 |
| |
|
I lost my voice and it had nothing to do with the road. I got pneumonia, and I still went out and sang and almost did irreparable damage to myself. It's at that point you wake up from it and find your voice. Then, when you get well, you can expand upon it. When I really got torn down is when I really found out who I was and what I was made of. -JJ Grey |
|
|
| |
|
After a few years of consistent touring and a gradual development of recognition amongst the jam band scene, 2007's Country Ghetto saw a wider appeal than Grey's previous works, and brought with it more mainstream recognition, in addition to more prominence on festival bills.
"I honestly believe [Country Ghetto got wider recognition] because Alligator Records was working it. Nobody had ever worked the other records, and not that it's a fair statement between the records. I feel they're all great. I'm happy with all of them, but Alligator pushed it and worked it and they deserve the credit for the next step," says Grey. "Sure, we go out and play shows, and that's a big part of it. Just keep playing and you'll get somewhere. And thankfully there's bands who helped us make that happen, from Galactic, to North Mississippi Allstars, and even big bands like Widespread Panic, who paved the way by showing that with determination and touring you can do it. It's a little bit of all that, but Alligator was a huge piece of that puzzle."
 JJ Grey |
Grey went to great length to discuss how his roots affected his work ethic which is embodied in everything he does.
"I definitely care most about the quality of a record," says Grey. "There's a million ways to make a livin', and I could make a livin' doing anything else. I don't have to do this for money. Not 'cus I'm rich, but there's a million ways I could support myself."
Throughout his years on the road, Grey has come across quite a few bumps that would be enough to halt anyone in their tracks.
"One [challenge] is learning how to sing so I can sing every night with full intensity. I remember when I was young, I would blow my voice out from over-singin', and I was always like, 'I can't do it tonight.' And I'd hear, 'Just don't sing too hard.' But I didn't think there was any such thing," recalls Grey. "Then I learned how to sing hard without killing myself. I kill myself a little bit, but the main thing is if you enjoy it you can do anything to yourself and be okay. That's one thing that was tough, but like I said, when I lost my voice and then found it, I felt great."
"As strange as it sounds, at the end of the day I hope people get an honest take at the show," continues Grey. "This guy who produced our records [Dan Prothero of Fog City Records] called it front porch soul a long time ago, and I always liked that. It's cool enough for me. It's kind of a box, but it's a box I'll hang around in until something else happens. At this point, I'm at least half honest and people will get an honest take at a show. I'm not going to pretend."
Regarding the future, Grey has very modest ambitions that stem from his upbringing and do not cater towards the iconic reaches of many of today's leading artists. In fact, Grey doesn't even care whether his music carries on after he's gone.
"I don't give a shit if I'm ever remembered. Here again, perception is such a crazy thing - how I'm perceived or how I'm remembered. I don't mind if I'm not remembered, to be honest. The universe is way too big and it's doing fine. It will do just fine without me being here. While I'm here, I'll do what I do and try to live up to what I think I should live up to, the code I was brought up around, around the grown men I was brought up around. Other than that, whatever happens happens."
JJ Grey & MOFRO are on tour now, dates available here.
"Orange Blossoms" Video JJ Grey and MOFRO
JJ Grey - "On Palestine" live at Criminal Records
JamBase | Florida
Go See Live Music!
|
