Defecting Grey Has Announced Their Debut Album 'Arc'

The members of Defecting Grey - all veterans of the NJ/NY punk/power pop scene - fell into each other's orbit after their tenure in Third of Never.

The band is comprised of brothers CJ and Vince Grogan (The Grievous Angels/Gigantic/Buzzed Meg) and Mike Polilli (Buzzkill/Atom Driver). A power trio with a penchant for buzzsaw melodicism in the tradition of Husker Du, The Minutemen, and The Jam, Defecting Grey's songs are as memorable as they are visceral.

After releasing two critically acclaimed EPs on their own MVC label and garnering rave reviews for their club and radio appearances, Defecting Grey caught the attention of Fake Chapter Records, a label that has been releasing albums in the indie rock, singer-songwriter, and electronica genres for 25 years. The label is home to renowned artists such as Arms and Sleepers, The Bright Road, and Miles Hunt (The Wonder Stuff).

"Having previously released CJ Grogan's solo work I checked out the Defecting Grey EPs and loved what I heard," said Fake Chapter label head Gilligan. "When I heard the rough mixes of the ARC album I knew it would be a perfect fit."

Critics have already weighed in on the potency of Defecting Grey's music:

"Defecting Grey's latest is a rabbit punch of a record, featuring well-crafted tunes delivered in a tastefully pulverizing manner; a perfect balance of meaning and malice" - Neuse News

"You can imagine what a live band these three are. Pace, sweat, and real shake your fist stuff." -
I Don't Hear a Single

After woodshedding 20 new originals, Defecting Grey convened at Exeter Studios in New Jersey in late 2021 to begin work on their first full-length album. "We were able to move pretty quickly in the studio," said CJ Grogan. "We settled on 12 songs and knocked them out in three days."

With ARC, Defecting Grey's strengths are on full display. The slicing power pop of "Radios On" and "Fighting with the Enemy" sits comfortably next to piledrivers "Politik" and "NO FX", while well-crafted fare such as "Seven Hunters", "Nobody Loves You" and "Sarsen" are equal parts maelstrom and melody.

Defecting Grey will be embarking on a string of club shows and radio appearances, beginning with an album release show at Pino's (NJ) on April 23.

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