The band, consisting of Ash Condon on vocals and guitar, Tony Finch on Bass and Matt Solomon on drums, formed in 2020, during the height of the covid pandemic. Now, with four singles behind them and an ever-growing reputation as a new force in the alternative music scene, they’re finally ready to take the country by storm.
With a spiky guitar opening and a snappy delivery of the lyrics, it’s a frantic start to the 2-minute punk-fuelled track.
It’s also of stark difference to their previous single, the fantastically moody ‘Settle Down or Knuckle Up’. Feelings of teenage angst and the intrinsic violence of society are all over ‘Live and Learn’, as Condon snarls “People saying that we did alright / But all we did was stay and fight” we get the impression of a band who feel completely at odds with the world they find themselves living in.
It’s an exciting and lightning-quick burst of a song, that leaves you feeling exhausted by it’s raucous approach and menacing lyrics, yet it also feels fresh by way of its simplicity. It’s a track that gets better with each listen, almost as if you find hidden depths in the sound and themes, and that makes it one of the most exciting new releases of the year.
After their recent single, we decided to catch up with frontman and lead singer Ash Condon to discuss music, life, and the band's plans for the future.
So, can you tell us how Greebo came to be?
I’ve been in bands for years, just couldn’t really get anything going. When that all fell through I went on the search for musicians to start a new band. I found Matt and we went through a few singers, but again, couldn’t really get anything going. Eventually we were left with no singer and no bassist so I thought meh I’ll give it a go - might save some trouble. So, I started writing the Greebo songs that you are hearing now, whilst at the time looking for members. We went through a few line ups, having 2 guitarists at one point, but we ended up with Tony who is sick!
Did forming in the midst of a global pandemic shape you as a band, or at least influence your music?
I wouldn’t say it influenced the music. None of the topics I talk about really involve the pandemic, I think everyone is bored of hearing it, so my mind never really went there when writing. I do think the pandemic gave us a good opportunity though, it gave us the time to not worry about gigs and just write and rehearse.
Has growing up in Colchester, which has a reputation for being a relatively quiet town, impacted your lyrics?
I wouldn’t say directly, a lot of my experiences have been outside of Colchester, with the town just serving as the home of Greebo. I am massively influenced by Blur however, who themselves are from Colchester, so maybe in that respect it’s influenced my lyrics. But I haven’t directly linked Colchester to my lyrics.
Your latest sing ‘Live and Learn’ seems to come from a place of anger and frustration, what inspired it?
Just coming of age and the mistakes that occur from that process, put through the perspective of a failed relationship that has failed because the girl/boy (whoever you want it to be) has cheated. It’s something I think so many people can probably relate to, with the mistake being how at the time it really bothered you but now years later you realise it’s just a lesson learnt on the journey to adulthood.
Now the world seems to be opening up again, do you have any plans to get out on the road?
Greebo are gigging! We did our first one at the beginning of July, got another at the beginning of August, then some festival dates through the summer. Greebo always plan to gig!
With that in mind, what would a classic Greebo gig look and sound like?
A classic Greebo gig …. for some reason I’m not sure why we always wear these hats, so a loud fun 'hatfest' is what comes to mind. Also, good vibes of course!
What music do you have in works that your fans can be excited about?
Well, we are working towards an Ep. We’ve just recorded the first single a few weeks back. We have the songs to go onto the EP, just trying to sort out exactly how we want to release it. There’s always new music to be excited about so I have no plans of stopping now!
James Ogden
Image – Provided by Greebo
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