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Friday, May 1, 2020

Grem Smiley's testament to rock and roll is the punk pummel of "Void"














"I'm always trying to breathe"

Void by Richmond, Virginia's Grem Smiley is a treat. It is a testament to rock and roll. To overcoming the perceived obstacles thrown down at our feet and the real prejudice hurled at art and youth by men of God. Grem Smiley is Ryan Cole Hatcher who has been playing guitar his own self taught way since he was 11 years old. He was born with cerebral palsy which affects the right side of his body. By flipping right handed guitars over, using open tunings and pull offs, tapping and hammer on's he thrashes in his own way. 

Void starts with a vintage church diatribe about the dangers of rock and roll until those words are taken over by big Black Sabbath like rock chords that run and pummel straight into punk / garage rock. Hatcher's vox are acidic and the guitar layers & leads are punk dangerous while drummer Ethan Davis thrashes and switches up time sigs. Void is from Grem Smiley's 7 track album "Canvas"- dealing with the "psyche of addiction, personal growth, and coming of age in the 21st century."

-Robb Donker Curtius







THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM - PRESS NOTES:


bandcamp

Grem Smiley is an indie-punk rock band from Richmond, VA started by Ryan Cole Hatcher circa 2016. Born with cerebral palsy on the right side of his body, Hatcher taught himself how to play guitar by flipping right-handed guitars over and using hammer-on, pull-off, tapping, and open tunings starting at age 11. After playing in Don Babylon from 2013 to 2015, Hatcher started Grem Smiley. After a few different line-ups, the current line up of Ethan Davis on drums and Ryan Cole Hatcher on guitar and vocals was solidified. On February 27th, 2020 Grem Smiley released “Canvas”, a 7 track album dealing with the psyche of addiction, personal growth, and coming of age in the 21st century.

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