By Jim Barber
Each artist has sides of their artistic personalities – streams of creativeness that movement in from totally different instructions, feeding the wellspring of their creative soul. Typically they continue to be unexplored for causes of time, temperament or timidness. Some turn out to be transient diversions that one merely faucets into them every now and then to boost that which is their essential creative outlet.
However then there are a uncommon few who want to discover, to push the boundaries of their creative horizons, problem themselves as creators. With these whose craft is music, these songsmiths are not often influenced by a solitary model or style of music, though their output might have a tendency to remain centered in a single space. Others, at a sure level of their careers, wish to head into these different creative avenues, boldly permitting their hearts, minds and spirits to pursue these rabbit holes of uniqueness and selection to see what transpires. When this occurs, they usually lock in, these explorations turn out to be an absorbingly daring new enterprise for them.
For a lot of her three many years as a solo artist, Emm Gryner has tended to launch music that’s typically categorized inside the broad pop/singer/songwriter territory. And he or she has carried out so to superlative important acclaim, producing a demographically and geographically broad base of followers and admirers for albums resembling Science Honest (1999), Asianblue (2002), Goddess (2009), Northern Gospel (2011) and 2014’s Torrential.
However over the past decade, whether or not from artistic restlessness, a want to broaden her musical horizons, to faucet into new audiences or a mix of the three, Gryner has turn out to be extra exuberant in her musical wandering, following the muse the place it chooses to take her. She has delved into conventional Celtic music (Aonaran, 2016), a prog-rock idea album (Solely of Earth: Days of Video games in 2017), traditional jazz (2020’s Only for You) and yacht rock with Enterprise & Pleasure in 2023. She additionally collaborated with fellow songwriters/musicians Dayna Manning and Lindsay Schindler on the Canadiana-inspired Trent Severn undertaking, labored alongside the sensible axe-slinger Sean Kelly (Lee Aaron, Crash Kelly, Helix) on the onerous rock band Trapper, and delved into extra literary works (September 2021’s e book The Therapeutic Energy of Singing) and appearing as a life coach and music enterprise mentor.
Now, she’s gone full steel along with her new band, Ovary Act, which is releasing its first single. ‘Rise Up To Fall,’ on her personal Useless Daisy Information on Saturday, June 14 on all streaming platforms. It’s extra than simply an train in experimentation, as Gryner’s method to this band (it’s neither a ‘undertaking’ nor a ‘collective’ though she confides that it’ll characteristic a rotating solid of characters as she builds up a repertoire of unique music) is totally different than how she’s approached any facet of her profession as it’s being led by her coronary heart extra so than her head. It’s passionate, however greater than a ardour undertaking. The music of Ovary Act is just not a lot about making a strong and provocative assertion as all the philosophy and modality of the band is the assertion. The medium of the band is the message – and that message is sharp, fierce, eminently related and far wanted within the day and age inside which we discover ourselves as we roll by means of the discordant 2020s.
Being the intelligent and sensible artist that she is, Gryner’s identify for this new band is certainly predicated on some evocative wordplay. Ovary is, in fact, an integral a part of the feminine reproductive system and Axe is only a very ‘steel’ phrase which invokes the whole lot from Vikings to medieval executioners. Ovary Axe, as an concept, in addition to a band, will be interpreted as weaponized, righteous feminine anger, an announcement of empowerment and aggression in direction of the ills of society – the patriarchal biases and constructions that maintain so many individuals down; the rise of anti-democratic, anti-science, anti-anything non-white and heterosexual authoritarianism, destruction of our pure setting, struggle, famine and so forth.
However there’s additionally a extra delicate which means behind the identify. Once you say it out loud, it comes out as ‘overreacts’ – which is a self-deprecating commentary on Gryner’s personal predilection in direction of blowing issues out of proportion.
“The identify simply form of landed out of the sky and it made me take into consideration the phrase ‘overreacting.’ Once I was youthful, I used to be extremely delicate – I nonetheless am, which is why I believe I’m a songwriter. So, I might get actually upset about issues, plenty of issues. And my mother would all the time say I used to be overreacting. And it wasn’t like she mentioned it every now and then. It was advised to me each week just about. I used to be susceptible to overreacting and overexaggerating so the identify Ovary Axe form of matches. After which clearly there’s the feminine factor and the phrase ‘axe.’ How may you not simply take that as your heavy steel band identify, proper?,” she mentioned from her house in London, Ontario.
“I’m nonetheless writing numerous the music for this band, so it’s nonetheless form of a piece in progress. There’s a particular intent to not solely categorical this anger and outrage but in addition to rejoice myself and different girls and the type of evolving personalities all of us have and the way we reply to issues in numerous methods. But it surely’s not going to be the identical kind of tune time and again. There will likely be numerous frequent threads between them. I wish to hold issues open to what I’m going to write down about as a result of there’s loads to be offended about – that’s not an issue.”
She solely half-jokingly known as the impetus for making a steel band, “mid-life rage,” however there’s a sure Morello-esque, Rage Towards the Machine tone to Ovary Axe’s first single, ‘Rise Up To Fall,’ in that it’s a tune impelled by legit indignation at so most of the terrible issues taking place on the planet to these most weak, to those that don’t conform, and particularly to the harmless. The abuse of energy, the demonization and dehumanization of whole communities of individuals, the growing poverty hole, the backsliding on girls’s reproductive rights, corruption on the highest ranges of society. In brief, Gryner the human has no extra f***s to present, and Gryner the artist has determined to make use of her artistic items to unleash a compelling, literate, however scorching volley again within the faces of the brokers of chaos dominating our collective information cycle.
“I’ve been enthusiastic about a steel band for possibly a yr and a half. With Ovary Act, there have been two actually important occasions that occurred in September of final yr that made me go, ‘okay, steel, or onerous rock or no matter you wish to name it, is the one strategy to talk my emotions round a few of these issues.’ One was I noticed the film The Substance [starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley] It’s type of a physique horror movie, but in addition form of a black comedy, and usually I wouldn’t see one thing like that however I had an concept of what it was about and, as somebody who’s of their 40s, you see it throughout you: Botox and different injections and all these things that girls are impressed to do, or they’re pushed to do, or they dabble with as a result of their mates try it. It’s all the time been a extremely complicated and worsening type of societal panorama for me. So I knew the film would form of hit that nerve. And I really like the entire premise as a result of it type of gave definition to numerous that irritation and rage and stuff,” she defined.
“In order that got here out in September and it actually blew my thoughts and it made me actually wish to create. After which there was numerous different stuff happening on the planet, however particularly the Gisele Pelicot trial in France. It impressed me to write down the primary tune for this undertaking, which is known as ‘Face Fireplace.’”
Pelicot’s case made world headlines. Greater than a decade and a half in the past, she was raped by a number of males whereas drugged, incidents organized by her then husband, who additionally drugged and raped her on many events. Usually the identify of the sufferer is withheld by the court docket, as occurs in Canada, however Gisele selected to have her identify and story publicized to encourage different girls to come back ahead if that they had suffered equally horrific crimes. She additionally went public and welcomed the intensive media protection as a result of her case additionally revealed the reality of the institutional bias in opposition to feminine victims of violence inherent inside the French judicial system, and the broader society. The small print of the crime (there have been 50 defendants, with 45 of them being discovered responsible and despatched to jail), have been graphic proof of the misogyny, gross lack of know-how and inequality that also exists for ladies, even in so-called superior western democracies, and have become a rallying level for change inside Europe and North America.
It was the enmity generated by the case, but in addition the energy demonstrated by Gisele, mixed with the scathing social commentary of The Substance, that motivated Gryner to make her personal contribution to those discussions, dialogue and debates, and to make use of the automobile of steel music by means of which to channel this sense of shock.
“There’re going to be hardcore metalheads who say, ‘effectively that is extra similar to melodic onerous rock’ or whatnot. And actually, individuals can name it no matter they like. However I do know what points of steel I gravitated to as a baby. And that will be bands like Iron Maiden particularly. Simply discovering out about Iron Maiden once I was 12 was fairly formative. And typically, it’s all of the steel training you want. And like punk rock, steel is designed to have interaction individuals with these points and an outlet to precise anger about injustice and inequality and struggle and all these horrible issues taking place. I virtually assume in case you’re not utilizing that style to do these items, what’s the matter with you,” she mentioned, including that a part of the attract of Iron Maiden was the facility and hovering nature of lead singer Bruce Dickinson’s voice.
“The vocals will all the time be a giant a part of steel for me. And that was what appealed to me once I was youthful too, individuals like [former Queensryche singer] Geoff Tate and Bruce Dickinson, and in addition individuals like Klaus Meine of The Scorpions and naturally David Coverdale. And despite the fact that I’ve two brothers, I discovered Iron Maiden alone. I used to be studying numerous the steel magazines on the time, It was the [1988] Seventh Son of a Seventh Son album, I keep in mind getting it on cassette. However then once I went again of their catalogue, my favorite album of theirs grew to become Piece of Thoughts [1983]. It’s only a enjoyable album to play bass together with. I didn’t even actually know who [bassist] Steve Harris was, I simply knew I liked these galloping bass traces. I believe most individuals, particularly most younger musicians, form of wanted to own sure bands and it was very private and also you didn’t wish to share them with one other sibling or good friend or no matter. That’s form of the place my introduction to not simply steel however to desirous to play music began.
“I wasn’t loopy about numerous different bands so I used to be fixated on Iron Maiden for a short while, however then I keep in mind entering into Kings X too. I believe they’re not essentially steel, however fairly shut. And I believe too the steel style has all the time been about, and I don’t wish to generalize an excessive amount of, however there’s a side of it the place the bands are saying, ‘we’re doing this irrespective of whether or not we’re making $5 or $5 million.’ The enjoyment is in constructing the neighborhood. I simply don’t have that neighborhood but, however it is a place to begin.”
With three many years of expertise (good, dangerous and in any other case) as an expert songwriter, performer, touring musician, document label proprietor, and music coach, Gryner’s method to Ovary Axe is definitely fairly revelatory in the way it opens her as much as new methods of making. The open-endedness of the method of constructing the band and it’s music is indicative of an artist who’s assured sufficient of their talents to blaze a brand new path with out understanding the ultimate vacation spot, emotionally resilient sufficient to fend off the slings and arrows of idle commentary from the interweb or from cultural busybodies who assume they know the way, why and for whom an artist ought to function, and open to permitting herself to be buffeted by the occasional bouts of uncertainty, open to new voices steering her in attention-grabbing new instructions and gifted sufficient to make stunning musical statements at every step of the journey.
“I’m nonetheless wrestling with all of it. ‘Rise Up To Fall’ is about misogyny and the awfulness of movie star tradition and what it means for ladies. However there’s additionally a part of it that’s crying out for integrity and kindness to rise louder than ever. You will be offended, and I believe there’s a strategy to channel that. To me it’s simply so bonkers that everybody has gotten away with what they’ve gotten away with. However on the coronary heart of it, I believe are very damaged individuals. And I do know that will not be what individuals wish to hear, they simply wish to rage and accountable, however I believe this band and the method of discovering its voice will ultimately assist me to turn out to be extra compassionate. Not that I’ll flip a blind eye to injustice however be extra compassionate and achieve an understanding of the basis of why individuals do what they do. I do know a foul childhood doesn’t excuse something, however these are very deeply unloved individuals. And so they have been most likely surrounded by worry their complete lives,” Gryner mentioned.
“You will be offended, however is it helpful? It is determined by the way you channel that anger. There’s loads that’s actually sickening within the information. I imply ‘Rise Up To Fall’ may be very a lot about Trump and Diddy and that complete factor. I don’t know. I simply really feel greater than ever that I would like to speak all of this by means of music as an alternative of ranting and raving about the whole lot that’s happening. I don’t know what extra I can add to it that’s really productive different that to do that band. And there’s additionally the physicality of it. It’s a launch, as a result of it’s not possible to go to a rage room each minute of the day. If individuals had a strategy to channel their anger that wasn’t dangerous to others, possibly a few of these issues wouldn’t escalate. And that’s why the steel style and punk too is the correct strategy to go. It’s so cathartic and the exhibits are so bodily, however no-one is getting damage. Actually, there’s a quiet, deliberate methodology to what I’m doing. Till I actually get it going, it’s onerous to say what the motion actually looks like, as a result of it’s a motion. And I don’t imply for it to sound grandiose: it’s about participating as many individuals as attainable and never only one individual bitching on a podcast or one thing. But additionally it truly is a piece in progress and I’m okay with that. It’s the rationale I’m a songwriter as a result of it’s one of the simplest ways I do know to course of these ideas and feelings and reactions to what I’m seeing and feeling.”
“In numerous methods I’m doing this band fairly otherwise than different initiatives the place they’re often all mapped out. With these issues I do know who’s within the band, I do know what the songs are and what the whole lot seems like and the place it’s going to tour. However for Ovary Axe I’m conserving it open as to who comes alongside to encourage it. And I’ve carried out that with this primary single.”
Gryner is producing Ovary Axe’s music with most of collaborators on ‘Rise Up To Fall’ together with producer/drummer Ian Romano (Metropolis and Color amongst many initiatives), who combined the one, being of us she by no means labored with earlier than, however who entered her orbit, seemingly serendipitously, to convey her imaginative and prescient to life.
“I’ve Keegan Hornbostel on guitar. He’s a 19-year-old child from Petrolia [Ontario] and to be completely sincere, he was my vocal scholar. He’s really a giant a part of why this band exists. He introduced numerous new steel into our classes and he’s an incredible guitar participant and singer and proper now he’s rocking it. He’s going away to highschool within the fall, so he’ll do what he can, when he can. However like numerous what’s taking place with this band, I’ll simply see how issues go. And I even have my good friend [veteran Toronto-based touring and studio drummer] Tim Timleck [with whom she worked alongside in Trapper] enjoying drums, and he’s unbelievable.
Apart from being a calculated however nonetheless visceral response to world affairs and the final tousled nature of enormous components of society, Gryner’s new artistic arc was additionally impressed by a few of the work she has been doing finding out human behaviour from a extra educational perspective. And that is additionally serving to her to know find out how to have interaction along with her present viewers and construct new audiences for her music.
“I’ve all the time had an curiosity in human behaviour. I believe as an unbiased artist you’re by yourself to determine find out how to promote music and in addition find out how to perceive audiences. I wouldn’t say that document labels all the time know what’s happening, however it might be useful for them to have a look at the psychology of their audiences. I discover it fairly attention-grabbing. I believe numerous what’s going on with social media is just not actually serving to individuals. Persons are simply type of speaking to digicam and making an attempt to enchantment to somebody’s thoughts. I believe it’s time for interesting to the guts,” she mentioned including that whereas some naysayers might scale back and even dismiss ‘Rise Up To Fall’ is strident feminism, there’s extra subtlety and openness to her place.
“I believe at this level, each women and men, and individuals who determine someplace in between have gotten railroaded by these inconsiderate and heartless individuals in energy – people who find themselves really abusing their energy. So I believe if anybody’s going to be taking the place that I’m simply doing a feminist factor they’re not taking a look at how everybody’s being slighted in a approach. Everyone seems to be being manipulated and having an agenda pressured on them. It’s not the time to be zeroing in on one individual’s opinion or actions. We have to zoom out. Are you able to not be myopic? Are you able to really rise above, take a broader view and really see what’s taking place and the way it really impacts all of humanity? To me, that’s what feminism is. It’s about equality, not placing one group above one other.
“And I do know that we’re residing in a time when nuance is just not actually taken significantly. The place you’re both hardcore a method or hardcore one other approach. There doesn’t appear to be an area for correct dialog. And I believe that’s why I’m somewhat hesitant to possibly categorize this band as a sure factor but, as a result of there’s a part of me the place I simply need individuals to benefit from the music. Like whenever you’re at a present and everybody’s simply digging the band and it doesn’t matter what you stand for. There’s clearly energy in that as effectively. Hear, I’m not making an attempt to be wishy washy on something. I consider within the issues I’m writing about and I genuinely hope for tolerance and kindness and integrity and all these issues. On the finish of the day, I believe music unites us and does have the facility to vary minds and hearts.”
In a lot of the world, significantly Europe the concept of steel bands having a feminine frontperson or having feminine members and even being fully feminine has just about left the novelty stage and turn out to be commonplace. Whereas issues are getting higher throughout the pond, in North America, many heavy acts nonetheless use the ‘feminine fronted’ epithet as a part of their branding. Gryner has been a solo artist for many of her profession, which means she is the chief and boss of each band that backs her up. For Ovary Axe, she does use the ‘feminine fronted’ descriptor with some reservations.
“I believe it’s nice that there are such a lot of extra girls in steel and onerous rock. I believe it’s nice. Once I was a young person, it was all the time music first, gender second. However sadly, really, I discovered that outlook to be somewhat quick sighted. Sure, I believe everybody’s equal and I don’t wish to be a novelty, however I do use the tag to convey individuals into my world. And it’s my selection to try this, as a result of I really feel I’ve already fought that battle of notion in any case. I work with individuals who don’t assume much less of me or don’t assume much less of ladies. To me everyone seems to be to be revered: male, feminine and everybody who identifies as one thing in between. I exploit it to convey individuals in, and since I’m pleased with it. And it’s not like that’s all I exploit to explain myself. I believe individuals are attending to the purpose the place it’s changing into much less of a difficulty,” she mentioned.
In addition to persevering with to work her thoughts by means of her educational research from Miami College, Gryner mentioned he’s additionally spending numerous time figuring out her physique, to make sure her health, energy and cardio is at its finest for attainable Ovary Axe tour dates.
“I’m really in a reasonably intense coaching program proper now as a result of I have to be match sufficient to sing these things and to carry out it. Lots of people say, effectively, individuals work out for self-importance causes. However to me it’s a really practical cause. I can’t do that music at this age until I actually work onerous at it. I wish to have the form of power that Bruce Dickinson has,” she mentioned.
Gryner has no set timeline for when a full Ovary Axe album will likely be launched, nor does she have any present plans on faucet. A lot of the remainder of her time is spent working along with her vocal college students, mentoring artists as a enterprise and life coach, in addition to enjoying the occasional date below her singer/songwriter persona and being a spouse and mother.
However contemplating the curiosity and intrigue and powerfully compelling nature of this new band and the music coming forth, it’s finest to maintain tabs on the band’s socials, together with www.instagram.com/ovaryaxe. For extra info, electronic mail to ovaryaxe@gmail.com. You may also subscribe to the band’s Patreon web page right here: https://www.patreon.com/OvaryAxe.
- Jim Barber is a veteran award-winning journalist and writer based mostly in Napanee, Ontario, Canada, who has been writing about music and musicians for greater than 30 years. Apart from his journalistic endeavors, he works as a communications and advertising and marketing specialist and is an avid volunteer in his neighborhood. Contact him at jimbarberwritingservices@gmail.com.
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