes, oh yes, okay, yep, yep. She was in the she was in the chat room last time we talked. I think, yeah, very good. Let's see we have Paul some Maria the second.

20:53 Speaker 4: Yeah, I know him. He's he does brown Sweel Screams. He does like around the Halloween to I'm in Brownsville, Pennsylvania. He does a show that benefits the Brownswville Public Library. And I've been I've played there for and I'm going to play there this year as well.

21:07 Speaker 2: Oh, very good, very good. Yep, he says. A carnival of Screams September twelve at September twelve, twenty twenty six, at the Brownsville Free Public Library. Very good, and he also said grim is the man.

21:20 Speaker 4: Well I appreciate that. I appreciate him too, you know.

21:23 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, very nice, very nice. What So for people looking for it, what Katie is on the cover of what Again? G R five, the last album the GR five Yep, yep, yep. I have that actually on the wall in my podcast studio at home too, so people people tuning into the podcast version of the show might see the might see the album cover. But yeah, excellent, excellent. So now in the local scene there too, like around Pittsburgh, you must I know we've talked about this before, but I mean you must really stand out right because well, first of all, so your sound is not something that a lot of people are doing.

22:01 Speaker 2: Again that's sort of it's almost like a garage rock kind of vibe, but a little dark and and but it's also visually, people who have not seen you should go online and check out what you're doing, because visually you really kind of stand out right. And I assume there's no one in the scene there who's doing quite what you're doing. And what's especially interesting about it is if you you know, I don't know if you've ever heard this comparison, but I kind of almost you remind me a little bit of King Diamond when I see you in your full you know, in the makeup and everything.

22:38 Speaker 2: But but it's but you don't sound like King Diamond obviously, So I'm really curious about that. Like in the scene there, where you are in your area, you must really stand out. I assume there's no one doing anything like what you're doing.

22:52 Speaker 4: There's actually there's actually some bands around here that do makeup and stuff. Are there things like that?

22:56 Speaker 15: Yeah?

22:57 Speaker 4: There is thirteen of Call to one of them. There's a band out of around the Cleveland area that does it too. I see you now. I forgot their name again. I've actually played with them at one of the shows over in Cleveland and they're fantastic too. But like thirteen O Call to Duo, you know. And so there's a lot of solo and duo people in the area, and there is a few that do you know, mass or a makeup or something, you know what I mean. So I don't completely stand out, But I think, like you said, with what shocks people.

23:28 Speaker 4: Is they seeming they expect like you know, slip knot you know, or something like that, and they don't get that. But they don't you know. But I've never had any issues with crowd with that, you know, or anything like that, So I think it's a good surprise for them.

23:40 Speaker 2: Now, that's got to be cool too, because you know, you're you're I would imagine that when you're walking into a situation where you know, you know, what people's perception is when they see you and what they're expecting, and then getting to surprise them, you know, and then having it turn out to be a pleasant surprise because your music is so good. I mean that must be very gratifying, right, that must be that must be kind of Obviously getting on stage and performing your songs is fun, but getting to kind of surprise people like that, I mean that must make it even more fun.

24:08 Speaker 4: I would imagine, Oh, it's great, you know, and I make sure that, you know, interact with people and then you know, like after after I do my sets and whatever, I you know, I let people you know, hold my guitar and two pictures with people and stuff like that, and I think it gives them an extra value to it too, you know, because it's personal and it's more personable. It's not like your favorite big league band that it's they're unaccessible, you know what I mean. And I get a lot of gratification from that, more so than actually playing, you know what I mean, to be able to connect with people.

24:41 Speaker 2: You know, I think if I were, if I were doing that, I don't know that I would have the discipline to not be tempted to just be like like before the show, meeting people before the show, just being very like er it's just trying to be it's just trying to be as dark as possible, you know. And then you know, and then of course after the show, being you know, just what like my normal self and being friendly and everything, but just trying to be like, like as dark as possible before the show, just so they're extra surprised, you know what I mean.

25:11 Speaker 2: I don't know. I think that would be fun.

25:12 Speaker 4: But then would be walking in, just walking in somewhere you've never been before. Yeah, get all the looks and everything, and I really you know, I try to feel the feel the crowd out and I don't do much mingling at the very beginning. Yeah, you know, but I know you you know, we're the owner or whoever. Yeah, And I think I think that gives a little bit of a an element of they don't know what to expect. And then I go on, then I go out, you know and talk to people.

25:35 Speaker 2: So, right, does something change uh for you mentally when you when you put up everything on and you're all, you know, kind of in your in your character, so to speak, if that's the right way to put it, Like, do you feel different? I've often heard you know, my my all time favorite band, regular listeners know this is Kiss, And I've often heard like Geene Simmons talking about putting on the makeup and just feeling like a completely different entity almost, you know, like like do you experience anything like that?

26:02 Speaker 4: Oh? Yeah, I mean I feel like I'm a completely different person. Yeah, I mean, yeah, it's to me, it's uncovered up and you don't know who I really am, you know what I mean kind of thing you get to I get to portray something maybe larger or greater than I normally, would you know what I mean? Because if I I mean, I do some I do some like local open mics or whatever, sometimes not painted and it just doesn't have the same effect. Yeah, you know it is when I'm painted and I'm in front of people, you know what I mean.

26:28 Speaker 4: So I get to open up a little bit more and just be a little bit more in a character, you know, more than anything.

26:33 Speaker 2: So so you do occasionally do shows where, like you said, if it's an open mic, you're not you know, I can see where it would be in a situation like that, maybe you don't want to put everything on right.

26:45 Speaker 4: I mean, you go and you play like two or three songs. I mean it's not you know, I mean, I mean I probably should, but I usually don't when it comes to something like that.

26:52 Speaker 2: You know, No, that's understandable. And then so when you play live, what happens? Is it just you? Or do you ever?

27:00 Speaker 9: Uh?

27:01 Speaker 2: Do you ever have anyone play with you? Do you have a band? Or how does that work? What's what's the uh sort of the the setup there for you?

27:10 Speaker 4: I'm all solo. I don't have a band. I have backing tracks minus all guitars and all vocals. Yeah, that way you know that I'm actually playing and singing because you know, especially with the guitars, when it gets to the lead solos and stuff. Everything falls out from behind it because you know, on the recording you have the backing guitar and I was playing the leads. Kind so they can see that I'm really doing it, you know what I mean. Yeah, I don't make sure you're talking between or do something a little different so they can see that I'm actually working it, you know what I mean.

27:38 Speaker 4: Not just and I always joke around, you know, because I'm in that costume, like you know, I had the band, I put a spell on them and put them in my you know player, you know what i mean kind of thing.

27:49 Speaker 2: Yep, yepre are other musicians generally accepting of what you do in terms of that, because you know, there was a time when there was a little bit of a stigma using technlogy to sort of almost create a live band while you're playing, you know, But I feel like now, you know, I mean, especially on this show, I'll tell you, we've talked to so many people who just, you know, they want to have a big sound, but they don't want to deal with everything that goes into having a band and having to coordinate things and rehearse with other humans and everything, And it's just easier to do a solo thing, but they don't necessarily want to just do a solo acoustic singer songwriter thing either.

28:30 Speaker 2: They want to have that band vibe. So I feel like, just broadly, there's a lot less stigma attached to that than there would have been at one time. But I'm curious how how that's been for you. Does anyone ever give you a hard time about doing what you do without a band? Or are people generally accepting or not even so much audience members but other musicians, How do people react to it?

28:56 Speaker 4: I've never had any problem with that, you know, And I think it's a lot more, like you said, widely accepted because of the day and age we're in. Because had I did this twenty years ago, I would have never got a show or I got canned on this age, you know what I mean. Yeah, But I think now the way everything is and everything's more streamlined and how technology is more involved with it, you know, I think it's a lot more acceptable. And I've never had, like I said, any issues with any of the bands that I've played with, whoever, if anything, you know, I'm an easy quick tear out, you know, set up and tear down, you know what.

29:26 Speaker 4: I mean, so given somebody else more time, or I don't need as much time to do all the stuff, you know what I mean, it's just sound check, the backing tracks, sound check, the guitar, soundcheck, the microphone. I'm ready to play.

29:37 Speaker 2: Yeah, well that's a great point too. Whoever is on after you at these shows probably loves you because you don't have, like, you don't have a drummer up there with a full kit and who's gonna take, you know, twenty minutes to tear down and all of that, and you know, you're you're you're just you know, yours. It sounds like yours is pretty easy, So that must be nice for so. Actually, so a lot of musicians you play with probably really appreciate you. They probably like being on a show with you because, you know, because I I don't do it anymore, but I used to play in bands, and I just, you know, sometimes the frustration of you know, when you're waiting to go on stage with your band and the previous band is taken forever to tear down, and it's like, oh, you know, but but you obviously don't have that problem.

30:24 Speaker 2: I'm sure. I'm sure a lot of bands appreciate that.

30:27 Speaker 4: Yeah, No, I don't have a problem with that. A lot of times too. They'll they'll be able to sit their full kids up and everything, yep, while I'm putting my stuff together, and they'll have it all ready to go by the time I'm sound checked. Yeah, or at least mostly all together. So the heavier equipment they're already have wheeled up there, so they're they're a lot closer to gets you know, sound check than they would if I had people that had to tear down too. So I'm sure they do appreciate that.

30:49 Speaker 2: Oh, no doubt, no doubt. Does anything ever go wrong, you know, because again when you're using technology. Obviously technology enhances everything that we do, but with technology things can go awry. Sometimes anything ever goes wrong in a live show.

31:05 Speaker 4: I have little quirks every once in a while, you know, because of the backing tracks are on a tablet, I don't have a way to actually physically like like a footpetal or anything to start stopping. Oh okay, And plus I have to go through and like if I have a depending on the crowd how their mood is, I might skip around. So sometimes I'll hit the button and it won't shut off and it'll start the next track by accident or yeah, you know, or I'll something will happen like that. You know. I've had it to where my tablet and I didn't realize this when I first got my tablet.

31:33 Speaker 4: I had everything set up and I went into a play I think it was Brandy's Basement in Irwin, and the track played fine, but then it kept repeating the first track, and I'm like, what the heck's going on with this? And here I just all I need to do is restart the tablet. Yeah, but I ended up tearing down to give the next people, you know, a thing until I could troubleshoot it, you know what I mean. By the time I just I borroted somebody's acoustic consisted a quick acoustic set, you know, so it wouldn't be a waste of their time to waste my night, you know.

31:58 Speaker 2: Yeah, Yeah, oh that's cool. Yeah. How do sound guys react to that?

32:04 Speaker 11: Uh?

32:04 Speaker 4: I think they are all right with that because my I run through a d I box that can be active or passive, so and I have an internal pre amp in there too, so it will convert all that stuff over and I can kind of give them what kind of signal they want, just like you would for a guitar amp. And I think it's a lot easier to tailor with with the box that I got, you know.

32:28 Speaker 2: So yeah, now, before before you were doing this project grim Rock as you know, just a solo act, were you in bands or what was what was your experience leading up to leading up to the grim.

32:43 Speaker 4: Rock os and bands? A long time ago? I did some you know, I played cover bands, I played you know, original stuff.

32:52 Speaker 11: You know.

32:52 Speaker 4: I actually went to a studio in Pittsburgh called Audiomation Studio at one time to record tracks with the band from a local area. You know, I've done all kind of different things, and I just kind of gave it up. And a buddy of mine, Mark Kushak, he actually brought me out of musical retirement and I actually did a small project with him called The Model with Cage right before Grimrock, and actually the first three tracks from the first Grimrock EP with the last three tracks that we did together as the Model with Cage, So it kind of rolled over, okay.

33:24 Speaker 2: And then what was it that caused you to start the grim Rock project and to do it on your own? I mean, were you just tired of you know. And again, as someone who's been in bands, I know the struggles. Were you tired of being in a band with other people or did you just want to do something different or what was kind of the genesis of Grimrock?

33:46 Speaker 4: Well, we kind of I kind of felt like the music was good, but we couldn't get any traction at all with it. Yeah, and about I don't know, it was like fifteen months or so, we like plugged that. It plugged out and plugged at and I eventually just got frustrated with it, and I was like, look, I said, I'm gonna take a break from this for a minute. I'm gonna rebrand this whole thing, and then we're gonna see what happens, you know what I mean. Yeah, And I ended up and I ended up coming up with the grim rock thing, And believe it or not, for about eleven months, I was sending stickers out everywhere, selling T shirts, sending bandanas out, all with a promise of music.

34:19 Speaker 4: Like I didn't even have any music set up for this yet for eleven months. And a buddy of mine, Mike Susi, came over one day and he was like, He's like, you have the greatest scam going on in your life right now. He said, you're you know, you got this band, you're promising this music, and you don't even have to put it out there. People are still buying your stuff. And then I got nervous, you know, I was like, well, you know, I might put something out and they're gonna be like let down, like it's gonna stink or something.

34:41 Speaker 4: You know, but it really did. It picked up a lot better that way, you know.

34:46 Speaker 2: So do you feel like that was that was an advantage for when the music when you did start to release music that you kind of you know, because that's a long Excuse me, that's a long runway right to getting to where you're actually putting out music the way you did it by by so so early, already kind of building the image and the marketing and the you know, all all of that. I mean, that's a that's a really interesting approach, and I didn't realize it. Again, you've been on the show a number of times we've talked.

35:19 Speaker 2: I didn't realize how far in advance you started really sort of developing grim rock as a concept before you actually started releasing music. That's really interesting, but it sounds like it sounds like it worked out well for you.

35:34 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean I was I was wanting to build a brand, yeah, identity and something they can recognize. That logo that's on a T shirt. People can see that and it's different. Yeah, you know what I mean. Yeah, when they look at they look at my picture and they see the pain, it's different. Yeah, and they can they can piece it all together.

35:51 Speaker 11: You know.

35:51 Speaker 4: I feel like a lot easier that way. But yeah, it it took a long time for me to get to, you know, releasing the first track to where we're at now.

35:59 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, absolutely absolutely. Now, So what's kind of the Obviously, you know, we're gonna get to see you in May at the end of May, and we're really looking forward to that. What's kind of the the trajectory right now leading up to that for you?

36:13 Speaker 3: Are you?

36:14 Speaker 16: Uh?

36:15 Speaker 2: I mean, what's your first priority is it? Is it working on the album or are you still gonna be playing a lot of shows while you're working on the album, or what's what's kind of the short term trajectory for you.

36:26 Speaker 4: It's gonna be kind of a mixed bag. I got I got some studio time scheduled and I'm gonna I'm gonna work with that. I put in for some festivals, you know, one in April that hope, hopefully i'll hear back from that. I actually played two years ago and I'm hoping I get to play again this year. And I actually put him for a festival in Connecticut for July. And just like a lot, there's like a lot of places that I just kind of I got my feelers out, and I think there's gonna be some repeat places, you know, especially this year, especially with like mister Paul.

36:58 Speaker 4: You know, it's Carnival of Screams and Stuf is gonna be a repeat. I'm hoping to play Metal Fest in Cleveland, Ohio again this year.

37:05 Speaker 2: Good. So, Yeah, festivals are the greatest thing you can do.

37:09 Speaker 9: You know.

37:09 Speaker 2: We this comes up a lot on the show too. It's like, uh because festivals not only does it get give you a chance to get in front of an audience that wouldn't otherwise see you. Uh So you know, you get that remarkable exposure because you know, people who have no idea about you will see you and and you'll make a lot of new fans very quickly. But also it's such a fantastic networking opportunity. You're going to meet so many other artists and industry people and make all kinds of connections, and you know, every time you play a festival, so it's it's great that that you've been doing them and that you're gonna do more.

37:42 Speaker 2: I mean, that's really especially with what you do again, you know, in terms of building a brand and and the visual aspect of it. That's that's great. So I'm glad that you've done festivals and then you're gonna be doing more because I I think I think it's probably the single the single best opportunity for an independent artist is to get on as many festivals as possible. That's what I think. I mean, there's so much value in that.

38:08 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, there definitely is. I mean you get new groups of people, different areas, like I'm trying to get more East Coast, you know, exposure now what's coming out your way and to the Connecticut one and some different places, and you know, I'm hoping I get to go up and down the East Coast a little bit this year and just kind of broaden everything. And You're right, the festivals, you know, it was the connections and the bands and stuff. You know, you put on a pretty you put it on a decent show, you know, and you might be in that area again and another band like, oh you can hit them up, and like, hey, I'm gonna be in your area.

38:37 Speaker 4: You got anything right going on, you might be able to piggyback off that or right, you know, like in the case the case of Terminus, Hopefully you know, when I when I play there, everything goes doesn't go haywire with the electronics or anything, you know, or crazy, and I put a good show on. The next time I come up that way, hopefully maybe I can get on another one again, you know. So and and and I'm sure people will talk up there, you know, so it'll get around and be like, oh this Grimrock guy, you know.

39:01 Speaker 2: Yeah, so andus Terminus is a great place to play. It's such a cool venue. And uh Andre does a fantastic job with the sound. And you'll I think you'll uh, I think you'll really enjoy it there. So, like I said, we're looking forward to seeing you.

39:16 Speaker 4: Well.

39:17 Speaker 2: Uh So, grim Where where should people go online? Speaking of branding, where's the best place for people to go online to keep up with everything that grim Rock is doing and and to get your music of course.

39:26 Speaker 4: Well you can go to grimrocknroll dot com all spelled out Grim rock and A and d roll dot com, okay, and you can go to all my socials from there, I mean there's a video preview from YouTube. You can go to I have Apple Music, Spotify, I think Amazon Music is on there. You can hit links for those you can preview them on my website and then go to wherever wherever you have a subscription to see what my events. There's a shop on there you can get t shirts or whatever.

39:52 Speaker 2: Yep.

39:53 Speaker 4: And uh, you know, I got a press kid on there, so you know, if anybody is listening that has something out there, you can go check my press get out there too as well.

40:01 Speaker 2: So outstanding, outstanding, well Grim, thank you so much. I think we're gonna close the segment. You know, we did play Cast a Shadow and always thrilled to be able to do the radio premiere of it on the show whenever you release something new. I think we're gonna close out the segment with the first song of yours that we ever played on the show that I still love. Don't you such a great track. But for those of you listening live, we will play If you missed it, we will repeat in the second and third hour of the show today.

40:31 Speaker 2: We will play cast a Shadow again in the second and third hour. So if you missed it in the first hour at the top of the show, you will be able to hear it later. And of course, obviously it's available. I assume it's on all the streaming platforms too, right, not yet, not yet. Oh, so you've you've got to hear it here? Ah, I love it. Yeah, you got it.

40:50 Speaker 4: That's it.

40:51 Speaker 2: Fantastic, fantastic. Do you do you know? Do you have a release date for when it's going to be on the platforms yet?

40:56 Speaker 4: No, because I haven't even given it to the label yet.

40:58 Speaker 2: Oh wow, see this is even more exclusive than I realized.

41:02 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, no, you got it. That's it. Oh, thank you to get it to them, to get it to them now.

41:07 Speaker 2: We love it. So when I say you heard it here first, I'm not being hyperbolic. You you all are literally hearing it here first. So that's wonderful. So you know what I think I'm gonna do. I think I'm gonna play don't You to end the segment. But then I'm also gonna play cast a Shadow again right after don't You, and then of course I will repeat it in the second and third hour or two for our live listeners who might have missed it. But uh, that's that's wonderful. Thank you so much, and uh, grim Rock again, thank you, my friend.

41:32 Speaker 2: It is wonderful to speak with you. We will see you in May, and if you have another single, we you know, we might have you back on even before then, but uh, you know, time time goes fast, that's for sure. But uh, we're gonna hit, We're gonna hit don't You. But again, grim Rock, thank you so much, my friend, and we'll talk to you soon, I'm sure.

41:49 Speaker 4: Well, thank you. I really appreciate being on and and you know, being on your show, so absolutely see.

41:54 Speaker 2: You absolutely, oh same, same, all right, all right, take care of grim all right, thank you, you got it? Bye bye? All right. That is grim Rock from the great state of Pennsylvania and the Pittsburgh area. But he's gonna be up our way at the end of a and really looking forward to getting to meet him and see him live. But let's play this track. This is called Don't Sha. This is the first single of grim Rock that we ever played on the show, and then I think right after that, I'm also going to play cast a Shadow again, which is very exclusive.

42:19 Speaker 2: You can't get cast a Shadow by grim Rock anywhere at the moment, but you can hear it right here on Matt Connorton Unleashed here on WMNH ninety five point three FM. So we're gonna play both of those, but we'll start with don't You and then cast a Shadow, and there is plenty more show to come. Don't Go Anywhere?

43:10 Speaker 15: Tell me something?

43:12 Speaker 11: You know.

43:15 Speaker 13: A young man.

43:19 Speaker 11: Me no.

43:28 Speaker 13: Ways?

43:58 Speaker 11: Tell me so you know what?

44:20 Speaker 4: Not read? How going.

44:39 Speaker 11: You go? You go.

44:55 Speaker 2: To God? That is don't You. That is the first single from Grimrock that we ever played here on the show. And right now, once again, we're gonna play the brand new single. You cannot hear this anywhere else. This isn't even on the streaming platforms yet. This is absolutely a WMNH ninety five point three FM Matt Connorton Unleashed exclusive. This is cast a Shadow, the brand new single from Grimrock.

46:13 Speaker 13: A people live stood in Mountains, will stand down, flood over me in the rain. I told mine They'll be bay sometimes the realized.

46:39 Speaker 2: Ways today I grow more.

46:47 Speaker 1: Im just tell some of me.

46:51 Speaker 13: It count a shadow.

46:55 Speaker 2: It specing sun of me.

46:59 Speaker 13: They kind so.

47:16 Speaker 14: Movie h brown stone and brains in the face under mount and.

48:09 Speaker 13: Get on the star stone the shadow me. There's no rain.

48:19 Speaker 2: I'm not fine.

48:21 Speaker 9: It's just my pain.

48:23 Speaker 2: It's on.

48:24 Speaker 13: Can you ow the cracks on the phone of the fake away on the stags from name.

48:39 Speaker 2: They cast a sadow. It's pards in sound name.

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48:52 Speaker 2: So it cast a saddle. It's bred. Its shad. They just shot its sudle.

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55:42 Speaker 1: You're listening to Matt Connorton Unleashed on wm and H ninety five point three.

55:56 Speaker 2: Welcome everybody. This is Matt Connorton Unleashed and we are live from the studios of wm NH ninety five point three FM and Glorious Manchester, New Hampshire. Of course, you can stream the show from anywhere. Go to Matt connorton dot com, slash live for all your live streaming options, social media links, contact infosho, archives, et cetera, et cetera. It is Saturday, January seventeen, twenty twenty six. We are about to enter our number two New Marrow dose of Matt Connorton Unleashed. We've got in a moment.

56:24 Speaker 2: We're gonna play in fact, one of the tracks from the brand new ever Felt album called Stirring to Wake. We're gonna play this opening song called Epic One, and it is an epic way to open the album. And then we're gonna have Adam Steglitic from ever Felt joining us. I think it's gonna be his third or fourth time on the show, but he's gonna be joining us online. Can't wait to talk to him. I love the album. I listened to the whole thing. It's incredible. So wait to le we hear this track. It's a very very strong opener, so really cool.

56:50 Speaker 2: So we're gonna do that in just a moment. I do want to also acknowledge a couple of people in the chat room. EAZYG is in there, Hello, Easyg. Jay Bellow from the band Chasing the Uh is in the chat room. We love Jay, love that band. Maybe we'll play some Chasing the Devil a little later in the show. I'd love to play one of theirs. Can't play the newest one until I get a radio edit because it's there's a lot, there's a bad word in it that I can't take. I can't edit it myself without ruining the song.

57:17 Speaker 2: So if we get a radio edit from those guys, we'll play it for you, but I'll play one of their older ones. I love Chasing the Devil, And we have Kenny truon in the Facebook Live chat says good morning to Matt and Jenny. Kenny Truon. We played his brand new single at the opening of the show today and I will play it again later in the show. It's called we All Saw What Happened and it's it's so so good, very topical, shall we say if you missed it. I did play it at the open of the show today, but we'll play it again.

57:45 Speaker 2: We'll play it again later on in the show. Definitely worth another spin. Great great track. But right now we're gonna play this. It's the opening track from the brand new album from ever Felt called Stirring Awake. This is called Epic one. And then at the end of this, we're gonna talk with Adam Staglitic from the band ever Felt. Really looking forward to to talking with him and getting caught up. It's been a while, it's been at least a couple of years, I think, since Adam has been on the show with us.

58:11 Speaker 2: But check this out. This is called Epic one.

58:53 Speaker 4: Only to.

58:56 Speaker 10: Count, so lie long, not too dog calling, no dream nong the f soun all way, no more. Need to know