Interview with Cody Hess of Greymarch and Pete Devine of Pete’s Rock News and Views (http://petesrocknewsandviews.com)
PD: How would you describe yourself or your band as an artist?
CH: Hey, Cody Hess here. Greymarch is pretty much my solo project. Artistically, Greymarch tries to blend aggressive, engaging music with hazy, dreamlike cover art and the occasional goofy-face promo photo. I take the music very seriously, but I don’t take myself too seriously.
PD: Can you tell us briefly about your background – i.e. where you’re from, how you came to make music, etc
CH: I come from a very talented family, and have always wanted to carry the musical torch. My dad hand-built me my first guitar! From then I was hooked. I grew up in Utah, and often felt like an outsider for not being religious. Many of the lyrical themes I’ve developed over the years have spoken of the clique-y, holier-than-thou mentality I’ve seen throughout my life, which definitely drove me to heavier music.
PD: Who and what inspires you to make music, both in terms of musical and other influences? What do you like to write about in your songs?
CH: I’m heavily inspired by my family, notably my uncle Joe who passed when I was young. I have a tattoo on my left forearm as a tribute. Musically, I took my Dad’s love of heavy metal and grew into metalcore over the years, starting with bands like Killswitch Engage and As I Lay Dying, and recently being heavily influenced by bands like Wage War, Fit For A King, and Currents. Like I mentioned, I have several songs inspired by the judgmental nature of the religious types I grew up around, including “Eye for an Eye” and the upcoming “Glass Houses”. I suppose I just look at the injustice I see in the world and try to make something meaningful that could get people thinking about it.
PD: What are your aspirations as an artist?
CH: Greymarch is a studio project; My main hopes are to write and release meaningful music that makes people think, and of course to get that heard by as many people as I can.
PD: What is the proudest moment in your music career so far?
CH: Ah, there has been so many! Of course, performing in front of a crowd of 5,000 was huge. But more so, the individual interactions where someone shares with me how my music has affected them have meant so much.
PD: Promoting one’s music is such a challenge these days, especially with so many new artists emerging from bedrooms
in the day of the home studio. How is that going?
CH: It’s funny you say that, because emerging from a home studio is exactly what Greymarch is doing. With so many new artists these days, there is a staggering amount of music released every day, and much of it is excellent. I think that writing engaging, well-structured, meaningful songs is something that helps set Greymarch apart. Building an entirely new brand from the ground up has been challenging, of course, but I’ve gotten really positive results this early in the process, and plan to continue pushing as much as I can!
PD: And how do you book and promote your live shows and tours? Any performances coming up?
CH: Being a solo project, Greymarch has no real aspirations of playing live shows or touring. I’ve done the whole “living on the road” lifestyle, and it was a hugely formative experience, but these days I’m most interested in being home with my family. Since we’ve been married, my wife and I haven’t really spent any time apart – and that’s just how we like it. As a new father, it’s important to me to be with my son to help and watch him grow and develop.
PD: What do you think about downloading music online? What about streaming sites like Spotify?
CH: The internet age has definitely caused a complete paradigm shift in the way we consume music. I believe anyone who expects to make any reasonable amount of money selling CD’s is going to have a hard time, which is strange, because that’s exactly what I used to do: make gas money on your by hustling CD’s. It’s intriguing that vinyl has made a strong comeback – I’ve even seen some artists having success selling cassette tapes – but the tangible part of it is almost separate from the music itself. Because it’s so easy to find a song streaming online, the music aspect of it almost has too much availability; somuch supply, you have to work tirelessly to create the demand.
PD: What song do you wish you’d written and why?
CH: I would have to say “In Waves” by Trivium. Such a powerful, dynamic banger of a song – especially when you lead into it with the album intro “Capsizing the Sea”. I can’t think of a stronger “try not to headbang” song with such excellent vibe and structure
PD: Is there anything you don’t like about the music industry, which you would change if you could?
CH: One of the most discouraging things new artists (and even established artists) face is sharks and scammers. The problem is rampant, people taking advantage of starry-eyed musicians who may not know much about the business side 
of the industry and they end up losing a bunch of money. It is sad to me that the artists, the creators, seem to be the worst-paid people in the music industry.
PD: So, what are you working on at the moment?
CH: Currently, I’m working on content for the rollout of two new songs, “Glass Houses” and “Bite the Bullet”. In addition, Greymarch is always working on writing new music!
PD: Where can we learn more about you and buy your music/merch online?
CH: Greymarch can be found on all streaming platforms, social media @greymarchband, and the website www.greymarchband.com. We have merch available through the website and even some designs available on Spotify!
https://youtube.com/@greymarchband
https://facebook.com/greymarchband
https://instagram.com/greymarchband
https://twitter.com/greymarchband
https://open.spotify.com/artist/58BAZ627FPsH1lpDTWnexc?si=bXMlycSmR52tTvp59WQmWg
Greymarch links:
Band/Artist location – Fort Worth, Texas
Website – Facebook – You Tube – Bandcamp – Merch –
Twitter – Instagram – Apple – Spotify – Amazon – Deezer –
Check our page for Greymarch
