Marking their first new music of 2024, Grayscale has shared the heart-on-your-sleeve, deeply personal ballad “Mum II,” a follow-up to “Mum” featured on the group’s 2017 debut full-length album Adornment.
“This is a love song about my mother,” vocalist Collin Walsh explains of the release. “Her and I have had a difficult relationship for a long time for many reasons. We didn’t speak for about 5 years at one point in my late teens/early twenties. As I have gotten older, I have felt my youthful anger towards her turn into a mixture of forgiveness, understanding, love, and protectiveness. This song is a follow-up to ‘Mum,’ a track on one of our earlier records where the lyrics are about my pain and frustration with her.”
He continues, “Many of the lyrics in ‘Mum II’ call back to specific details/imagery of the previous song’s story as well as other Grayscale songs that involve her. I found myself not wanting to play ‘Mum’ live anymore, I think out of an emotional protectiveness and empathy towards what she has been through, her struggles, and her problems. As this feeling grew, I eventually wanted to replace the song with one that reflects how I feel now and how our relationship has grown.”
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Opening through a gentle, sweeping piano and the delicate echoes of Walsh’s voice imbued with an apologetic vulnerability. He croons, “Ma, you were in my sleep again/Like a kaleidoscope/Colors back in your face/You looked at peace and beautiful.” As the instrumentation builds, Walsh reflects a more emotional narrative that goes beyond the mother-son dynamic. He sings, “I wish I was there/Whеn he put his hands on you.” As the music crescendos and swells to its climax, Walsh’s vocal intensity rises, and the track exudes a hopeful tonality. Watch the accompanying video for “Mum II” below.
Grayscale will support Boys Like Girls this summer beginning on July 16 in Richmond, VA. You can check out their full touring schedule below and grab tickets here.
Tour Dates:
- July 16—Richmond, VA @ The National
- July 17—Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa
- July 19—Knoxville, TN @ The Concourse @ The International
- July 21—Pensacola, FL @ Vinyl Music Hall
- July 23—Athens, GA @ Georgia Theatre
- July 25—Charleston, SC @ Music Farm
- July 26—North Myrtle Beach, SC @ HOB Myrtle Beach
- July 27—Greensboro, NC @ Piedmont Hall
- July 28—Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel