By Deaglan Howlett | Posted Thursday, February 13, 2020
Be Gentle is the latest record from Wall Township’s Grin & Bear. Forming in 2014, the group has undergone line up changes throughout the years, leading to this latest effort from Brian Perrino. This album, while under the name Grin & Bear, has become more of a collaborative/solo project for Perrino. The record is an absolute powerhouse and a favorite of mine to come out this year. Be Gentle is self reflective and positive, perfect timing for we could all use a little extra positivity today. I reached out to Brian to pick his brain about the making of this record and he was kind enough to do an interview. Thank you again, Brian!
When did Grin and Bear first form?
Grin & Bear first formed in 2014 during a time when we (Brian, Chris, Will, and Gavin) were all in college spread out over a few different states. I had been working on some songs, and we all naturally started sending ideas back and forth, and it turned into our first release "Range Wars" which ended up being a massively group-oriented effort. We self-recorded and released it in 2015.
How has the band changed over the years?
Since starting the band, we never ended up living in the same place at the same time. We met up when we could and played when we could. We operated that way for a few years and released "Range Wars" and "Everything is Gravy." I had been writing so much and in an effort to get more music out there started recording some acoustic tracks, which turned into "Hair Shirt Pt 1" and shortly after that release, Gavin (bass) made a long-term move to Georgia and we made the decision to end the band.
One day in 2018, I got back into writing and ended up with a few songs that I really loved and wanted to hear full band, so I reached back out to the band to ask if I could transition Grin & Bear into more of a solo project/collaborative effort. That is when Be Gentle began.
When did you start writing for Be Gentle?
In September of 2018, I wrote the songs "India" and "Not Bad" and became 100% sure I wanted to write an album. Every song (with the exception of “First Reaction”) came after that . We went into the studio in July of 2019 and were writing up until the day we left for the studio.
What is your songwriting process like?
Every song started with an acoustic guitar. I would mess around until something caught my interest, and then I would immediately start trying to sing whatever words and melody came out (sometimes using a note in my phone, mostly just trying to see what happens on the spot. There's so much boppin’ around up there, sometimes a pleasing guitar part draws something potent out). If I liked it enough, I would record a demo and then walk around my neighborhood listening to it until I heard something new, and then I would run into my house and record the new part.
This was the most fun I have ever had writing music (I remind myself often that those experiences in themselves are all I need to "get" out of this album). I heard a lot more than just my demos, so I reached out to a lot of my friends to see who was interested and had time to contribute. Some came over and we wrote together, some wrote totally on their own, and one part I didn't even hear until the second to last day of recording. These contributions made the album what it is. They kept it light and fun. I called the album Be Gentle because gentleness made this album possible. I had to remind myself to be gentle a whole lot (and still do).
Who did you record the album with and what was that experience like?
We recorded Be Gentle in Bayonne with Adam Cichocki at Timber Studios. It was the absolute best! Adam's studio is furnished with 2 dogs, 2 bean bags, extremely kind engineers and hosts, and is in close proximity to vegan "chicken" wings that are absolutely fire. Adam is so good at the technical aspect of recording an album that he's able to put you in a creative, stress-free, and positive environment right off the bat. This is not a paid ad for Timber Studios. Be Gentle would not sound the way it does without Adam and I love him!!
Who played on this release?
Okay, here we go.
Your boy (Brian) played a little of everything.
Chris Calabrese (drums, a little vocals)
Gavin Fischer (bass, a lot of backup vocals)
Will Avon (bass, lead guitar)
Matt Baker (bass, keyboard, backup vocals)
Nigel Whitley (bass)
Zach Henry (guest vocals)
Connor Mcarthur (guest vocals)
Stephen Kelly (guest vocals)
Tim Mullooly (guest vocals)
Grace Fox (trumpet)
Adam Cichocki (random stuff here and there, sleigh bells, post track clapping)
Bowser (double bean)
Favorite track on Be Gentle?
I think my favorite track is "India." The bass line at the end (Gavin wrote it) is my favorite part on the album. I danced a lot writing it and lyrically dug into a personal hang-up (pride) that has kept me from enjoying some important aspects of my life.
Upcoming plans?
Working to be more kind and gentle with myself and everyone else. And writing more music with my friends/biggest influences/people I love.