Tommy Gleeson of Slaves To Gravity. Interview feature.
The tall, slender, androgynous figure standing before me belongs to Tommy Gleeson. Lead singer and rhythm guitarist for post-grunge band Slaves To Gravity, Tommy has finally settled. Having gone from an 80’s revival carbon copy of The Darkness to a modern band with a purpose, Tommy reveals his concerns with past bands, learning lessons and tells us all about his new album.
‘It was really death by natural causes. We all grew up together in The Ga* Ga*’s and eventually we outgrew the whole idea’ Tommy gazes into his coffee cup whilst slowly explaining the reasons behind the demise of his previous band The Ga* Ga*’s. ‘When our guitar player left, it felt like the right time to start over with a clean slate, taking into consideration all the lessons we had learnt in the last 5 years’.
All lessons aside, the jump from genre to genre was never going to be an easy one. With the loss of a guitarist to contend with and a complete new page being turned, the all new Slaves To Gravity had a lot on their plate. But as always, every cloud has a silver lining. ‘It allowed us to shake off the stigma that we were a cock-rock 80’s revival band and become something a lot more contemporary and credible’ he remembers. Though the change left the band feeling bright eyed and bushy tailed, the fans didn’t feel quite the same. Many dropped by the wayside, outgrowing the music in the same way that the band did but the few Ga* Ga* fans who did remain most certainly made themselves known ‘We still get people requesting Ga* Ga*’s songs at Slaves To Gravity shows now and again, but those people better not hold their breath’ Tommy laughs, rolling his eyes.
While The Ga* Ga*s were near enough indistinguishable, being just like every other band in their genre, Slaves To Gravity came out with something completely new. Reminiscent of Stone Temple Pilots, with their post grunge twists on alternative rock, Slaves were noticed instantaneously. Forming in 2006, releasing their (very successful) debut album Scatter The Crow in 2008 and picking up the K! Best British Newcomer award in 2009, they were on a winning streak. ‘It was a huge surprise and we had a great night feeling like the triumphant underdogs, but it doesn’t really mean anything. I’d rather hear a packed room singing our lyrics back to us and have an empty trophy cabinet.’
Though it wasn’t all about having the award, the benefits were a definite bonus. Kerrang! took Slaves To Gravity under their musical wing, creating a whole new fan base. ‘We’ve always had a real mixed bag when it comes to fans. We get people young and old, black and white, straight, gay and just totally uncategorizable at our shows. But our music seems to appeal more to people who love melody and songs, rather than haircuts and one-liners’. Shuffling in his chair, Tommy thinks over this particular sudden wave of media attention. Learning to treat the media with caution is something all bands will have to learn how to do as one false move can ruin a career. ‘It’s always a double-edged sword and you are never safe. You should choose your words carefully because what you say in the heat of the moment can often be misrepresentative when things have cooled down.’ Remaining on this topic, Tommy mulls over thoughts of how the media has portrayed him. ‘I suppose I’ve always felt we are a little bit misunderstood, but perhaps we have to take responsibility for that to some extent.’ Slaves To Gravity’s ‘old school’ approach to music means that at times they stumble when it comes to visual direction, which is a main part of today’s musical society. Tommy drops in to deep thought for a while, only returning to the surface to deliver one last quote on the subject ‘There’s also the fact that we blend a lot in to different influences in what we do, musically and visually and I guess it leaves some people unsure of where to hang their hat…where to file us, so to speak.’
With such a smooth start, there had to be a hiccup coming up somewhere for the Slaves. With plans for their second album at the end of 2008 shot down due to finance problems at their label ‘Gravitas’ and a series of changes in the bands original line up, it wasn’t looking good. ‘We had to borrow a lot of money to make UnderWaterOuterSpace…We’re still in a lot of debt, but we have been blessed by the great benevolence of some very dedicated and kind people.’ Tommy once again closes his eyes, completely immersing himself in his own thoughts, ‘The music business has changed so much in recent years that it’s very difficult for a band like us to survive. It’s very hard to balance your honest, naked ambition and the realities of the world we live in without burning out.’ However, 2 years later we finally see the release of UnderWaterOuterSpace, which will be available to buy on April 18th. ‘It’s the culmination of 2 years of hard work, tenacity and extreme patience and it’s a great feeling to finally share it with the world.’ Viewing UWOS as a huge step forward, Tommy believes the band dug deep, unearthing a sound that they could finally call their own. ‘On Scatter The Crow, I feel like we wore our influences on our sleeves.’
With that being said, the influences for the album aren’t so clear. With the writing still coming from the thoughts which rattle around Tommy’s head and the music coming from the band as group, it’s clear it’s a very personal album. ‘I wrote about some very personal things that I would imagine would have been difficult for my family to hear as well as things that were buried so deep in me I didn’t even know what they were until the songs were complete.’ Tommy laughs as he comments on how he wanted the album to be a full of ‘textures and shades, rather than a punch-you-in-the-face type of record’.
For those of you hoping to catch Slaves To Gravity at one of this summer’s festivals then you could be lucky. Frequenting the festival circuit almost every year, it seems it’s only right for them to be gracing a field near you soon. ‘I can’t confirm anything for you yet as it’s all a work in progress’ Tommy laughs, winking. ‘We are lining up some supports with the likes of Papa Roach and Buckcherry to name a couple, as well as some festival dates for the summer!’ Tommy then proves then he clearly has his head screwed on correctly ‘We’re just trying to pick the right gigs and be smart about how we tour, because we know from experience that if you’re not, you come home broke…having made no real headway.’ Having worked their way up from the very bottom, Slaves To Gravity are no stranger to any type of stage. He laughs as he comments on how the tour with the Black Spiders was ‘a little more basic and even grim at times’ in comparison to the stages they’ve shared with the likes of Alter Bridge and Lacuna Coil but at the end of the day ‘a stage is a stage’.
With everything said and done, Tommy and I cast our thoughts to the future. Looking towards where they’ll be as a band in 5 years, Tommy drops once again in to complete silence. A good 5 minutes later he comes back to life, replying ‘I honestly don’t know.’ A few more minutes of silence later he once again replies with a faint smile ‘If we’re still making records and playing gigs I’ll be happy. The hope is always that we’ll be able to do that on a grander scale, reaching more people and making enough money to simply keep going.’
