Interview with Gary Robert and Community on the new album "The Whispering"
- Eryk The Strange
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
We caught up with Gary from Gary Robert and Community about their new album "The Whispering".
Q: Introduce yourself to the readers
A: Gary Robert and Community are a postpunk band from Cape Girardeau, Missouri with dark punk, goth, and death rock influences. Their sound is dark, moody and intense with driving rhythms, atmospheric guitars and baritone vocals. They explore themes of mortality, existential crises, and social commentary. Established in 2008 by Gary Robert (vocals, guitar, songwriting), Brandon Glenn (drums), Chris Talley (bass) joined in 2022.
Discography:
Curse of Siam 2016
Isolation 2018
Open Wide 2020
Black Palette 2022
The Whispering 2026
Q: What made you decide to call your band “Gary Robert and Community”?
A: The band was originally called Community, but that wasn’t very internet friendly. Things like community band shells and events would pop up.
Brandon suggested that we call it Gary Robert and Community since I write and sing the songs
and it would be good for copyright purposes.
Q: How did you first get into darker music?
A: I started getting into darker music in the early 80s.
I was listening to bands like The Cure, Sisters of Mercy, Bauhaus, The Idiot by Iggy etc. and before that even songs like Paint It Black and Gimme Shelter by the Stones.
Q: What inspired you to start making your own music?
A: I started writing songs when I was a child. Having artistic talents I wanted to create something tangible.
Q: What is the most challenging and most rewarding parts of being a musician
A: The most challenging thing is dealing with technology, the most rewarding is writing a good song and performing it live.
Q: Is there much of a music scene in Missouri?
A: In Missouri the music scene is mostly Metal and Pop Punk. There isn’t much of a scene for darker music. We do have a loyal group of fans who follow us and show up for shows.
Q: Was the release date for The Whispering just convenient, or did it have some sort of significance?
A: I originally wanted to release it on Friday 13, but that date wasn’t convenient. So it was released a week later.
Q: How long was this album in the works?
A: Our previous album “Black Palette”, was released in 2022. I started writing right after that. I’m always writing. The songs I was writing didn’t feel right for The Whispering, so I kept on writing. I eventually wound up writing two albums worth of music. Singles for the next album will come out later this year. Shout Drums Dance I wrote in the mid 80s’. It was going to be the title track for The Twilight Idols second album. That album was never recorded, but it was perfect for this album.
Q: How did you decide the track order?
A: For me it is all about flow.
Q: Tell us about the cover art.
A: The cover art is one of my art pieces. I am an abstract artist.
Q: Is there an overall theme or story behind this album?
Many of the songs explore themes of mortality, existential crisis, and social commentary.
Q: What was the inspiration for the track “Shout Drums Dance?
A: I was living in LA in the 80’s with my wife and children. My wife and I formed the band “The Twilight Idols”. We published a vinyl album and played in the LA clubs. To me Shout Drums Dance captured the feel of the city at that time.
Q: Was that a door creaking open at the beginning of the song “Litany of Omens”?
A: Yes that was a door opening at the beginning of “Litany of Omens”. I recorded it on my phone.
The song is about walking into a church. Years ago when I used to go to church it seemed like the doors always squeaked.
Q: What made you decide to use a heart beat type sound and bits of feedback in “The Whispering”?
A: The song is about insomnia. When laying in bed at 3:00 am the silence is deafening, it is almost like you can hear your heart beating. As for the feedback, that represents an inner scream and a release of emotion.
Q: Describe the most interesting venue bathroom you’ve visited.
A: Probably the Creepy Crawl, it was a venue in STL. The bathroom had no doors and people walking by could see in.
Q: Do you have any words of wisdom for our readers?
A: I don’t think I have any words of wisdom to share. I would suggest do what you love even if you don’t feel like it at the time. If you’re lucky it will turn into a fun time.
If you enjoyed reading this, make sure you head on over to Bandcamp and pick up a copy of this album, and their other works!
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