Latest / CINEMACTIVIST / S03E20 - Tony Grey's Musical Journey
Transcript
- John C. Lyons: Welcome to Cinema Activist. My name is John Lyons and I'm your host. And this week we bring you part two of my conversation with Tony Grey already in progress. when did you launch, I guess, the first official version of the Bass academy? And I know that you've redone everything. So you might as well give some props to yourself and throw out, throw out some information of where where people can go if they're interested in in learning from you. Tony Grey: Well, thank you. I I I started this probably like two thousand twelve, two thousand thirteen. There was nothing else. I think it was the first online bass school, like focused on just bass. So John C. Lyons: Yeah. Tony Grey: there was no reference at all. so my videos were filmed with just a video camera, no no mic, just a mic off the video camera, me plugged into an amp, like really bad quality talking and playing just from the mic camera. John C. Lyons: Yeah. Tony Grey: And playing along with tracks that were just coming from the speakers into the camera too. It was like terrible. But it was like seven hundred John C. Lyons: Could people join you like live back then over Skype and stuff Tony Grey: No. John C. Lyons: too? Or did you not really do it that way? You record, pre recorded. Yep. Okay. Tony Grey: It was just just pre-recorded and then email me if you have any questions. But there'd be like empty bottles of water on the floor and messy tables and I'll be wearing like a scruffy top and like like piles John C. Lyons: Sure. Tony Grey: of like strings on on the side of the desk. John C. Lyons: But it's real, it's authentic, it's like out of your basement kinda kinda stuff. Tony Grey: It was so bad, dude. It was so bad. But then when people started realizing, wow, this is a serious market, you know, the game John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: was upped and the production came into it and I was like left in the dust really. So it took me years to kind of you know, now I have like a beautiful space, you know, where I can film and and you know John C. Lyons: Yeah, your space is beautiful. Yeah, it's beautiful. Tony Grey: I c I can really got my darts. I can like really focus here and like have good equipment. make everything sound super professional, cleaned up my filming area and made it look really professional. But then also because I was filming it for the second time, I'd also kind of refined my concept and actually become a better bass player and a better musician and a bit more wise. So the second time I was like, I'm really think it's I've nailed it this time and added a lot more stuff, added a lot of books and different John C. Lyons: Learned a lot over the, you know, ten, fifteen years, I'm sure, right? Tony Grey: Yeah, 'cause it 'cause at the time I was like I just remember spending six months filming it and then going out on the road and then coming back and like shit, I need to film this, and then just filming like ten hours a day or whatever, and then John C. Lyons: Sam. Tony Grey: trying to edit and throw it together and I think I swore on one of the videos 'cause I messed up and then some Japanese kid emailed me and went, Mr. Tony, I I think you made a mistake and you're not supposed And he pointed me to this John C. Lyons: wow. Tony Grey: timeline where was like F this yeah, throwing stuff around the room and it was left in the video and this guy w wro wrote to me and said, I I'm sorry, Mr. Tony, I don't think you were supposed to leave that in. I was like, it's amazing. John C. Lyons: wow. That's that's very helpful. I did you go back and then re upload that one or yeah, yeah. Tony Grey: Y yeah, I did that immediately. so but anyway, this time around it was super professional, I was calm, I knew John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: what I was doing, the process was fun because I was kind of relearning in a way and like refining where I was at and yeah, so but yeah, it is about John C. Lyons: When did you laun Tony, when did you launch what would you would you call this like version two point Tony Grey: Yeah, probably two point five or something like that. John C. Lyons: Okay. Yeah. When when did you when did you launch the revamp? Okay. Tony Grey: Last year and we're gonna go again. Like I'm I'm putting on a new platform in the next cup month or so. We're putting on a brand new platform that kind of functions better, runs smoother, more interac like, you know, it's kinda I I do live webinars for for my students every couple of weeks or whatever. And yeah, so John C. Lyons: Wow. That's awesome. Tony Grey: I can so I can just get real time with You know, it's no extra charge, it's just I wanna like How's it going? You know, like what you're working on, like what do you need help with? What you want me to demonstrate? Is there John C. Lyons: Yeah. Tony Grey: stuff in there that you you want me to talk about? And it just becomes like a hang, like a members hang, you know? So we're gonna we're really focusing on doing more of that and you know, just John C. Lyons: Have you ever crossed paths with any of your students, like out on tour Tony Grey: Yeah. John C. Lyons: or anything? Tony Grey: Yeah, definitely. Definitely all the time actually. Which John C. Lyons: that's pretty damn awesome. Tony Grey: which is rare. It's cool, man. It it is cool to meet someone like that. Or I get a s a student I'm teaching someone on Saturday who's who bought my first record and they're like, I've been wanting to study and so it's like I I'm like I'm connecting with people who really know me and know my history and all and it's and they see me do this new stuff now on the road and you know, it's kinda Feel I'm getting a second win for it all. John C. Lyons: Yeah, it's pretty awesome. What's the age range that you would say of your students, or is it across the board? Tony Grey: Across the board, I've got like probably like eighteen, nineteen year old, up to well, I had a sixteen, seventeen year old. sometimes c colleges reach out to me and say, Hey, can you teach our students for for twelve weeks? so I've got I've had a few of those. I've got one right now. John C. Lyons: Awesome. Tony Grey: Yeah, and I've got like seventy year olds, man, like yeah, literally, John C. Lyons: Really? Wow. Tony Grey: man. Like all across the board. John C. Lyons: Is it people just like at that age that are picking Tony Grey: Male, female. John C. Lyons: it up the first time or maybe they're coming back to it or is it both? Tony Grey: Some some bit of both. Some who are they've just been sitting around in their closet and they wanna you know, they've retired and they want a hobby. John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: some guy who's like a Fortune five hundred business and he merges these Fortune five hundred businesses and he he his wife passed away and he just wanted a hobby and he always loved the bass and he loved Hiromi's music and he he just reached out and so we've been John C. Lyons: Yeah. Tony Grey: working with him and and he he he was just total beginner, you know. A girl I John C. Lyons: That's awesome. Tony Grey: I I met a girl at a Bass boot camp in Philly and literally she bought a Bass like the weekend before the boot camp. So I was teaching. she didn't even have a clue what how the old she was old in it like this, So all kinds, man. But that's I love it. I love that. John C. Lyons: I bet she's she's learned a lot, I'm sure. I bet she's learned a lot. Tony Grey: I don't know. Maybe. Hopefully. Hopefully. It's hard, you know. So some some level so it's it's difficult 'cause everyone's different, you know. It's like part of the the the journey is to like try to get inside like what is going to be helpful, you know. So John C. Lyons: Yeah, yeah. Tony Grey: sometimes I'm just like blah blah blah, too much information and the students like, Stop, please. John C. Lyons: Yeah. Tony Grey: So it's it's hard to find that like spark. Where are you at and how can I unlock that path, you know? John C. Lyons: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Well what's Tony Grey: So but I love it. John C. Lyons: the what's the web address? Tony Grey: Tony Grey Base Academy . com John C. Lyons: Got it. And it's Grey with an E. Tony Grey: With an E, yeah. John C. Lyons: So how many albums have you put out of your own at this point? And I know you just came out with a new one earlier this year? Tony Grey: Yeah, nostalgia. So moving, chasing John C. Lyons: Yeah, what are you Tony Grey: shadows, unknown angels, elevation, infinity glitch, nostalgia, six. Six albums. John C. Lyons: That's all. Yeah. Tony Grey: I've got another two pretty much finished and ready to go. So next year we're gonna focus on which one to to go with next. John C. Lyons: So are you like always pretty much working on your own stuff and you like I I mean how's your approach to albums? I wanna ask you so many questions about your albums. I'm trying to f figure a way to summarize them into one question. Do you like do you do the concept album kind of a thing? 'Cause I feel like you do in a way, even if you wouldn't call them concept albums, they have like a like Tony Grey: Hundred percent. Yeah. John C. Lyons: a vibe, like a similar vibe. Tony Grey: Yeah, definitely. I I I try to to to pick a theme. the first album I wanted to touch upon all of my influences, like the drum and bass music, the Middle Eastern music, the Southeast Asian music, Indian influence. I try to like incorporate all of my favorite styles John C. Lyons: Mm. Tony Grey: of music into kind of a package. this John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. That was your first album. Tony Grey: yeah, the second album I wanted to try to reach a wider audience. So I wanted to be more melodic and less focused on bass chop or whatever. Because I was doing a lot of that stuff with Hiromi. So I wanted to be a the opposite of that and John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: focus more on melodic nature of music and not f necessarily feature myself so heavily. But put a few couple on that r it's like I can do it, but not make that the primary focus. so that was the second one, just to try to reach a wider John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: listening base because I love pop music so I wanted to I didn't want to neglect that side of me, I don't want to be just some crazy jazz head. John C. Lyons: Yeah, yeah. Tony Grey: The third record I wanted to dip into my spirituality, like you know, like my accident breaking my back. the the path that seemed to be laid out in front of me. I wanted to dip into that. So it was more meditative music like Some are saved, some are lost, like unknown angels, you know. I was like John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: really tapping into the mysterious nature of the world, you know. and why things happen and why things don't. And you know, I don't know. Just trying to John C. Lyons: Yeah, yeah. Tony Grey: dive into that. The fourth one was a tribute to all my guitar heroes, you know, John McLaughlin, my uncle Mike Stern, Ote Tomiyasu, who's a Japanese guitarist I was playing with. He's the guy who wrote the Kill Bill music. John C. Lyons: wow. Yeah, yeah. Tony Grey: So I was touring a lot with him, so I wanted to feature him. Red Beach from Whitesnake. I was playing a lot with him, so I wanted to get him on there. It's John C. Lyons: Yeah. Tony Grey: it was all a feature of my favorite guitar players. John C. Lyons: Were they on the albums too or it was a tribute okay. Wow. Wow. That was probably pretty Tony Grey: Yeah. They were all all on there, all my favorites. Near Felder. John C. Lyons: damn cool for them too, I would imagine. Tony Grey: I don't know, it was my honor with Fabrizio Sotti, a great Italian producer I was working with. yeah, I just got them all on there, you know, like I a couple more who didn't do it, but you know, I got I got all my main guys on there, you know, all the guys that I'd I'd had personal growth with, you know. John C. Lyons: Yeah. Yeah, that's awesome. And then Infinity Glitch, I think we're up to now, right? Tony Grey: Yeah, that was kind of just a more of a up the wall kind of like kind of I wanted to go for more of a live kind of experience and I was touring with my band at the time. So we all just got together in the studio and just blasted out this record, you know? So that was more of a kind of where I'm at in that moment kind of thing. John C. Lyons: Like an on the road kind of a album kind of thing? Tony Grey: Yeah, it was like a lot of like one take, you know, like let's just go in the studio and just record and like trust the process kind of thing. So that was kind John C. Lyons: Yeah, man. Tony Grey: of did that. And then nostalgia, the last one, the Bob James one, was it just came about in such an interesting way. he reached John C. Lyons: so Tony Grey: out yeah, he reached out to me, right? The story is Bob James, right? He's legend, right? He's a legendary John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: piano player. He's the most sampled musician on the planet. Mola hip hop, Tribe Call Quest, Run DMC, NWA, I mean they all sampled his music, right? John C. Lyons: Yeah. Tony Grey: And had like number one hits with it, right? So he was kind of really known in the hip-hop world, like as this kind of go-to, gotta sample him if you wanna hit kind of guy. John C. Lyons: Uh-huh. Tony Grey: But he's also wrote the theme song for Taxi and had his own real successful jazz career, you know, he discovered with By Quincy Jones when he was younger. So he's a real legend in the game, right? But I remember my friend's dad, who I took a couple of bass lessons with, Leon Hughes, his dad on his piano was an album called Grand Piano Canyon. He had two albums on his piano. One was John McLaughlin, live at the Roll Festival hall, Who's My Uncle? And coincidence, because I was like, that's my uncle, and they were like, no, it's not. They didn't believe me, man. So they were made fun of me for that. And and the other record was Bob James, Grand Piano Canyon. And he I listened to it and it was kind of more modern fusion jazz, whereas John McLaughlin was more very heady, intense, kind of technical jazz. It's just way over my head. If you're not John C. Lyons: Hmm. Hmm. Tony Grey: for me, is I'd never listened to that music before, it's just totally over my head. But Bob James was more like electronic drums on it and some cool sounds and synths on it. I like, wow, this is cool, man. so I remember when I went to Berkeley, I went to Tower Records, because that was like Sanders Grotto, you know, Tower Records. I went there bought all Bob James records, bought all John McLaughlin's records. And that was my kind of starting point, all Miles Davis records. And that was and looking at the credits and then buying all Marcus Miller's records and that was my reference point, these guys, Bob James, John C. Lyons: Yeah. Tony Grey: John McLaughlin, Miles Davis, Marcus Miller, David Sanborn. And Bob James had a Grammy winning album with Dave Samborn. And that's when I discovered Marcus Miller, who was my favorite bass player. All this stuff, man. So years and years later, like decade l over a decade later, I met Bob James in Indonesia playing with Hiromi. You know, we were on the same festival. And I remember I saw and I was like, Bob James, I told him a story. I was You're my hero, blah blah. And John C. Lyons: Yeah. Tony Grey: he's like, great to meet you. Thank you. And then that was it. And then John C. Lyons: Yeah. Tony Grey: he he didn't remember that, but he he said he met me in Singapore at some festival. And 'cause he was really into Hiromi was fascinated by Hiromi's playing. it was kind of new, you know. So he's like, Who is that? So he came to see us play, and then years later, he saw me on YouTube and he wrote me a message on YouTube saying Hey, do you have any of those loops for me to play on? Like just random, right? John C. Lyons: wow. Wow. Tony Grey: I'd have no emails with him or anything. And then so I wrote back of course. And then we exchanged emails. He said, You know what? Why don't you just come to my house? It might be easier. So I just got in the car the next morning, drove twelve hours to his house in Traverse City and John C. Lyons: Yeah. Yeah. I think I remember you telling me about this. It was a yeah, it was like serendipity or something. Like it was amazing. Tony Grey: Yeah, so I went to we just went to his home and just started recording and writing music and j we actually were just jamming together and I was recording the jams and then creating tracks around them, you know? And like John C. Lyons: How long were you working together on that project then? Tony Grey: Well, the initially about four or five days. John C. Lyons: Uh-huh. Tony Grey: You know, we just recorded a bunch of jams and then we came back here and COVID happened and then John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: we started doing like I've got this track, do you wanna check it out? yeah, I've been writing this track, do you wanna check it out? And then we just started like sharing music together, not really planning actually on making a record. Cause John C. Lyons: Yeah. Tony Grey: he said the thing I love about this project, Tony, is we don't have any record labels putting us under pressure or telling us what to play. We're literally just sharing ideas with each other. I was John C. Lyons: Yeah. Tony Grey: trying to teach him a program, Ableton, because he was interested in all this modern technology for recording. And I was trying to like help him with that. And I was just like, man, I can't believe I'm dialoguing with Bob James, you know. And then it got to the point. John C. Lyons: Yeah, right. It's crazy. Tony Grey: It got to the point where we had like recent not that long ago, we had a ten or so tracks. And he said, Man, why don't you just release this stuff? You know, just go with it. You know, just you have my blessing, just put it out there and let's do it. So John C. Lyons: Wow. Tony Grey: I got a record deal, well, I got a distribution deal with Sony. My manager helped me out with that. Yeah, he was wouldn't John C. Lyons: Congrats. That's amazing. Tony Grey: have done it without him. And and then he called me up for some gigs and was been playing live and I've got a gig coming up in November with him. And yeah, it's just kind of unbelievable, really. We're we're we're submitting f we've submitted for a Grammy, so A few Grammys, John C. Lyons: Two. Tony Grey: three Grammys, I think, was submitted for. So we'll see what happens. Yeah, well John C. Lyons: Dude, it's incredible. It's incredible, man. Tony Grey: we'll see where it goes, you know. And he's amazing 'cause he's eighty-six, man, and he is more enthusiastic than like he reminds me when I'm waking up like, yeah and like I've gotta learn a new song. I'm like, man, this dude is like man. Who on am I bitching about, man? If it play half his good or have half the inspiration or energy or enthusiasm or wonder that he has that I think is phenomenal. So I'm learning so much from him. He's given me so much space on stage to like explore and he's like, you know, bring your toys if you've got pedals, you know, we like toys. So bring the stuff and really do what you do, man, with us. And yeah, John C. Lyons: Mm. Tony Grey: he's been amazing, man. John C. Lyons: It's like a dream, man. It's like a dream. Tony Grey: Yeah, the dream for sure. John C. Lyons: Wow. okay, so you said you've got a couple albums too that you're like noodling around with that are some somewhere in progress. Is there anything you wanna tease about what their their themes might be or who who might make appearances or influences or anything like that? Tony Grey: Yeah, for sure. One of them is a solo record of jazz standards that like it's a multi bass, so it's like me recording bass, like layering like five different bass parts on top of each other, like making arrangements of like my favorite ballad and standards and stuff. John C. Lyons: Mega Tony. Tony Grey: I really wanted to like showcase, not necessarily from an egotistical standpoint, but really wanted to go back to the roots of my study, you know, like studying jazz music and I love beautiful ballads and songs. So like the very the very thought of you and like someone in love and all that stuff. So so I really wanted to put my twist on it and like some Coltrain stuff. And so I've been working on that. I still have John C. Lyons: Killer. Tony Grey: a couple of things to do with that. But it I'm really proud of that one. And then I have this total pure electronica drum and bass record. I'll keep the It's got some very s very special guests on it, but I'm gonna keep it quiet just in c you never know, right? So so John C. Lyons: Yeah, yeah, of course. Tony Grey: when when it's ready to drop I'll I'll be all about it. But it's got s John C. Lyons: And you produce all of this all of this work yourself. You master it, mix it or Tony Grey: Yep. Well, Leo my friend Lee for the Tethered stuff, I'm mixing and mastering that. But my friend, which is actually amazing, my childhood friend, Leon Hughes, who's the guy who came to London to see me, he's the guy who mixes and masters stuff. John C. Lyons: yeah, yeah. Okay, your albums. Tony Grey: And he co co produces like he's my th my my third and fourth ear. Like even if I have like a a a idea, like, John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: hey, I just got this melody, man, I'll send it to him and I'm like, what do you think of that? he has a full time IT job, he he owns his own company and music's just a passion for him. But he's got incredible ears and I trust his brutal honesty. John C. Lyons: Okay. Shout out to Leon. Tony Grey: Man, he's amazing. he mixes all my records, masters all my records and he'll be like, Nah, it's shite. Or I'd be like he'd be like, that's pretty good, man. Yeah. John C. Lyons: But but you need that, right? We need we need that. We need a Leon. Everybody needs a Leon. Tony Grey: He's like, I would do I would I would change the drum the drum grooves a little bit s boring. I would change a lot like he'll give me this constructive stuff, So I'll go away and really try to dial in and and try to impress him really. 'Cause he's always been that kid who like yeah, he would have the always had the best records, the best this and always like, you know, very hard to please. John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: he was the reason why I quit guitar because he like, Nah, you're shit, mate. John C. Lyons: Mm. Tony Grey: 'Cause he was a piano player back in the high school days and I wanted to be in his band and they were they John C. Lyons: Okay. Okay. Tony Grey: would always make fun of me and like laugh at me behind my back and I remember one time we had to do a concert in the school, high school and man, he locked my guitar in the closet, broom closet, and said, somebody closed the door by mistake and I w I couldn't get it out to do the concert and then I found out years later he did that 'cause he didn't like John C. Lyons: Wow. Wow, Leon. Tony Grey: my playing. John C. Lyons: Jeez. That's harsh. Tony Grey: So I'm I'm attracted to that like man if John C. Lyons: Yeah. Tony Grey: I can get his hair stand up I'm on to something, mate. And you've we've actually become like super close. John C. Lyons: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, that's that's cool. So yeah, he's like your harshest critic, but he also helps you with like finishing finishing your stuff. Tony Grey: Yeah, absolutely, man. And so to work on Bob James album with him was incredible because it was his it was his dad's piano that the his record was on as I was introduced to Bob's world. So I called it nostalgia. Bob was like, you called it nostalgia 'cause we're s 'cause I'm so old. I'm like, no, I call it nostalgia because it's like that was my the first jazz record I ever saw, you know what I mean? And John C. Lyons: Beautiful. Tony Grey: and it was produced with me and my mate who who who I'm I've been on this journey with, you know. John C. Lyons: Yeah man, a real full circle of moment. Like holy crap, Tony Grey: Hundred percent. John C. Lyons: you can't get any better than that. Tony Grey: So yeah, this new record, this drum and bass one, it's all about like let me just like really lay it in there, you know, like I just really wanted to be authentic and like just do my thing on top, you know, and just see where it goes. But at the same time have this traditional jazz thing. So I'm not like too detached from it, you know. John C. Lyons: Yeah. Tony Grey: this kind of double edged experiences I have with music. And of course I want to talk about Rishab, man, Rishab Sharma, the Indian sitar player I'm playing with as well. John C. Lyons: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So talk talk about that. You've had some really awesome like venues. It's looks it looks amazing, playing out in that kind of setting. Talk about how that came about and how'd how'd you meet him? How did you cross paths? How'd that how'd that happen? Tony Grey: Well he was he he reached out to me, like I guess a couple of his colleagues or some people who we was playing with, a a flute player called Naveen Kumar, who I'd worked with, an and a and a tabla player, a Aditya Kalyanpur beautiful tabla player. I guess he was looking for a bass player in America to do some a couple of dates or whatever, you know, like not necessarily a full time member, but just somebody to to play these dates. So John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: he called me up and I was recommended by these two guys and he called me up and we just chatted on the phone and I listened to his music on Spotify and I was just like, Man, this guy is beautiful. Like I remember I just heard the tone and he was doing some like lo-fi kind of hip hopy kind of groovy stuff and then he had this whole classical style because he was a student of Ravi Shankar, like he was his youngest student before he died. Sanjay Rikhiram (Sharma) is is Rishab's dad. And he John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: made the sitars for the Beatles, you know, and Ravi Shankar John C. Lyons: She is okay. Tony Grey: and like he's like the fender of sitars in John C. Lyons: Uh-huh. Tony Grey: in India, you know, like the highest quality, the best, you know, like the guy. So i like obviously his son grew up into this world and started playing very young and It was introduced to I think RAvi Shankar had heard him play on a YouTube video and went, Who's that? He was like, that's my son. He went, John C. Lyons: Ha ha ha. Tony Grey: bring him here. So he brought him to his home and he played for him and then studied with him. But anyway, so he's he's kind of taking on a tradition of the Indian classical world but also tapping into the this generation, with the the beats and all that. So his concerts are like split into two halves. The first half is purely classical, and the second half is more kind of with tracks and yeah, dancey and John C. Lyons: Dancey. Uh-huh. Tony Grey: a little bit more hip, for the this generation. So he's blending but still using the traditions. Over two hours. John C. Lyons: How long are the shows? How l how long are the shows? Okay, yeah, yeah. Is it's basically like half and half, like you were saying? Okay. Wow, cool. Tony Grey: Half and half, yeah. And it's it's called Sitar for Mental Health. So he's a v he's advocating mental health on these gigs, so they're doing some meditation before the the show and telling his story and trying to break through the boundaries of mental health stigma in India, you know. and in England, man. Like if you go and see a therapist in England, they think you're like one level away from the nut house, you know? Or John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: in India too, like, you're going to therapy, what's wrong with you, man? John C. Lyons: Yeah, wow. Tony Grey: So he's really trying to break that stigma, you know, like trying to normalize something that we all suffer with, you know, John C. Lyons: Yeah. Tony Grey: to get guidance and help on on some of the mental issues that we have, and not be ashamed of it, So it John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: so that's a really beautiful cause. And Like I said, I was just listening to him play. Because at first the tabla player reached out to me, a Ditya, and said, Hey man, would you be interested in playing with Rasheeb? I was like, Let me hear and play. Of course, I listened also. I was Yes, man. And I was praying, I John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Wow. Tony Grey: was like, Please, please, this guy call me. And then and then and then I get the call, which I didn't think was gonna happen. He called me and went, Hey man, I'd love you to join us for a tour. Would you be interested? And I was like, Yes. So I joined him for a tour last year. And then recently we just I did something in New Jersey with him a couple of weeks ago. And then we just did a a really huge concert in the Royal Albert Hall, like a sold-out concert there. And John C. Lyons: Amazing. Tony Grey: and yeah, and then now we're getting ready to go to do another US tour in November where we're playing Carnegie Hall, which he's already sold out, John C. Lyons: to Tony Grey: Toronto, LA. He's sold out all these Capital One in Washington D C. Like huge huge venues, man. John C. Lyons: That must be fun doing that changeover halfway through. Like are you really you really enjoying it, the the change in tempo and style and stuff? Tony Grey: Yeah, I love it. Cause I'm learning because I'm a novice at the Indian classical. Obviously I've grown up with my uncle's music and like I'm always interacting with Indian classical musicians and but just doing my thing really and going, Hey, can you do your thing on my thing? But now when I'm playing this classical music with him, because he invited me to be a part of the first half of the show as well, where John C. Lyons: Okay. Tony Grey: it's no tracks, it's just classical music. So I'm trying to learn and listen like the way they improvise over particular ragas or you know, like be the the the restrictions that you have when you improvise and this note can't follow that note or you know, you don't go that way, you have to go this way and you know, so I'm kind of a beginner, very much a beginner, and in front of thousands of people, man, l getting my butt handed to me, man. And They're trying to be so delicate and not step on on on it and just try to nurture it and use my intuition and my ears and trust in the process and he's very gracious like that, you know. He obviously has faith in what I'm doing. So if somebody shows me that level of like you with the music score, like if somebody shows me that level of trust, I make it my personal mission to super exceed the expectation, you know, 'cause I don't want to let anyone down and I John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah. Tony Grey: I I appreciate the the trust because you know it's a honor to to be a part of projects that will last forever, you know. John C. Lyons: Yeah, man. Tony Grey: so yeah, I'm I really take it seriously. So all I do now is listen I write my own music when I get a it always this always trumps when I get an idea, just run whatever I'm doing, I just run to the keyboard and get it down before I forget it or grab my phone and sing it. And John C. Lyons: Okay. So you essentially have like an ideas folder or something like that where you put like nuggets of things and Tony Grey: No, like if I get an idea I I'll I'll if I if I'm driving for example and I get an idea I'll just grab my phone and sing the melody into it and then I'll put John C. Lyons: Okay. Yeah. Tony Grey: the phone down. But as soon as I get home, I'll write that song till it's finished. John C. Lyons: Okay. wow. Okay. All right. No loose Tony Grey: And then usually takes like John C. Lyons: ends. Tony Grey: Nah. 'cause I'll forget, you know? John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: Or it'll not be inspiring to me anymore. there'll John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: be something else in my ear. So yeah, I'll I'll usually spend the next one or two days like obsessing over whatever I was hearing in my head. And then which got quicker kind of getting that to a f finished line finish line and which your project helped with that 'cause I'm under the gun a bit. But it helped me kind of get these ideas and see them through. John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: I didn't have the luxury of like, I'll do it tomorrow. I like, Man, I'll forget it tomorrow. I gotta do it. Or we'll be up all night doing that stuff. John C. Lyons: That's the obsession thing. You gotta you gotta see it through. Tony Grey: gotta see it through and I've learned that, you know, a bad idea will turn into a good idea if you just stick with it. Because John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: we all have I'm sure you're the same with writing or directing or or f you know, coming up with screenplays or whatever. It's like a bad idea will turn into a good idea if you don't let it go. Because that original seed that sparked the idea just needs nurtured a little bit. So John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: you have a certain taste and aesthetic with what you're trying to deliver, but you're not going to deliver crap. You know, you're gonna find it to its place where it should be eventually. And John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: it's not always easy. But in my experience that if you just stick with it, you'll break John C. Lyons: Yeah. Tony Grey: through. It might take a sharp left and go down a completely different path, but if you stick with it, it will turn into exactly what you're looking for. John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Yeah, sometimes Tony Grey: That's my my experience. John C. Lyons: yeah, sometimes it's it's two different approaches. It's like sometimes you have to and I'm specif specifically talking about when you're collaborating with others. It feels like sometimes you have to brute force some of it and sometimes you have to be open to the process and the partnership and that trust that you're talking about to like find the right path to completion. Tony Grey: Yeah. Well it's that it's that trust that opens the magical door, you know? Like it's like sometimes like I'll doubt myself and I'll be like, Hey, what do you think of this? And you'd be like, actually, can you get rid of this and tr I don't question I do sometimes if I'm like disagreeing, I'm like, I actually like that. But like found that like if I just tr like if you've trusted me and it's your vision and you I trust you, then I'm I've become more open to like Yeah, man, I'm just gonna go with that and not be egotistical or be like a diva about it, you know, just like I'm just trusting the journey of it, you know, and and John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: the more you embrace collaboration, you know, then John C. Lyons: Yeah. Tony Grey: the more beauty you bring into it, you know. Because at the end of the day it's it's it is what it is. John C. Lyons: Yeah, I mean Yeah, for sure. I'm trying I'm thinking back like on our collaborative journey together and I th I think that I mean, at least I've tried to be better a better partner, than probably I was to start with. Tony Grey: All's great. In my experience. John C. Lyons: What's that? Tony Grey: Great in my experience, I don't think we butted heads too much. Maybe once in a while. John C. Lyons: thanks for saying that. Yeah, I mean it it's but these projects they like at like the tethered projects is what we're kind of talking about now, which is immersive theater, that Tony's done all the music for. Like they're they're big asks, right? they're they're very weird asks. the first year, you know, the the task for you was to come up with a fifty minute piece of music. And also incorporate someone else's, what was it, six, six or seven minutes, the ending track? Tony Grey: Yeah. Mm-hmm. John C. Lyons: Yeah. So you you had a challenge of not just, hey Tony, we need you to create like this gargantuan piece of music that's going to be the entire backbone of the entire show because all of the dancers and performers are are timed to, the music and clocks that are across the space. what made why did you say why did you say yes to the first project? Was it just so weird that you're and challenging that you were like, yeah, okay, I'll I'll try it. Like did I have to beg you? I can't remember. Tony Grey: No, no, I I I I I said yes for a couple of reasons. I said yes because the challenge, first of all. The second of all I was like well there's three reasons. The second reason I liked the story, I liked the concept. I was like, all right, there's something with depth here. John C. Lyons: Yeah, it was about codependency. The first year was dependency in all its all its forms. Tony Grey: Yeah, like abuse, addiction, all these things. John C. Lyons: Yeah. Tony Grey: And I could I was like, man, I can tap into that a little bit. So I so and then the third reason was I need to be good at this. I need to be able to write under pressure and I need to be like quick. You know, I need to be to I need to be able to deliver against stuff. And I also had never really tapped into like orchestration before, like writing for strings. So I was like, man, it's an opportunity for me to learn how to do that. So John C. Lyons: Yeah. Tony Grey: I was just like, man, let's just do it. And John C. Lyons: That makes sense. Tony Grey: I and I I like because it was my first time doing that kind of music. And you know, like the first five minutes and then ten minutes, and then like towards the end of the track, I was like doing like classical, I almost felt like there was classical music going on. And John C. Lyons: Yeah. Tony Grey: I was like, I I could feel my growth. through writing and arranging and orchestrating was getting better as I was going. So I was John C. Lyons: Yeah. Tony Grey: like, man, I'm actually improving from doing this. So I loved that. John C. Lyons: Yeah. Is is there a part of 'cause I'll drop in like a little part of that that first year tune and the second and the third. is there like a a certain part that you really like or it's really memorable for you? I remember when I interviewed you in your studio, it was it was kinda talking about the the man and the woman relationship, I think. Tony Grey: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, that was I I like to do because yeah, I also started thinking about characters in the music, you know, like not just an instrument being in a like, okay, the cello, that's cool. I was actually thinking of like personalities. Okay, the cello's John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: gonna be like this, the violin's gonna be this, character, and start to feel them intertwine and and move around with each other as opposed to just like layering notes on top of notes till they sounded good, but really trying to think of like where they're going, you know what I mean? John C. Lyons: Mm hmm. Tony Grey: the second one was amazing because it was like John C. Lyons: You got to do a pop tune, a nineties pop. Tony Grey: Well, kinda made me nervous. John C. Lyons: Yeah. Tony Grey: Yeah, because then it was like all of a sudden I wasn't le I wasn't left to my own devices. I was kind of like, this is real specific. John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: So this hang on let me here we are. like twenty eight minutes to like thirty John C. Lyons: Okay. Tony Grey: minutes, like there was like a whole orchestration or orchestral movement that I I kinda had going on John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: that was really new ground. So it was as I was writing it, I was really excited 'cause I was kinda in over my head, but there were so many strings moving that I was like, whoa, how am I gonna get out of this? It was like a puzzle that kind of unfolded in front of me. John C. Lyons: You're like in a maze, a maze of sound. Tony Grey: Yeah. John C. Lyons: How do you find your way out? Well you found your way out, sir. And that one was that if I recall, that one was pr pretty rushed, pretty tight timeline because Tony Grey: It was real tight. John C. Lyons: yeah, because we had to like choreograph you know all all of the all of the dance movement to your track. we were all Yeah. Tony Grey: Yeah, you y you were like, I've got a rehearsal in two days, I need this track and I'm like, man, I don't even know what what I'm doing, man And I was having like software issues where my I had too many strings, too many tr I had too many tracks. John C. Lyons: I remember, yeah. It was crashing or something, or you couldn't export or something. Oof. Tony Grey: couldn't record. I couldn't like punch in the notes. I'd have to record everything real time. So I was like recording live on my keyboard. I'm like, this is a nightmare. And I could and then I couldn't fix what I'd recorded. So I just kept having to record it till it was perfect in my ears. And then like just hope for the best that it wouldn't crash. And it was like after like bounce it a few times, it would crash and I'll be like, man. And it would upload and then this and then you'd be like Actually can can you fix that one like I can affect John C. Lyons: I'm so sorry. Tony Grey: So no, but then I learned as well on the software limitations as well. I like, man, I gotta John C. Lyons: Yeah. Tony Grey: like I've gotta record this in chunks, not just fifty minutes of music with like eighty tracks, man. John C. Lyons: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, that first one was a learning experience for all of us. Do you remember when you came to see that show and and how it felt to see your music in that kind of environment for the first time? Tony Grey: Yeah, it was really surreal. I was really proud. you know, watching the dancers move to it and and the actors' dialogue with the vibe of the music. And yeah, it was really satisfying. 'Cause like very I felt very proud. John C. Lyons: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Me too. It was it was everything. It was amazing. It was a great theme. Tony Grey: And you did such a fantastic job because your end of it John C. Lyons: It was cr it was crazy. Yeah, we just did two performances and people came out for it and it was incredible. And then we did it a second year, Tony. Then we did last year's show, which the theme was memory and consciousness and like all in the head of a character with Alzheimer's and speaking of nostalgia, that was a I remember that was a big you know a big theme that was running through your tunes there. How did you approach it then the second year, which again was a fifty was that a 50-minute piece of music or was that a full hour piece of music? I'm trying to remember. Tony Grey: Or one hour. John C. Lyons: Yeah, damn. Tony Grey: Not last ten minutes, man. Oof. Fell that I felt that extra John C. Lyons: Yeah, 'cause I kept telling you like it's gotta be like a big, huge finale epic. Tony Grey: Yeah, I thought I thought I wrote my epic bit and you're like, that sounds cool before the epic bit. And I was like, Man, that was my epic bit, man. Your feedback, I was like, here's the epic bit. I was thinking you would be like, Yes, awesome. But then you were like, No, that's sounds like the build up to the epic bit. I was like, man, what am I gonna do here? So but I felt more comfortable because I I know and I felt like I did it before. John C. Lyons: Yeah. Tony Grey: I was like, I can do this again. And because like we were now entering like the looping world with the glitches and the repetitive John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: themes, I was like, all right, that's kind of more my bag with the the way I play and loop and and do my own music. So I was I felt more s sonic, you know, I felt more liberation and you know, I really enjoyed it, man. John C. Lyons: And after doing like Infinity Glitch, I feel like too it was it was well timed after after that album. You probably incorporate a lot Tony Grey: Yes. Yeah, exactly. 'Cause that was John C. Lyons: of tips and tricks and stuff that you learned in the process of making that album too. Tony Grey: I did for sure. John C. Lyons: Is there a section of the twenty twenty five tethered that you feel especially fond of? And then maybe share seeing that show as well in the Maennerchor Club, which was a giant venue. Tony Grey: Yeah, let me pull it up. I'll d I'll I'll just skim through it real quick. yeah. Probably around like the twenty-seven minute mark. John C. Lyons: Okay. About the same spot? Tony Grey: You know, d yeah, it was like when the dancers yeah, I g I I guess I reached my peak around thirty minutes. John C. Lyons: Ha ha ha. Tony Grey: yeah, it was to the dancers, shadow dancers, you know. I thought that was a very nice moment. John C. Lyons: yeah. Yeah. Tony Grey: yeah, I was really John C. Lyons: Yeah, that was Tony Grey: s watching them guys perform to that was like really moving for me, you know. John C. Lyons: Yeah, same. Same. I g I think I got emotional every time I saw those two together. Tony Grey: And y and I'll tell you what, man, Goldie, the DJ, the in English DJ, the guy who did like James Bond and the what movie did did a really famous snatch. John C. Lyons: yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. Yeah. Tony Grey: Goldie, right? He he wrote he wrote to me after that. He heard a clip of that and wrote to me, man. Yeah. John C. Lyons: What? You never told me that. What do you really? He heard it like Tony Grey: Yeah, you just e you wrote to me and said, Give me a number? John C. Lyons: Holy cow, that's amazing. Tony Grey: Yeah, he could he commented on it like he light he love hearted one of the clips and then and then wrote to and then I looked at my inbox and he was like w he wrote to me. I was like, Jesus. He's my hero, John C. Lyons: Well, Tony Grey: man. John C. Lyons: that's pretty damn cool. It's amazing that people like yeah. It's amazing the people that have reached reach out to you. Yeah. Tony Grey: Goalie man. He's like a leg he invented drum and bass pretty much man. John C. Lyons: Yeah, yeah. so this year's tethered is called the lever, not just tethered, because that was gonna get pretty confusing, pretty fast calling it tethered every year. with completely different concepts and storylines. So Tony, then I approached you a third time, crossing my fingers that you wouldn't say, no man, I've I've had enough. I've had enough tether. Tony Grey: I'm I'm all in. John C. Lyons: and then this time the storyline is like corruption, power, collective power. yeah, and giving the audience like agency. So this had to feel a different way. And this time your challenge was to write a ten minute piece of music, but to do three versions of it that kind of progressed. How how did you approach that and you know what what did you enjoy about the the process this time around? Tony Grey: Well, it was really quite more challenging in a way because you know, three versions ended up yeah, i it it was like what do you do? Like how do you like remix? How do you like so you there were there were specific emotions attached to each version, you know, like w the first one was more like let's go get him kind of vibe John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: or with a little bit of trepidation and then and then the and then the second one was more like this is not going well stuff, you know. Yeah. John C. Lyons: Yeah. Things are getting tense. The intensity's ramping up stressed. Tony Grey: And then the third one was more ambiguous, it could go either way, depends on your frame of mind, your John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: your your inner feeling would dictate the music would enhance whatever you were feeling good or bad. So it was kind of that middle road, which is, you know, it's doable it's very doable in music you know, create the cam a blank canvas and the your emotions fill it in, you know? So John C. Lyons: Yeah. Tony Grey: but It was tricky because well, my idea was to create a theme, like an intro and an outro that pretty much stayed the same with some John C. Lyons: Yeah. Tony Grey: variations, you'd mentioned change the instrumentation or introduce some of the instruments that are gonna be playing in the main part, in the intro and etc. You know, some good very good advice. So I wondered that like, you know, when you turn on the news and you have the theme song of the news. John C. Lyons: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. And I love your theme. Tony Grey: So you know you're in the lever, you know you're in the you're in that show. John C. Lyons: I love I love the vibe of it. It feels like I don't know, something about feels like successful, like I don't know. How would you just Tony Grey: Yeah, the apprentice. I was kinda I I was kinda channeling not the apprentice music, but that kind of like you know like a group of entrepreneurs like John C. Lyons: Yeah, yeah. It it feels right. Yes. Yeah. Business, success, wealth, great power. Yeah, it does it Tony Grey: That's what I was going for, man. John C. Lyons: it totally it totally has that vibe. For sure. I love it. I love it. Tony Grey: also kind of old money, you know, not like modern like like I wanted John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: to be like old like a little bit, you know, and when I John C. Lyons: Yeah. Tony Grey: saw the when I saw the trailer I was like, Yeah, that's it, man. You know. John C. Lyons: I just posted something today, if you haven't had a chance, check check it out. It's got some of the performance footage and I used Tony Grey: I'll check it, yeah. John C. Lyons: I used a bit from I think the second version. so how did you decide on the instrumentation to kind of feature this in this year's tracks? Tony Grey: Kind of a little bit of both, you know, I was dipping into the orchestrational stuff. I was dipping into like the first one there was no like rhythm tracks, so just trying to just create that vibe and make it interesting. Because ten minutes is a long time, you know. It's like it's W But when you're John C. Lyons: Yeah, it's a weird it's a weird ask. They're all weird asks, right? Tony Grey: flowing with vibes for the first two tethered, you know, like you're just floating, you can just change the vibe. It's almost like thinking like a DJ almost. John C. Lyons: Mm. Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: Okay, let's go dark for a bit. Okay, let's go light. Okay, let's go beautiful. Let's go nostalgic. Like so I'm just waving and flowing and it's like a like I said, like a radio station almost. But this one it felt like it had to be more of a a song. So I felt like wow, a ten minute song, that's tough. So I just broke it down into like a couple of minute intro, a couple of minute outro, and then in the middle That's the part that changed every time. Like I kind of rewrote the middle part every time to John C. Lyons: Mm. Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: fit to fit but I kept the same time. I I I actually had the same track written out and then I would just delete the middle part completely and John C. Lyons: wow. Tony Grey: then kind of do a variation of the first part and the a like the outro and then just put fresh stuff in the middle to try to tap into that particular theme. but also keeping the same tempo and timeline. John C. Lyons: Mm-hmm. Tony Grey: So that was quite challenging to to try to kind of fit it into this little square box, keeping the intro and outro exactly in the same place. it's John C. Lyons: Yeah. I bet. Tony Grey: quite quite tricky, but once I got into it, man, once I'd finished the the third one, I have to say, the third part, I was like, I'm not gonna deliver this. I've run out of yeah, I was like I've run out of juice. So so I just came John C. Lyons: really? wow. Huh. Well you were touring and stuff too. You like had a lot going on at the same time. It was Tony Grey: Yeah I was touring and I was like man I don't have time. I don't have any ideas. Crap, it's a third version. What the hell am I gonna do? So I just actually came down and just started writing a beat and then and I was like John C. Lyons: Yeah, some beats. I think that was like my only note on the third one, right? Is can you do some percussive elements? Tony Grey: Yeah, some drums vibe. But that but actually that's my favourite one. Actually became my favourite one. And I remember I pl John C. Lyons: Yeah, I like it too. Tony Grey: I played it for somebody when I was on tour. I like, Hey, what John C. Lyons: Mm. Tony Grey: do you think of this man? 'Cause I hadn't sent you it yet. And I was like, I don't know if I like it or not. I'm like or I I I liked it actually. I loved it. But I didn't think you would I thought you would hate it. I was like but I was worried that I was like, Man, I don't have time to amend it. I would have I would have come through. John C. Lyons: Of course, of course. I think I only had one note if I remember. and we don't need to say what yeah Tony Grey: Yeah, get rid of the chimes. John C. Lyons: okay, yeah, that was the one note. No chimes. Tony Grey: I was like, Woo, then so yeah, I sent I I did it and I loved it. And then I and then I was with my friend was listening to it. we were just waiting on the side of the stage for a sound check. And I was like, Hey, do you mind listening to this for a minute? I just put on like the from the intro to where the beat comes in and he was listening to it, he's Yeah, it sounds good. I was like, just wait a second, man, just wait till it comes in. And he came in he went he looked at me, Wow, I wasn't expecting that. and it reminded me, man, of my what my uncle told me at the beginning of my music journey. He said the element of surprise in music is everything. He said, That's John C. Lyons: yeah. Tony Grey: that's the goal in music is to create the element of surprise. I was like, Go for it. So I sent it to you and you're like, love it. I was like, perfect. John C. Lyons: Yeah. Tony Grey: Apart from the chimes. John C. Lyons: Yeah, man. well Tony, I I I could you know, I want to keep you here forever. This has been really awesome. thank you for for the time and thank you for like thanks for saying yes and being a great partner and Tony Grey: Course. Thank you for asking me, man. John C. Lyons: it's just you elevate the work and I really appreciate you. Saying yes, man. Yeah. Tony Grey: Start with the love and the trust. And I'm gonna release these track. I'm gonna release I'm gonna release them. We we should talk about that and maybe we could do some like video for John C. Lyons: Yeah, yeah. However we can promote it would be amazing. Tony Grey: I'm gonna I'm gonna like put them out there with a Sony man. I'm gonna get them mixed properly for sure, John C. Lyons: Okay, shit, that would be great. Cool. Tony Grey: man. John C. Lyons: Cool, cool. Well, Tony Grey, yeah, everybody go to Tony Grey Bass Academy dot com. Yeah. Tony Grey: TOny Grey Bass Academy dot com. John C. Lyons: dot com And the new album is nostalgia. And when when are you expecting Tony Grey: You and Bob James. John C. Lyons: the next one? Tony Grey: Probably within the first few months of next year. John C. Lyons: Okay. Great. Well, thank you so much, Tony. Thanks everybody for listening. We'll be back soon.