Interview with Cody Hess of Greymarch

April 07, 2023

Interview with Cody Hess of Greymarch

By Mick Michaels

The Cosmick View: Hello, and welcome to The Cosmick View/MBM Ten Pounder! Thanks for taking some time to chat with us!
Cody Hess: Thanks for having me! It’s a pleasure to have the opportunity to talk about Greymarch.

CV: Describe your definition of your sound and style and how does that definition uniquely describe the music?
CH: Greymarch is a melodic metalcore project for fans of Wage War, Fit For A King, and I Prevail, led by husband, father, and video game enthusiast Cody Hess. Some might say it’s metalcore for gamer nerds.

CV: Today, everyone talks about artist and audience connection. Is such a level of connection actually achievable for an artist and if so, how have you made the connection to your fans?
CH: I find that many music fans…myself included, grow to idolize the artists whose message is most impactful to them. And then, to dig deeper and find out that the artist is a real person just like them is a huge humanizing factor. I think showing humility is one of the most widely-appreciated facets of building a fanbase. How better to connect with your audience than to just be real?

CV: Is fan interaction an important part of your inner culture?
CH: Absolutely. I work very hard to create music that is impactful and relatable - why wouldn’t I want to relate to the people who relate to it? I see bands and artists that are so aloof and self-important that it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth, as I’m not alone.

CV: Can a band truly interact with its fans and still maintain a level of personal privacy without crossing the line and giving up their “personal space” in your opinion?
CH: Of course, with anything, there has to be boundaries. For instance, I believe in treating fans as friends. But I wouldn’t allow friends to detract from my family, and as a husband and father, my family is the most important thing to me in the world. I think it’s entirely possible to engage with fans without sacrificing that personal space.

CV: Is music, and its value, viewed differently around the world in your opinion? If so, what do you see as the biggest difference in such multiple views among various cultures?
CH: I believe that music is universally valued - it’s a universal language. But at the same time, it’s so culturally diverse around the world that different styles, sounds, genres of music all have their places. And I’ve seen it used for so many different purposes in different settings. Music can be used as a form of entertainment, or a form of worship, or even as a way to get your energy up for working out. That’s why I feel so many people are drawn to it.

CV: Do you feel that a band that has an international appeal, will tend to connect more so to American audiences? Would they be more enticed or intrigued to see the band over indigenous acts because of the foreign flavor?
CH: That’s a tough question! In this digital age, I don’t think distance is really as much of a factor. I think appeal comes down more to relatability. Electric Callboy comes to mind, for me. I see them first as a highly entertaining “party metal” kind of band, and second as an international act.

CV: Has modern-day digital technology made everyone an artist on some level in your opinion? Have the actual lines of what really is an artist been blurred?
CH: I believe that modern technology hasn’t created more artists; it’s only created more visibility to art. A person drawing intriguing doodles on restaurant napkins had limited ability to share it with the world before the digital age, but these days you just gotta post it! I believe, however, that it is just as true now as then that the cream rises to the top. If the restaurant napkin doodle belongs in the trash, it’s no more a piece of art today than it’s ever been

CV: How would you describe the difference between an artist who follows trends and one who sets them?
CH: I’d say, a trendsetter is an artist who forges their own path, and an artist who follows trends sticks to what’s known and safe. However, I think that for every artist who is successful at having a unique voice and setting trends, there are a thousand artists who do their own thing and fail to gain traction because it just doesn’t resonate. Whereas the artists who follow trends unfortunately have a higher success rate, because the tried-and-true has been proven to resonate.

CV: Has music overall been splintered into too many sub-genres in an effort to appease fan tastes in your opinion? And has such fan appeasements, in actuality, weakened music’s impact as a whole by dividing audiences?
CH: It seems to me that the diversity of music only strengthen’s music’s impact as a whole. I think that sub-genre’s are just a way of putting a spotlight on different aspects of a genre that appeal to different fans. For a time, it seemed there was a palpable division between different sub-genre’s. “Real metalheads” weren’t allowed to like metalcore, etc. But I think much of that kind of stigma has been left in the past, and we are coming into a time where people just like what they like.

CV: What can fans expect to see coming next from you?
CH: Greymarch’s next single “Bite the Bullet” comes out March 10th. It’s an energetic and catchy song about those who shy away from hard work and dedication.

CV: Thanks again for taking some time and talking. It is greatly appreciated.
CH: Thank you for having me. It was invigorating to talk about some of the deeper concepts of the music industry that don’t often get covered!

Check out Greymarch at:

https://www.greymarchband.com

https://youtube.com/@greymarchband

https://instagram.com/greymarchband

https://facebook.com/greymarchband

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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, show host, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word. Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.