In 2020, The Frst’s Mikei Gray, a Nashvillian, released a debut record documenting all his struggles coping with the aftermath of a devastating tornado, when the pandemic shortly followed with even more terror. Today, he is finally reclaiming his stability with a cathartic, confessional new song, “This is Me Now.”
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The track features alternative singer Kid Brunswick rapping over a funky, slap bass line, a style that Gray developed as a kid, paired with gothy, Deftones-sounding textures from Gray’s sultry vocals. The single introduces The Frst’s forthcoming sophomore album, This Never Happened. Written, performed, and recorded by Gray the new material again welcomes producers Steve Hardy and Andy VanDette as engineers, who also produced The Frst’s debut LP, Prelude, which featured singles like “Ammo” and “Tarantino.”
“Ironically, the funk bass riff of ‘This Is Me Now’ was written during the same session as ‘Ammo’, which are both bass driven songs,” Gray tells American Songwriter. “Growing as a human being rather than as a musician this time, getting healthier and improving my mental state, is what inspired the lyrical content. Honestly though, I’ve always loved all styles of music and I think even if I’m writing a funk-pop song there will still be rock undertones. I think you could argue there’s a little bit of a goth and psychedelic feel in this song as well.”
Writing and recording on a solo basis, Gray executes complete skill and whimsy for his craft with a superb ingenuity for creating sounds and diverse tonal palettes.
“Co-writing can be truly wonderful, but sometimes it can also iron out all the uniqueness of an idea,” Gray said. “I came up with the idea using my Boss Rc-300 looper, starting with the slap bass over a basic drum loop. Then I set the bass down and picked up the guitar, which is actually what plays the Wurlitzer sounding lines.”
The additional instrumentation remained very organic, featuring live drums recorded on Gray’s Ludwig kit, which he purposely did not loop, avoiding any digital trends that would coincide with snap or click tracks. “It had more groove than a programmed beat,” Gray says, “which was scary considering we live in a programmed world.”
Laying on top of the groovy slap bass line, that steers the brief minute-and-a-half album opener, is Gray’s soft, sultry, playful vocals boasting a narrative about growth, living in the moment, and embracing your identity all while living through an unprecedented pandemic.
“Each line in the first verse is essentially just a different truth taken away from all the experiences we had during the pandemic,” Gray said about the song. “When Prelude was released, it was rough moving seven times in six months amidst the craziness of the pandemic. I learned a lot about myself, my surroundings, and the world. And I’m incredibly grateful for the friends, family and fans that helped us through that time period.”
“‘This Is Me Now’ is all about reclaiming your personal power, based on the strength, competence, and confidence, that you gradually acquire throughout life,” he adds. “It’s an attitude or state of mind, not an attempt to maneuver or control others. You’ll often hear people comment on what someone is ‘going through’. This song is a testament to that, as in ‘I’m not going through anything—This Is Me Now!’”
Kid Brunswick added the swagger needed to elevate the track to a celebratory level—a natural collaboration selection since Gray had previously worked on Brunswick’s track, “Bipolar Rhapsody.” Brunswick also played major role on influencing Gray’s own vocal and lyrical style.
“His music both lyrically and tonally really spoke to me through some tough time,” Gray said about Brunswick. “He just bares his soul for all to hear, whether it was about his past addictions, his current mental state, or anything else, he really encouraged me to open up and do the same.
“He brought his soulful voice but also this incredible vibe that is uniquely his own,” Gray adds. “His vocals were all double tracked in London, the same day I sent him the song. I still can’t believe he’s on the track, singing words I scribbled down. It’s just the coolest thing to me and still blows my mind.”
More alluring singles like “Small Talk” are soon to follow, revealing more from This Never Happened. But for now, The Frst leads with “This is me Now” in hopes that fans and first-time listeners alike will feel something-anything in a time when human connection and unity is limited and missed, while also reminding people to never give up because dreams can come true.
“Life is so fragile,” Gray says. “I really want our listeners to know how special it is to be alive right now, even if you’re hurting, because I’ve seen it time and time again, just when things get going —BOOM— it’s all gone. And I hope to inspire others to do what we’re doing. Having a vision and just going for it, no matter what your family, friends, or even record label say. If you just don’t give up—maybe, just maybe you can make a positive difference in the world and on those around you.”
