[Interview] Exclusive interview with Norwegian band Dim Gray

Dear readers, we are pleased to offer you in this article an interview with a Norwegian band that has come to the fore in recent years with a Progressive and Art Rock sound and a new album out. We welcome Dim Gray.

Ho, welcome to our pages, how are you?

Tom: “We are good, thank you!

The project was formed about 5 years ago, how did the band come about and the choice of the name Dim Gray?

Tom: “Actually, Dim Gray was formed in early 2013, so we’ve existed for a while. In the early days we spent a lot of time playing local shows, writing music and honing in on the sound we wanted. We also had sort of a break for a few years where some of us focused on other projects, but by the end of 2017 we were all fully committed again and focused on writing the material for what would become our debut album “Flown’


You offer a mixture of Progressive and Art Rock, with contaminations of other genres and styles, how did your passion for these sounds come about?

Tom: “I think a band should strive to make music they enjoy playing, or would enjoy listening to as a fan. That has always been a starting point for us when creating music. All five of us have pretty diverse music tastes and experiences from different genres, and I think that is evident in our music. It’s a blend of a lot of things that somehow kinda ended up being its own style.

In this regard, what are your main sources of inspiration?

Tom: “As mentioned, we have pretty diverse tastes and backgrounds in music and there are few overlapping bands and artists that we all like. This might also be the reason that our music often can be hard to describe or label, both by others and by ourselves. By combining everything that we are and everything we bring to the table, I think we’ve created a sound that hopefully people will find memorable and unique. So I think it’s hard to point to some specific bands or genres as a main source of inspiration. But as to what we listen to, it’s everything from Everly Brothers to Cannibal Corpse.


Your new album “Shards” will be released in February 2025, how would you describe this work?

Oskar: “I think ‘Shards’ is our most direct album yet. It doesn’t hold back, and the ambition, I think, is plain to see. Where our previous albums were quite contemplative, I think this album could perhaps be more engaging at first listen, while still providing ample detail to reward repeated listening.

There are a couple of firsts on this album. Most importantly, it’s the first album to include our new members Milad Amouzegar and Kristian Kvaksrud, who have added a new dimension to our sound. Even though the album was self-produced, just like our previous two, the process felt a bit different this time around as a five-piece. It is also the first album that I have mixed and mastered, meaning we retained complete control over our sound. Finally, it’s the first Dim Gray album to feature another artist: the tremendous singer Vaarin features as a guest singer on Myopia.”

Do instrumental and vocal parts intertwine, what themes do the lyrics deal with?

Oskar: “Seven of the songs on Shards are about change; some are about losing someone (Feathers), or letting someone go (Peril, Mooneater). A couple of them are about overcoming a harmful relationship (Little One, Shards From A Broken Crown), and another two are about conflict (Myopia, Murals). These seven songs are bookended by two songs that each occupy the extreme end of a stasis: Defiance uses the myth of Sisyphus eternally rolling a boulder up a hill as a metaphor for futility, and defiance in the face of that futility. Attakulla is a story about the unwillingness to take on a challenge, to climb the mountain, putting off action by forever probing for the best way to solve the problem.

An elaborate and intense sound, incorporating elements of different genres, how does the creative process of your music take place?

Tom: “Oskar and HĂ„kon are the main songwriters in the band. They will bring us anything from an idea, to a full fledged pre-production, and we’ll listen, give notes and jam, arrange and develop the songs further.


Many of our readers and your fans wonder if there will be a chance to hear your music live. Do you have plans in this regard for the near future?

Milad: “I’m incredibly excited to bring the music from our new album to life on stage. We’re currently working on booking concerts throughout 2025, both in Norway and internationally. While we’re not quite ready to announce anything yet, we’re actively putting the plans together. So far, we’ve confirmed our album release concert in Oslo on March 1st and our participation in the We LĂ„ve Rock’s Marillion Weekend Oslo Kickoff Party on June 12th.

You have had the honour of supporting live bands like Marillion and Big Big Train, what memories do you have of those experiences?

Tom: “For the band and for me personally, supporting Marillion and Big Big Train was a milestone. Getting invited not once, but twice to a Marillion Weekend was unprecedented, and we are truly honored to currently be the only band to play a weekend twice. Also, I have to mention the great guys in Big Big Train and the crew we traveled with. They were all superb people, and we had a blast touring with them! Lastly, I need to mention all the fans we’ve met along the way. Their kind words and support has meant alot and it has been a true pleasure making their acquaintance.” 


Norway has established itself as a major exporter of good music, how do you see today’s scene in your country as far as your sounds are concerned?

Tom: “There seems to be a lot of renowned bands in the same musical landscape as us, with bands like Airbag, Meer, Leprous, Wobbler and Gazpacho. However, I’m not sure the Norwegian audience is as enthusiastic and engaged for this music as they are in other parts of Europe, which is why we, and probably some of the other bands mentioned, might have a bigger following outside Norway.


What advice would you give to young artists approaching music with sounds like yours?

Oskar: “Do the thing that you can find yourself getting completely lost in, where the hours fly by without you noticing. Do whatever it is that really excites you, that you think is fun and that gives you meaning. You might not consider that thing the “correct” way to learn or play, but spending time on whatever it is you really want to spend time on is in many cases the most important thing you can do for yourself and your career, I think. Because you will spend more time doing that than something you force yourself to do, and you will put more of your personality into it. For me, that thing was writing and producing music, but it will be different depending on who you ask. There’s a place for all kinds of different talents within music.

Technology can be an added value as well as take away space from the artist, how do you see this new development of Digital and AI in music?

Oskar: “When it comes to the creative side of the digital revolution in music, I first and foremost see it as a democratisation of music production. Anyone with access to a computer can create and release their own music, and I think that is great. If it wasn’t for that, there probably wouldn’t exist any Dim Gray albums. When it comes to music consumption, I think streaming is great in theory, and great for the consumer; but in practice there will always be business people ready to exploit musicians, just like the record labels used to do (and in some cases continue to do, of course). There is hardly any money to be earned from streaming, and that will remain the case until more strict international regulations are in place.

Creatively, I don’t fear AI in music; I think many people will continue to want to listen to music by other people, precisely for the fact that it comes from another human being. It’s about connection and lived experiences. But one thing about AI that has started to worry me is how artificial music is completely flooding streaming sites, and is streamed by fake accounts. It seems like the streaming system can be relatively straightforward to exploit financially with AI; and it’s easy to get lost in the noise.

Do you have any other artistic activities or passions outside of music?

Tom: “It may not be an artistic passion, but a passion nonetheless. I collect comic books and try to find comics when I’m visiting other countries. So touring with Big Big Train was a great opportunity to find comics from the countries we visited in Europe, an opportunity I did not forego!

I thank the band for the interview and wish them all the best for the release of their new album and the continuation of their artistic career.

“Shards” is available here: https://linktr.ee/dimgraymusic

Dim Gray |Official Website|Bandcamp|Facebook Page|X (Twitter)|Instagram|Spotify|YouTube Channel|

Author: Jacopo Vigezzi

1 thought on “[Interview] Exclusive interview with Norwegian band Dim Gray

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *