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Underscores (musician)

January 01, 1970

April Harper Grey (born April 21, 2000), known professionally as Underscores (stylized in lowercase), is an American singer-songwriter and producer. She grew up listening to artists like Jack White, Beck, and Madonna, becoming interested in filmmaking and composing music at a young age. Grey began releasing dubstep music on SoundCloud at the age of 13, eventually incorporating other genres. After releasing three extended plays (EPs) from 2018 to 2020, she rose to prominence with her debut album Fishmonger in March 2021. She released its companion EP and opened for 100 gecs on tour later that year. Grey performed her first headlining tour in early 2022 and concluded the "Fishmonger era" with a pop song in early 2023. She released her second album Wallsocket in September 2023 on the Mom + Pop record label. It was promoted with four singles, an alternate reality game, and a tour of North America and Europe.

Underscores
Underscores performing in October 2023
Background information
Also known asMilkfish
Born (2000-04-21) April 21, 2000 (age 24)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer-songwriter
  • producer
Years active2013–present
Labels
Member of
  • Six Impala
  • Papaya & Friends
Websiteunderscores.plus

Grey's early influences include Skrillex and 100 gecs. Wallsocket was inspired by artists such as Imogen Heap, Bruce Springsteen, and Sufjan Stevens, as well as country music, 2010s pop, and horror films. Her style has been noted as diverse, playful, but precise, encompassing genres such as hyperpop, pop-punk, dubstep, indie pop, rock, and Midwest emo.

Early life edit

April Harper Grey was born on April 21, 2000,[1] in San Francisco, California,[2] to a Filipina mother and a white father.[3] Before coming out as a trans woman, she attended an all-boys Catholic school for nine years, where she visited church three times a week. However, she has stated that her parents did not raise her to be religious like them.[4] As a child, Grey wrote short stories, created films using iMovie, and ran a YouTube channel with Let's Plays of the video game Minecraft (2011).[4][5][6]

Growing up, Grey listened to artists like Jack White, Beck, Lucinda Williams, and Van Morrison,[5][7] as well as pop stars like Madonna, Britney Spears, and Justin Timberlake.[8] She has specified Madonna's Music (2000) as the first album she remembers listening to.[5][7] Grey became interested in composing music at the age of six.[9] As a child, she produced beat loops and burned them onto CDs using her father's computer.[3] She also experimented with GarageBand.[6] In the early 2010s, Grey discovered Skrillex and the dubstep genre and was attracted to its sound design possibilities, akin to "rocket science".[3][5][8] Spencer Kornhaber of The Atlantic wrote: "In high school, [she] became a jazz-band geek with a penchant for music theory".[3] She also listened to Midwest emo and math rock music during high school.[6]

Career edit

At the age of 13, Grey began releasing dubstep music as Underscores on SoundCloud.[2][5][10] For years, she released a stream of "one-offs",[4][11] such as her 2015 single "Mild Season",[2][9] but she eventually became bored of "using the same sounds" and began incorporating other influences.[5] She released the jazz–EDM extended play (EP) Skin Purifying Treatment in 2018.[4][5][9] It was the first project she wrote lyrics for and she has cited it as where her style solidified.[4][5][9] Grey followed it with the EP We Never Got Strawberry Cake in 2019.[8][9] She designed its cover and uploaded it to DistroKid immediately after completion. She has noted it as the project she is most proud of, explaining, "because I didn't give myself ample time to start resenting it". In 2020, Grey released the EP Character Development!.[9]

Grey released her debut album Fishmonger in March 2021. It features appearances from 8485, Knapsack, and Maxwell Young, and was preceded by the promotional singles "Second Hand Embarrassment" and "Kinko's Field Trip 2006".[8][9] She recorded it at her parents' house amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.[8][11] Despite having no prior experience, she incorporated guitar into every track because she had "run out of production tricks" and did not like any piano voicings.[8][12] Fishmonger appeared on The Atlantic's list of the 10 best albums of 2021 and The Line of Best Fit's list of the 15 best hyperpop albums. They complimented its combination of hyperpop with pop-punk, rock, and indie genres.[13][14] Fishmonger also drew the attention of high-profile musicians such as Glaive, Lido, and Travis Barker of Blink-182. Upon release, Lido sent the album to Dorothy Caccavale of ATC Management, who eventually became Grey's manager alongside Jackson Perry.[8] In late 2021, Grey toured as an opening act for 100 gecs on the U.S. leg of their 10,000 gecs tour.[2][11] A follow-up EP to Fishmonger, titled Boneyard AKA Fearmonger, was released in December. It features drums from Barker and co-production from Brakence.[8][15] The EP was inspired by her feelings of paralyzation and existential dread after releasing Fishmonger, in which she did not write music for five months. She tried to adapt these feelings into an apocalyptic setting. Until the idea for a song had formed, she did not allow herself to open the digital audio workstation Ableton.[8]

Grey embarked on her first headlining mini-tour from February–March 2022.[2][3][9][12] She also performed on Lollapalooza's opening day, July 28, at the T-Mobile stage in Grant Park, Chicago.[16][17] She then featured in the social networking service Discord's mini-documentary titled Discord Scenes: Underground Pop Music.[18] Grey released the pop song "Count of Three (You Can Eat $#@!)" in January 2023, which she dubbed "the last piece of the Fishmonger era".[18][19] It features production from Dylan Brady and Cashmere Cat, as well as writing from Benny Blanco.[19]

In April 2023, Grey released a "Wallsocket era" trailer, following it with the lead single "Cops and Robbers" in May.[20][21] In June, she released a second single, "You Don't Even Know Who I Am".[22] The Wallsocket album and its release date were announced in July alongside a third single, "Locals (Girls Like Us)", which features Gabby Start.[a] On July 13, Grey embarked on the North American leg of her second headlining tour, the Hometown Tour.[23][24] A fourth single, "Old Money Bitch", was released in August.[25] Wallsocket was released on September 22, 2023, on the Mom + Pop record label.[26] Alongside the tour, it was promoted with an alternate reality game (ARG) involving websites of a fictional Wallsocket, Michigan, town.[2][4][27] The album features additional appearances from Henhouse! and Jane Remover.[4][28] It received acclaim for its character-driven narrative and "eclectic" mix of genres.[b] Grey began a European leg of the Hometown Tour on November 30.[4][5][34]

Artistry edit

Influences edit

Elias Leight of Rolling Stone highlighted Grey's liberal citing of influences, specifically, the U.K. garage of PinkPantheress and the Madonna–Nicki Minaj collaboration "Bitch I'm Madonna" (2015).[8] While producing dubstep, she was inspired by Skrillex's "signature growl noise" and his EP Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites (2010). Grey gained the confidence to use her voice from how Laura Les, a trans woman, manipulated her vocals in alignment with her identity.[3] As well, the popularity of 100 gecs affirmed to Grey that there was an audience for "weird", "distorted", and "funny" music.[3][5]

For Flood Magazine, Grey listed 12 artists that had influenced Wallsocket. These included The Raconteurs, Sky Ferreira, Jason Isbell, Kwon Jin-ah, and Gillian Welch, as well as artists she listened to during childhood. In the interview, she identified songwriting inspiration from Imogen Heap, storytelling inspiration from Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska (1982), and conceptual inspiration from Sufjan Stevens's Michigan (2003) and Illinois (2005).[7] Other Wallsocket influences include the pedal steel guitar, harmonica, and slide guitar involved in country music, as well as the 2010s pop of Marina and the Diamonds, Justin Timberlake, and Kesha.[5][6] For Office, Grey said that Wallsocket was inspired by social commentary on the American class system within slasher films. She also cited horror films set in rural America as influences, like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) and Bones and All (2022).[35] Wallsocket's rollout was inspired by Halo 2's ARG I Love Bees, the marketing campaign for the 2008 film Cloverfield, and the screenplay and short film companion to Childish Gambino's Because the Internet (2013).[4]

Musical style edit

Grey is a producer and singer-songwriter.[8][26] Her music has been described as hyperpop,[4][14][36] pop-punk,[14][36] dubstep,[2][3][8] electropop,[3] indie pop,[13] electronica, rock,[2] and Midwest emo.[36] Grey's early dubstep music experimented with structure due to her perception that the genre was traditionally limited to filling in a template.[8] Her debut album Fishmonger is a hyperpop record with elements of rock, emo, pop-punk, indie pop, ambience, and dubstep.[4][13][14][29] Touching on celebrity culture,[27] the album drew comparisons to 1990s alt-rock, as well as bands like MGMT and Cobra Starship.[3] Fishmonger's follow-up EP, Boneyard AKA Fearmonger, is a fusion of pop-punk, dubstep, drum and bass, and new wave, also containing ballads.[3][8] Its lyrics discuss anxiety, existence, and generational apathy,[27] and like Fishmonger, it is set in a seaside New Jersey town.[4][6] Grey's second album Wallsocket is primarily pop, rock, folk, and country, with punk, shoegaze, trap, and emo influences.[c] Some publications noted it as having moved on from hyperpop, Grey calling the genre "officially dead" in a 2023 NME interview.[4][27][29][31] Wallsocket is a Michigan-set concept album about three girls navigating adulthood. It involves themes of gun violence, trans identity, corporatization, and religion.[d]

The Guardian's Aneesa Ahmed wrote that Grey has a "very gen-Z disregard for genre boundaries" and The Fader's Jordan Darville said she has an "all in" approach to dissolving genre guardrails.[2][31] Likewise, The Line of Best Fit's Noah Simon and Matthew Kim wrote that Grey's "stylistic range is vast" and that she "has always been known for eclecticism".[13][29] Spencer Kornhaber of The Atlantic noted that Grey uses technology to sing beyond physical limits. Kornhaber described her music as "nonbinary both in form and in content", linking it to the LGBT community.[3] Nico Tripodi for Pigeons & Planes thought that half of her appeal was her refreshing production, yet "behind the turbulent sonics, there always lies a song that would sound just as good stripped down."[12] Similarly, i-D's Frankie Dunn called Grey's sound nostalgic and playful,[36] while Leight of Rolling Stone described her as "precise about process". Grey herself called the production of Boneyard AKA Fearmonger "super anal [and] type-A".[8] In a DIY interview, Grey said that her music tries to "[be] serious about being tongue in cheek", and in a Paste interview, that she is afraid of solely retreading, and instead tries to fuse many "bygone sounds".[4][5] For Metal, she wrote that she identified with "new prog pop", a genre coined by her friend, defining it as: "Conceptual prog music formatted in albums, usually made by one person or a small group in their bedroom". She also stated that she does not mind the, often divisive, hyperpop categorization.[6][37]

Other projects edit

Grey is a member of the experimental electronic collective Six Impala and the bedroom pop band Papaya & Friends.[13][36][38] She also releases music under the alias Milkfish.[39]

Personal life edit

Grey is a trans woman.[4][40] She has stated that she is theistic.[4]

Discography edit

Studio albums edit

List of studio albums, with selected details
Title Album details
Fishmonger[41][42]
Wallsocket[43]
  • Released: September 22, 2023
  • Label: Corporate Rockmusic, Mom + Pop Music
  • Formats: LP, CD, digital download, streaming

EPs edit

List of EPs, with selected details
Title EP details
Air Freshener[44]
  • Released: August 26, 2016
  • Label: Good Enuff
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
Skin Purifying Treatment[45]
  • Released: June 27, 2018
  • Label: Self-released
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
We Never Got Strawberry Cake[46]
  • Released: February 16, 2019
  • Label: Self-released
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
Character Development![47]
  • Released: January 15, 2020
  • Label: Bitbird
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
Boneyard AKA Fearmonger[48][49]
  • Released: December 3, 2021
  • Label: Self-released
  • Formats: LP, digital download, streaming

Notes edit

  1. ^ Formerly Knapsack.[13]
  2. ^ Attributed to multiple references:[26][28][29][30][31][32][33]
  3. ^ Attributed to multiple references:[4][26][29][32][37]
  4. ^ Attributed to multiple references:[2][4][5][29][32]

References edit

  1. ^ Grey, April Harper [@underscoresplus] (April 22, 2024). "24" (Tweet). Retrieved April 23, 2024 – via Twitter.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Ahmed, Aneesa (October 21, 2023). "One to watch: Underscores". The Guardian. from the original on October 21, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Kornhaber, Spencer (March 23, 2022). "An Artist Who Makes Me Excited About the Future of Music". The Atlantic. from the original on March 23, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Marlin, Natalie (December 12, 2023). "Inside the Immersive World of underscores". Paste. from the original on December 17, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Wright, Lisa (October 3, 2023). "Underscores on New Album 'Wallsocket': 'I'm Making Pop Music With the Mindset of Maths'". DIY. from the original on October 6, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Goodall, Robert (October 10, 2023). "Underscores – Taking Concept to the Max". Metal. from the original on December 29, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  7. ^ a b c Lesuer, Mike (September 21, 2023). "underscores' Wallsocket Influences Playlist". Flood Magazine. from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Leight, Elias (January 26, 2022). "'Let's Make Producer Porn': Dubstep Renegade Underscores Is Soundtracking the Apocalpyse". Rolling Stone. from the original on January 26, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h Rincon, Alessandra (March 10, 2022). "Underscores Is a Hyperpop Legend in the Making". Ones to Watch. from the original on August 18, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  10. ^ "Nostalgic electropop artist underscores & director Ayodeji on their collabs". Dazed. December 14, 2023. from the original on December 15, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  11. ^ a b c "underscores". First Avenue. from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  12. ^ a b c Gardner, Alex; Moore, Jacob; et al. (February 23, 2022). "Best New Artists". Pigeons & Planes. Complex Networks. from the original on February 10, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  13. ^ a b c d e f Simon, Noah (January 28, 2022). "The best hyperpop albums of all time". The Line of Best Fit. from the original on April 16, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  14. ^ a b c d Kornhaber, Spencer (December 14, 2021). "The 10 Best Albums of 2021". The Atlantic. from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  15. ^ Helfand, Raphael (January 27, 2022). "underscores' 'Everybody's dead!' video is an absurdist nightmare". The Fader. from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  16. ^ Robles, Jonathan (July 29, 2022). "Lolla makes triumphant start with Metallica, Lil Baby, Jazmine Sullivan & more". Variance. from the original on July 29, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  17. ^ "Lollapalooza 2022: See photos from Day 1". The Pantagraph. July 28, 2022. from the original on July 29, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  18. ^ a b Rincon, Alessandra (January 20, 2023). "underscores Says Farewell to an Era With 'Count of three (You can eat $#@!)'". Ones to Watch. from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  19. ^ a b Renshaw, David (January 20, 2023). "Song You Need: underscores says goodbye to the past on 'Count of Three (You can eat $#@!)'". The Fader. from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  20. ^ . Mom + Pop Music. May 3, 2023. Archived from the original on May 4, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  21. ^ "Mom+Pop Inks Underscores". Hits Daily Double. May 2, 2023. from the original on June 1, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  22. ^ Richardson-Dupuis, Emilie (June 7, 2023). "underscores Announces Tour, Shares New Single". Exclaim!. from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  23. ^ Green, Walden (July 12, 2023). "underscores announces new album Wallsocket, shares 'Locals (Girls like us) [with gabby start]'". The Fader. from the original on July 14, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  24. ^ O'Connor, Siobhain (July 12, 2023). "Underscores Has Announced Her New Album, 'Wallsocket'". Dork. from the original on July 12, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  25. ^ Taylor, Sam (August 17, 2023). "Underscores Has Released a New Single, 'Old Money Bitch'". Dork. from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  26. ^ a b c d Erickson, Steve (September 18, 2023). "Underscores Wallsocket Review: Electrifyingly Unpredictable Tales of American Life". Slant Magazine. from the original on September 20, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  27. ^ a b c d Shutler, Ali (September 6, 2023). "Underscores: 'I think hyper-pop is officially dead'". NME. from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  28. ^ a b Rincon, Alessandra (September 27, 2023). "underscores Brings to the Life the World of 'Wallsocket'". Ones to Watch. from the original on December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  29. ^ a b c d e f Kim, Matthew (September 20, 2023). "underscores pens eclectic tales of American suburbia on Wallsocket". The Line of Best Fit. from the original on September 21, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  30. ^ Wright, Lisa (September 20, 2023). "Underscores – Wallsocket". DIY. from the original on December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  31. ^ a b c "New Music Friday: This week's essential new albums". The Fader. September 22, 2023. from the original on September 23, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  32. ^ a b c Kornhaber, Spencer (December 13, 2023). "The 10 Best Albums of 2023". The Atlantic. from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  33. ^ "The 25 Best Electronic Albums of 2023". Paste. December 13, 2023. from the original on December 17, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  34. ^ Taylor, Sam (September 19, 2023). "Underscores Has Booked a New Winter Headline Tour". Dork. from the original on October 1, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  35. ^ "Underscores and Jane Remover Shoot it Out". Office. October 26, 2023. from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  36. ^ a b c d e Dunn, Frankie (January 7, 2022). . i-D. Archived from the original on January 7, 2022. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  37. ^ a b Shutler, Ali (August 22, 2023). "What hyperpop did next". The Face. from the original on September 28, 2023. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  38. ^ Lavin, Will (December 17, 2021). "Bring Me The Horizon share hyperpop remix of 'DiE4u'". NME. from the original on December 18, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  39. ^ a post-interview q&a with underscores. Backlight Clips. January 10, 2024. Event occurs at 1:00. Retrieved March 30, 2024 – via YouTube.
  40. ^ Swaminathan, Arundhati (March 31, 2023). "8 transgender music producers who are making waves with their sounds in 2023". Splice. from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  41. ^ "fishmonger". Bandcamp. from the original on June 26, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  42. ^ "underscores 'fishmonger' vinyl". underscores.plus. from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  43. ^ "Wallsocket". Bandcamp. from the original on December 28, 2023. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  44. ^ "Underscores – Air Freshener". SoundCloud. Archived from the original on December 28, 2023. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  45. ^ "skin purifying treatment". SoundCloud. Archived from the original on December 28, 2023. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  46. ^ "we never got strawberry cake". Bandcamp. from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  47. ^ "underscores – character development!". SoundCloud. Archived from the original on March 16, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  48. ^ "boneyard aka fearmonger". Bandcamp. from the original on December 3, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  49. ^ "underscores 'boneyard aka fearmonger' vinyl". underscores.plus. from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved December 28, 2023.

January 01, 1970
underscores, musician, april, harper, grey, born, april, 2000, known, professionally, underscores, stylized, lowercase, american, singer, songwriter, producer, grew, listening, artists, like, jack, white, beck, madonna, becoming, interested, filmmaking, compos. April Harper Grey born April 21 2000 known professionally as Underscores stylized in lowercase is an American singer songwriter and producer She grew up listening to artists like Jack White Beck and Madonna becoming interested in filmmaking and composing music at a young age Grey began releasing dubstep music on SoundCloud at the age of 13 eventually incorporating other genres After releasing three extended plays EPs from 2018 to 2020 she rose to prominence with her debut album Fishmonger in March 2021 She released its companion EP and opened for 100 gecs on tour later that year Grey performed her first headlining tour in early 2022 and concluded the Fishmonger era with a pop song in early 2023 She released her second album Wallsocket in September 2023 on the Mom Pop record label It was promoted with four singles an alternate reality game and a tour of North America and Europe UnderscoresUnderscores performing in October 2023Background informationAlso known asMilkfishBorn 2000 04 21 April 21 2000 age 24 San Francisco California U S GenresHyperpoppop punkdubstepOccupation s Singer songwriterproducerYears active2013 presentLabelsGood EnuffBitbirdCorporate RockmusicMom PopMember ofSix ImpalaPapaya amp FriendsWebsiteunderscores wbr plus Grey s early influences include Skrillex and 100 gecs Wallsocket was inspired by artists such as Imogen Heap Bruce Springsteen and Sufjan Stevens as well as country music 2010s pop and horror films Her style has been noted as diverse playful but precise encompassing genres such as hyperpop pop punk dubstep indie pop rock and Midwest emo Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Artistry 3 1 Influences 3 2 Musical style 4 Other projects 5 Personal life 6 Discography 6 1 Studio albums 6 2 EPs 7 Notes 8 ReferencesEarly life editApril Harper Grey was born on April 21 2000 1 in San Francisco California 2 to a Filipina mother and a white father 3 Before coming out as a trans woman she attended an all boys Catholic school for nine years where she visited church three times a week However she has stated that her parents did not raise her to be religious like them 4 As a child Grey wrote short stories created films using iMovie and ran a YouTube channel with Let s Plays of the video game Minecraft 2011 4 5 6 Growing up Grey listened to artists like Jack White Beck Lucinda Williams and Van Morrison 5 7 as well as pop stars like Madonna Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake 8 She has specified Madonna s Music 2000 as the first album she remembers listening to 5 7 Grey became interested in composing music at the age of six 9 As a child she produced beat loops and burned them onto CDs using her father s computer 3 She also experimented with GarageBand 6 In the early 2010s Grey discovered Skrillex and the dubstep genre and was attracted to its sound design possibilities akin to rocket science 3 5 8 Spencer Kornhaber of The Atlantic wrote In high school she became a jazz band geek with a penchant for music theory 3 She also listened to Midwest emo and math rock music during high school 6 Career editAt the age of 13 Grey began releasing dubstep music as Underscores on SoundCloud 2 5 10 For years she released a stream of one offs 4 11 such as her 2015 single Mild Season 2 9 but she eventually became bored of using the same sounds and began incorporating other influences 5 She released the jazz EDM extended play EP Skin Purifying Treatment in 2018 4 5 9 It was the first project she wrote lyrics for and she has cited it as where her style solidified 4 5 9 Grey followed it with the EP We Never Got Strawberry Cake in 2019 8 9 She designed its cover and uploaded it to DistroKid immediately after completion She has noted it as the project she is most proud of explaining because I didn t give myself ample time to start resenting it In 2020 Grey released the EP Character Development 9 Grey released her debut album Fishmonger in March 2021 It features appearances from 8485 Knapsack and Maxwell Young and was preceded by the promotional singles Second Hand Embarrassment and Kinko s Field Trip 2006 8 9 She recorded it at her parents house amidst the COVID 19 pandemic 8 11 Despite having no prior experience she incorporated guitar into every track because she had run out of production tricks and did not like any piano voicings 8 12 Fishmonger appeared on The Atlantic s list of the 10 best albums of 2021 and The Line of Best Fit s list of the 15 best hyperpop albums They complimented its combination of hyperpop with pop punk rock and indie genres 13 14 Fishmonger also drew the attention of high profile musicians such as Glaive Lido and Travis Barker of Blink 182 Upon release Lido sent the album to Dorothy Caccavale of ATC Management who eventually became Grey s manager alongside Jackson Perry 8 In late 2021 Grey toured as an opening act for 100 gecs on the U S leg of their 10 000 gecs tour 2 11 A follow up EP to Fishmonger titled Boneyard AKA Fearmonger was released in December It features drums from Barker and co production from Brakence 8 15 The EP was inspired by her feelings of paralyzation and existential dread after releasing Fishmonger in which she did not write music for five months She tried to adapt these feelings into an apocalyptic setting Until the idea for a song had formed she did not allow herself to open the digital audio workstation Ableton 8 Grey embarked on her first headlining mini tour from February March 2022 2 3 9 12 She also performed on Lollapalooza s opening day July 28 at the T Mobile stage in Grant Park Chicago 16 17 She then featured in the social networking service Discord s mini documentary titled Discord Scenes Underground Pop Music 18 Grey released the pop song Count of Three You Can Eat in January 2023 which she dubbed the last piece of the Fishmonger era 18 19 It features production from Dylan Brady and Cashmere Cat as well as writing from Benny Blanco 19 In April 2023 Grey released a Wallsocket era trailer following it with the lead single Cops and Robbers in May 20 21 In June she released a second single You Don t Even Know Who I Am 22 The Wallsocket album and its release date were announced in July alongside a third single Locals Girls Like Us which features Gabby Start a On July 13 Grey embarked on the North American leg of her second headlining tour the Hometown Tour 23 24 A fourth single Old Money Bitch was released in August 25 Wallsocket was released on September 22 2023 on the Mom Pop record label 26 Alongside the tour it was promoted with an alternate reality game ARG involving websites of a fictional Wallsocket Michigan town 2 4 27 The album features additional appearances from Henhouse and Jane Remover 4 28 It received acclaim for its character driven narrative and eclectic mix of genres b Grey began a European leg of the Hometown Tour on November 30 4 5 34 Artistry editInfluences edit Elias Leight of Rolling Stone highlighted Grey s liberal citing of influences specifically the U K garage of PinkPantheress and the Madonna Nicki Minaj collaboration Bitch I m Madonna 2015 8 While producing dubstep she was inspired by Skrillex s signature growl noise and his EP Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites 2010 Grey gained the confidence to use her voice from how Laura Les a trans woman manipulated her vocals in alignment with her identity 3 As well the popularity of 100 gecs affirmed to Grey that there was an audience for weird distorted and funny music 3 5 For Flood Magazine Grey listed 12 artists that had influenced Wallsocket These included The Raconteurs Sky Ferreira Jason Isbell Kwon Jin ah and Gillian Welch as well as artists she listened to during childhood In the interview she identified songwriting inspiration from Imogen Heap storytelling inspiration from Bruce Springsteen s Nebraska 1982 and conceptual inspiration from Sufjan Stevens s Michigan 2003 and Illinois 2005 7 Other Wallsocket influences include the pedal steel guitar harmonica and slide guitar involved in country music as well as the 2010s pop of Marina and the Diamonds Justin Timberlake and Kesha 5 6 For Office Grey said that Wallsocket was inspired by social commentary on the American class system within slasher films She also cited horror films set in rural America as influences like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 1974 and Bones and All 2022 35 Wallsocket s rollout was inspired by Halo 2 s ARG I Love Bees the marketing campaign for the 2008 film Cloverfield and the screenplay and short film companion to Childish Gambino s Because the Internet 2013 4 Musical style edit Grey is a producer and singer songwriter 8 26 Her music has been described as hyperpop 4 14 36 pop punk 14 36 dubstep 2 3 8 electropop 3 indie pop 13 electronica rock 2 and Midwest emo 36 Grey s early dubstep music experimented with structure due to her perception that the genre was traditionally limited to filling in a template 8 Her debut album Fishmonger is a hyperpop record with elements of rock emo pop punk indie pop ambience and dubstep 4 13 14 29 Touching on celebrity culture 27 the album drew comparisons to 1990s alt rock as well as bands like MGMT and Cobra Starship 3 Fishmonger s follow up EP Boneyard AKA Fearmonger is a fusion of pop punk dubstep drum and bass and new wave also containing ballads 3 8 Its lyrics discuss anxiety existence and generational apathy 27 and like Fishmonger it is set in a seaside New Jersey town 4 6 Grey s second album Wallsocket is primarily pop rock folk and country with punk shoegaze trap and emo influences c Some publications noted it as having moved on from hyperpop Grey calling the genre officially dead in a 2023 NME interview 4 27 29 31 Wallsocket is a Michigan set concept album about three girls navigating adulthood It involves themes of gun violence trans identity corporatization and religion d The Guardian s Aneesa Ahmed wrote that Grey has a very gen Z disregard for genre boundaries and The Fader s Jordan Darville said she has an all in approach to dissolving genre guardrails 2 31 Likewise The Line of Best Fit s Noah Simon and Matthew Kim wrote that Grey s stylistic range is vast and that she has always been known for eclecticism 13 29 Spencer Kornhaber of The Atlantic noted that Grey uses technology to sing beyond physical limits Kornhaber described her music as nonbinary both in form and in content linking it to the LGBT community 3 Nico Tripodi for Pigeons amp Planes thought that half of her appeal was her refreshing production yet behind the turbulent sonics there always lies a song that would sound just as good stripped down 12 Similarly i D s Frankie Dunn called Grey s sound nostalgic and playful 36 while Leight of Rolling Stone described her as precise about process Grey herself called the production of Boneyard AKA Fearmonger super anal and type A 8 In a DIY interview Grey said that her music tries to be serious about being tongue in cheek and in a Paste interview that she is afraid of solely retreading and instead tries to fuse many bygone sounds 4 5 For Metal she wrote that she identified with new prog pop a genre coined by her friend defining it as Conceptual prog music formatted in albums usually made by one person or a small group in their bedroom She also stated that she does not mind the often divisive hyperpop categorization 6 37 Other projects editGrey is a member of the experimental electronic collective Six Impala and the bedroom pop band Papaya amp Friends 13 36 38 She also releases music under the alias Milkfish 39 Personal life editGrey is a trans woman 4 40 She has stated that she is theistic 4 Discography editStudio albums edit List of studio albums with selected details Title Album details Fishmonger 41 42 Released March 25 2021 Label Self released Formats LP digital download streaming Wallsocket 43 Released September 22 2023 Label Corporate Rockmusic Mom Pop Music Formats LP CD digital download streaming EPs edit List of EPs with selected details Title EP details Air Freshener 44 Released August 26 2016 Label Good Enuff Formats Digital download streaming Skin Purifying Treatment 45 Released June 27 2018 Label Self released Formats Digital download streaming We Never Got Strawberry Cake 46 Released February 16 2019 Label Self released Formats Digital download streaming Character Development 47 Released January 15 2020 Label Bitbird Formats Digital download streaming Boneyard AKA Fearmonger 48 49 Released December 3 2021 Label Self released Formats LP digital download streamingNotes edit Formerly Knapsack 13 Attributed to multiple references 26 28 29 30 31 32 33 Attributed to multiple references 4 26 29 32 37 Attributed to multiple references 2 4 5 29 32 References edit Grey April Harper underscoresplus April 22 2024 24 Tweet Retrieved April 23 2024 via Twitter a b c d e f g h i j Ahmed Aneesa October 21 2023 One to watch Underscores The Guardian Archived from the original on October 21 2023 Retrieved December 27 2023 a b c d e f g h i j k l Kornhaber Spencer March 23 2022 An Artist Who Makes Me Excited About the Future of Music The Atlantic Archived from the original on March 23 2022 Retrieved August 8 2023 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Marlin Natalie December 12 2023 Inside the Immersive World of underscores Paste Archived from the original on December 17 2023 Retrieved December 29 2023 a b c d e f g h i j k l m Wright Lisa October 3 2023 Underscores on New Album Wallsocket I m Making Pop Music With the Mindset of Maths DIY Archived from the original on October 6 2023 Retrieved December 29 2023 a b c d e f Goodall Robert October 10 2023 Underscores Taking Concept to the Max Metal Archived from the original on December 29 2023 Retrieved December 29 2023 a b c Lesuer Mike September 21 2023 underscores Wallsocket Influences Playlist Flood Magazine Archived from the original on September 29 2023 Retrieved December 29 2023 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Leight Elias January 26 2022 Let s Make Producer Porn Dubstep Renegade Underscores Is Soundtracking the Apocalpyse Rolling Stone Archived from the original on January 26 2022 Retrieved August 8 2023 a b c d e f g h Rincon Alessandra March 10 2022 Underscores Is a Hyperpop Legend in the Making Ones to Watch Archived from the original on August 18 2022 Retrieved August 8 2023 Nostalgic electropop artist underscores amp director Ayodeji on their collabs Dazed December 14 2023 Archived from the original on December 15 2023 Retrieved December 29 2023 a b c underscores First Avenue Archived from the original on August 25 2023 Retrieved August 25 2023 a b c Gardner Alex Moore Jacob et al February 23 2022 Best New Artists Pigeons amp Planes Complex Networks Archived from the original on February 10 2024 Retrieved February 10 2024 a b c d e f Simon Noah January 28 2022 The best hyperpop albums of all time The Line of Best Fit Archived from the original on April 16 2023 Retrieved December 27 2023 a b c d Kornhaber Spencer December 14 2021 The 10 Best Albums of 2021 The Atlantic Archived from the original on December 14 2021 Retrieved August 8 2023 Helfand Raphael January 27 2022 underscores Everybody s dead video is an absurdist nightmare The Fader Archived from the original on January 27 2022 Retrieved December 28 2023 Robles Jonathan July 29 2022 Lolla makes triumphant start with Metallica Lil Baby Jazmine Sullivan amp more Variance Archived from the original on July 29 2022 Retrieved February 10 2024 Lollapalooza 2022 See photos from Day 1 The Pantagraph July 28 2022 Archived from the original on July 29 2022 Retrieved February 10 2024 a b Rincon Alessandra January 20 2023 underscores Says Farewell to an Era With Count of three You can eat Ones to Watch Archived from the original on January 21 2023 Retrieved August 8 2023 a b Renshaw David January 20 2023 Song You Need underscores says goodbye to the past on Count of Three You can eat The Fader Archived from the original on January 20 2023 Retrieved December 27 2023 underscores joins Mom Pop Music Mom Pop Music May 3 2023 Archived from the original on May 4 2023 Retrieved December 27 2023 Mom Pop Inks Underscores Hits Daily Double May 2 2023 Archived from the original on June 1 2023 Retrieved December 27 2023 Richardson Dupuis Emilie June 7 2023 underscores Announces Tour Shares New Single Exclaim Archived from the original on June 7 2023 Retrieved December 27 2023 Green Walden July 12 2023 underscores announces new album Wallsocket shares Locals Girls like us with gabby start The Fader Archived from the original on July 14 2023 Retrieved August 8 2023 O Connor Siobhain July 12 2023 Underscores Has Announced Her New Album Wallsocket Dork Archived from the original on July 12 2023 Retrieved December 27 2023 Taylor Sam August 17 2023 Underscores Has Released a New Single Old Money Bitch Dork Archived from the original on August 23 2023 Retrieved December 27 2023 a b c d Erickson Steve September 18 2023 Underscores Wallsocket Review Electrifyingly Unpredictable Tales of American Life Slant Magazine Archived from the original on September 20 2023 Retrieved December 27 2023 a b c d Shutler Ali September 6 2023 Underscores I think hyper pop is officially dead NME Archived from the original on September 7 2023 Retrieved December 31 2023 a b Rincon Alessandra September 27 2023 underscores Brings to the Life the World of Wallsocket Ones to Watch Archived from the original on December 31 2023 Retrieved December 31 2023 a b c d e f Kim Matthew September 20 2023 underscores pens eclectic tales of American suburbia on Wallsocket The Line of Best Fit Archived from the original on September 21 2023 Retrieved December 31 2023 Wright Lisa September 20 2023 Underscores Wallsocket DIY Archived from the original on December 31 2023 Retrieved December 31 2023 a b c New Music Friday This week s essential new albums The Fader September 22 2023 Archived from the original on September 23 2023 Retrieved December 31 2023 a b c Kornhaber Spencer December 13 2023 The 10 Best Albums of 2023 The Atlantic Archived from the original on December 13 2023 Retrieved December 31 2023 The 25 Best Electronic Albums of 2023 Paste December 13 2023 Archived from the original on December 17 2023 Retrieved December 31 2023 Taylor Sam September 19 2023 Underscores Has Booked a New Winter Headline Tour Dork Archived from the original on October 1 2023 Retrieved December 31 2023 Underscores and Jane Remover Shoot it Out Office October 26 2023 Archived from the original on January 5 2024 Retrieved January 5 2024 a b c d e Dunn Frankie January 7 2022 9 new musicians to get you through early 2022 i D Archived from the original on January 7 2022 Retrieved December 27 2023 a b Shutler Ali August 22 2023 What hyperpop did next The Face Archived from the original on September 28 2023 Retrieved January 5 2024 Lavin Will December 17 2021 Bring Me The Horizon share hyperpop remix of DiE4u NME Archived from the original on December 18 2021 Retrieved December 27 2023 a post interview q amp a with underscores Backlight Clips January 10 2024 Event occurs at 1 00 Retrieved March 30 2024 via YouTube Swaminathan Arundhati March 31 2023 8 transgender music producers who are making waves with their sounds in 2023 Splice Archived from the original on March 31 2023 Retrieved October 5 2023 fishmonger Bandcamp Archived from the original on June 26 2021 Retrieved December 28 2023 underscores fishmonger vinyl underscores plus Archived from the original on November 18 2023 Retrieved December 28 2023 Wallsocket Bandcamp Archived from the original on December 28 2023 Retrieved December 28 2023 Underscores Air Freshener SoundCloud Archived from the original on December 28 2023 Retrieved December 28 2023 skin purifying treatment SoundCloud Archived from the original on December 28 2023 Retrieved December 28 2023 we never got strawberry cake Bandcamp Archived from the original on August 9 2020 Retrieved December 28 2023 underscores character development SoundCloud Archived from the original on March 16 2021 Retrieved December 28 2023 boneyard aka fearmonger Bandcamp Archived from the original on December 3 2021 Retrieved December 28 2023 underscores boneyard aka fearmonger vinyl underscores plus Archived from the original on November 18 2023 Retrieved December 28 2023 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Underscores musician amp oldid 1224894027, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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