Greylag Announces Signing To Dead Oceans

Portland-based trio Greylag has officially announced their signing to Dead Oceans for the release of their self-titled debut album (out October 14th, 2014). Today, they also share the first single off Greylag, “Another.”

Andrew Stonestreet (lead vocal, acoustic guitar, originally from West Virginia), Daniel Dixon (lead guitar and other stringed things, keyboards, from Northern California) and Brady Swan (drums, from Texas). The venerated Phil Ek (Fleet Foxes, Modest Mouse, The Shins) produced the album at Seattle’s Avast! Studio, who clearly knows a sublime enterprising combination of roots and rock music when he hears it.

The name Greylag looks and sounds strong but has developed more meaning for the band – It’s a wild goose, from which all domestic geese originate, so it’s the first survivor, and it’s still wild, and doing things its own way – the ‘lag’ part refers to it being the last bird to migrate. It sits back and watches.

The members of Greylag have all undertaken amazing journeys, migrating as if by homing instinct from different parts of the US, to create a self-titled debut album that’s the latest must-have slice of verdant, far-reaching Americana. The album speaks of individuals who have travelled, emotionally and physically, and put everything into this shared venture.

The album artwork is the final touch. It resembles an old hardbound book, with the name pressed into the surface and a symbol above it, roughed up on edges, like something you’d find in a grandfather’s attic, something a little dark and strange and mysterious. It feels modern but it’s inspired by something from an earlier era.