Interview with guitarist Gray Vickers

Interview by: Jeremy Edwards - Scale Records | Sense Music Media

Using the word ‘viral’ has lost a lot of meaning lately for a couple of reasons; one being the insane amount of people finding their fifteen minutes on Tik-Tok or whatever else and another being the COVID-19 situation.

It’s very exciting to be able to report that some actual, real-live artists have thrown down their own definition of ‘viral’. In a matter of days since its release, hard-rock 4-piece THESE FOUR WALLS have amassed over 70 000 streams of their brilliant new single ‘Chaos’

Originally from New Zealand, but now lucky enough to call Brisbane home, THESE FOUR WALLS are truly experiencing what can only be described as a meteoric rise right now. But you know the saying – it takes 10 years to become an overnight success, or the case of these guys, a little over 15.

THESE FOUR WALLS exists through the exceptional vocal skills of Steve Gibb, the prog-tastic guitar stylings of Gray Vickers, a prodigious low-end provided by Elliot Burton and the intricate time-keeping from drummer Brad Vickers.

The Interview

To coincide with the release of the band's new full-length album, This Is Not A Future, we spoke to guitarist Vickers about what has happened in the previous 2-odd years to get them to the point they are at now. We begin by asking about the support tour they were on with THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT, however Vickers takes it back a little further to mention some of the heavyweights THESE FOUR WALLS have shared the stage with:

When the band first came to Australia, they found it a little difficult to gain traction. Undeterred, they got to work building their local presence. Vickers considers the band “slow burners” at the moment, but that is either extreme modesty or he’s just unaware of how big THESE FOUR WALLS are becoming.

The Brisbane music scene is a pretty close-knit community. Vickers takes a second to acknowledge some guys who helped them get on their feet in the early days of being here.

We HAVE to talk about the new single ‘Chaos’, not only because it’s a fantastic song, but at the time of writing it was at a ridiculous number of streams and was growing rapidly.

A very interesting tip in there is about the use and importance of Spotify playlists. Vickers gives further advice and insight here

The discussion turned to the new album This Is Not A Future. It's been a long road putting it together, but the guys knew what the standout tracks were from the start. It's also interesting to hear how one riff can bounce around in a few songs before it finds a home.

There's been some minor issues around getting physical stock but they guys have it covered as best they can



Vickers brought up the point about crowd-funding. THESE FOUR WALLS did conduct a crowd-funding campaign to assist with production of the new album and it went better than anyone could have imagined.

So, what does a band with this much momentum do when they about to drop what is going to be one of the best releases of 2020?

At a time where uncertainty is becoming the norm, Vickers offers this insight for newer bands.

THESE FOUR WALLS have been working their collective butts off in the past few years, and this album is certainly a testament to their dedication to their craft. A great bunch of guys putting out increasingly greater music.

This Is Not A Future drops today!!! It’s now available on all platforms and, look, let’s call it now: Top 5 album of 2020 for everyone.

Download

Get your copy of This Is Not A Future on Bandcamp

Social Media

Check out THESE FOUR WALLS on Facebook and Instagram

THESE FOUR WALLS on Spotify