LATEST: NEW XMAS SINGLE FOR 2023 ‘A STUPID CHRISTMAS’ released 1/12/23 on Green or red vinyl 7″ and Digital.
WHO ARE THE SENSIBLE GRAY CELLS?
It’s…
Captain Sensible – electric and acoustic guitars, lead and backing vocals, and interesting noises
Paul Gray – bass and assorted string things.
Martin Parrott – drums
Who, what and why are The Sensible Gray Cells?
Captain:- Paul Gray and myself being garage-psych aficionados would prefer to hear more of this kind of music and this is our contribution to the cause. If I said that some of the songs were ‘Damned rejects’ that shouldn’t be seen as an indication of inferior songwriting.. more that they’re not wearing the right shirt.
A Postcard From Britain came out in 2013. What have you been up to since then?
Captain:- I’ve never been a prolific writer.. being a lazy so and so I think it’s best to wait for inspiration to call.. which explains the 7 year gap..( how many albums could the Beatles have crammed in that period!) but in the meantime PAul Gray rejoined the Damned and we’ve gigged about a bit, which is always fun CAN WE HAVE GIGS BACK AGAIN PLEASE!!!
Martin – Recorded two albums with The Weird Things. An album and singles with Johnny Moped. Writing and recording with Maxine who’s adding piano and BV’s to the SGC album.. Also recording drums for the AKA the Syndicate… And plenty of gigs...!
A Postcard From Britain was a snapshot of modern life. Does the new album cover similar themes or have you taken a new direction?
Captain :- It’s sad that high streets around the world have been destroyed by online shopping but nobody’s forcing people to do it.. but what can you do. These are very strange times were living though –
I just count myself lucky to have been around to witness the 2nd half of the 20th century.. a fab time for music, culture, ideas.. and that without even mentioning Benny Hill and On The Buses. The new album coincides with all this virus malarky.. which, unpleasant as it is will undoubtedly be used by the powers that be to tighten the screws on us little people on behalf of their billionaire paymasters. Blah blah, etc.
There’s a bit of that hidden away in the album.
Where and when did you record the album?
Captain:- With Rich from King Kurt.. he’s got a studio in sunny Reigate (with a nice pub across the road) where we got together to see what material was on the go.. the answer was quite a lot of unfinished songs.. so the band spent the next few months on and off knocking diwn the best stuff (and a fair few pints of Timothy Taylor’s Landlord bitter) – and aiming at 10 – 12 tracks (ending up with 14). and there’s a fair bit of variety in there too. But the overriding criterion for inclusion had to be a strong, memorable melody. The Sensible Gray Whistle Test if you like.
This is the first album with Moped drummer Marty, what’s it like working with him?
Captain:- During last year’s tour Me and Paul agreed that Marty made the Mopeds sound fabulous.. so he was the obvious choice when it came to asking someone to join the band. He also sings.. which is good.. in fact the only thing to his detriment is his choice (as a South Londoner) of football team.
Which is best – punk, prog, or psych-pop?
Captain:- Yes.. all of those, mixed together in a steaming pot of wackiness and delivered with a English accent as exemplified by Syd Barrett and Ray Davies. I’m sure theres lots of wonderful modern pop music being made.. but if the piped garbage they play in supermarkets is anything to go by it won’t be joining classics like the Beach Boys and T Rex in my record collection. End of rant!
We at Damaged Goods are extremely pleased to be working with The Sensible Gray Cells! We released a 7″ single in July 2020 – “So Long” c/w “What’s The Point of Andrew?” Available on three different colours – red (300) and grey (300) for mail-order, and a clear version (400) for shops only. Would you believe the damn thing got to number five in the vinyl singles chart!
If you missed out on the single don’t worry, both tracks are featured on the band’s forthcoming album Get Back Into The World, which is due for release on Damaged Goods on November 27th 2020. The title track of the album will also feature on a 7″ single (out 23/10) with an exclusive B-side. We know you love singles, and we want to have another go at getting in the charts! Bring it on!
