New York, NY (Top40 Charts) NYC-based Gramercy Arms presents 'After the After Party', a wistful, happy-sad power pop gem about chances missed and taken. Following up their 2023 album 'Deleted Scenes', this is the first taste of their fourth album 'The Making Of the Making Of', to be released via Magic Door Record Label.
Gramercy Arms is a revolving collective of musicians and artists, masterminded by Dave Derby (The Dambuilders,
Lloyd Cole) and producer Ray Ketchem (Elk City, Guided By Voices, Luna).
This single features longtime collaborators
Kevin March (Guided by Voices, Shudder to Think, The Dambuilders), Hilken Mancini (Fuzzy, the Monsieurs), Rainy Orteca (Joan As
Police Woman, Dead Air) and Mike Errico.
Produced, recorded and mixed by Ray Ketchem at Magic Door Recording in Montclair, NJ, this record was mastered by Ketchem and award-winning engineer Greg Calbi (John Lennon,
David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Talking Heads, Patti Smith, Tom Petty).
The video for 'After The After Party', created by Max Skaff, features members
Jessie Kilguss, Renée LoBue, Richard Alwyn Fisher, Ray Ketchem, Dave Derby, Sean Eden, Gary Burton, Claudia Chopek, Lysa Opfer, and Phoebe Summersquash set against the backdrop of late-night footage of Manhattan and Brooklyn.
"I had the tune and general structure of the song lying around for a long time. For a long time I had the opening line 'Do you suppose the door was already closed?" and the general vibe of the song but not much else. The song title and lyrical concept came for me while sitting at a bar in Brooklyn and overhearing a group of people talk about what they were going to do after an afterparty they were attending that night. I thought that that was a great title and general concept to anchor the song around. The song is about two people who've been chasing after each other for years but the stars never align until this one fated night where they are chasing after some magic that has been eluding them," says Dave Derby.
"The "somewhere out on along the seven" line in the middle eight came from another overheard comment I wrote in a notebook somewhere. "Where does she live?" "Somewhere out on the 7 … in Queens". I played the guitar solo, thinking it was a placeholder but Ray Ketchem,
Kevin March and I fell in love with it and kept it."
Inspired by the artistic heyday of '70s and '80s-era New York City, Gramercy Arms makes addictive indie pop - exquisite hook-laden melodies filled with lyrics that will have you floating back in time and remembering your favorite mistake.
As of February 21, 'After The After Party' will be available across online platforms, such as Apple Music, Spotify, Bandcamp and elsewhere. 'The Making Of the Making Of' album will be released on April 26 and is now available for pre-order.
Written by Dave Derby (Passive Aggressive
Music BMI)
Kevin March - drums
Stephen Hurley - bass
Mike Errico - guitars
Dave Derby - main vocals, guitars
Hilken Mancini - backing vocals
Recorded at the Magic Door Studio, Montclair, NJ
Engineered, Mixed and Produced by Ray Ketchem
Mastered by Greg Calibi and Ray Ketchem
'After The After Party' video by Max Skaff
Dave Derby photos by Debora Francis
TRACK LIST:
1. After the After Party
2. Pilot Light
3. The Making Of the Making Of
4. Alaska
5. Never
Say Anything (Acoustic)
6. Lux
7. Susan
8. Don't Respond She Can Tell
9. The Long Game
