When I heard that Edgehill was releasing their its album, I felt not only a sense of excitement for new music but also a sense of pride in watching people my age reach goals they have been working toward, especially as members of the Vanderbilt community. Its debut album, “Ode to the Greyhouse” was released Feb. 13.
Edgehill began when Chris Kelly and Jake Zimmermann met on Peabody Lawn at Vanderbilt, and has since grown into a Nashville trio with Aidan Cunningham on drums, Kelly on lead vocals and guitar, and Zimmermann on lead guitar and vocals. After years of touring and steadily releasing singles, its debut album, “Ode to the Greyhouse,” feels like a full circle moment in watching something that started on campus fully come into its own.
Kelly sat down with The Hustler to talk through the making of “Ode to the Greyhouse,” the identity they feel they have found in the process and what this debut album means to them.
“Drone Song”
The song opens with punchy electric guitar strums reminiscent of early 2000s rock. There is a perfect mix of pining, emotional vocals with the intrusions of grungy rock instrumentals. This is a very fitting way to open the album, as it represents the sound and identity Edgehill has built with this new release. The lyrics demand close attention to fully grasp just how specific and offbeat they are. The line, “No I’m not a hero but I’ve got a drone / And I’m gonna free the retirement home,” paired with the seamless shift from indie textures to heavier rock moments, makes it feel unmistakably Edgehill.
“I hope that people gain an understanding of who they’re listening to. I’d love for someone to hear the record and think, okay, I have an idea of what this band is now,” Kelly said.
“Doubletake”
Released as a single before the album, “Doubletake” became massively popular on alternative radio and increased visibility for the band. I think a large part of Edgehill’s surge in popularity is due to the relatability of their lyrics, as they wrestle with self-doubt and the difficult questions that arise when trying to get over something or someone. The song works through those emotions by beginning with soft vocals that build through fun guitar riffs into an energetic break as they belt, “It’s okay, I got it / I’m breaking out the coffin / It’s alright, I’m dotted / I’m breaking out, I’m conscious.” In that moment, the tone shifts from uncertainty to a kind of self-hyping reassurance.
“‘Doubletake’ was an important song to us because it kind of tied together all the songs we had written for the album that we didn’t necessarily feel were super cohesive yet,” Kelly said. “It has a nostalgic element, grunge, slacker rock, even post-punk, and a strong, dynamic chorus. You can never go wrong with big hits in a chorus; that always gets people’s attention. I think all of that played a role in why people connected with it.”
“lol”
With this next track, Edgehill slows it down with an anxiety-riddled song about someone who has dissociated and is about to leave a relationship. The beginning repeated beat of this song is anxiety-building. Meanwhile, the vocals become more tense at the ends of lines with a stressed emphasis on some, making it haunting and nerve-racking. This song is a calm respite from much of the album, as it is more of a direct sad song rather than its typical juxtaposition of edgier instrumentals and vulnerable lyrics.
“Love to Go”
This is a huge switch from “lol,” opening with a very fast, upbeat, almost racing energy. Instead of bowing down or mulling over feelings, this song takes on a resilient tone. It is essentially telling someone who messed with you to leave. The “whoa” vocal improvisations are so nostalgic and ’90s, adding to that punchy feel. Lines like “You build me up to break me down / Then wonder why I’m not around” are just so real. It’s a peppier, danceable song on the surface, but it has heavy lyrics layered underneath, especially in “But you will never know how much you made me miserable.” At the end, there are lived-in sound recordings of friends talking, something that appears throughout the album, making it feel even more personal.
“The album sounding lived-in is the goal. There are a lot of little sound artifacts of conversations we’re having or funny little videos from our phones we have of our life and during that time, like videos and recordings of friends in there,” Kelly said.
“17 Hours”
This song is another emotional track that has a much more indie or alternative focus than rock. It opens with a direct address to someone who cheated or left for someone else. The self-blame that comes with that is indicated with lyrics like, “Did I scare you away? When I asked you what we were?” The song also ends with these layered voices, which add to the feelings of panic and rumination that are very realistic in situations like this, and ends with a phone hanging up as if this were a direct confrontation.
“Numb”
Separate from the rest of the album, this song is sung primarily by the lead guitarist, Zimmermann. This song reminds me of much calmer early ‘60s rock, especially with the softer vocals. With the almost cyclical repetition of, “No one else has come around,” and disorienting break-ins of amp feedback make the song feel numbing.
“I’m really excited for “Numb” to come out. That one I’m stoked for because Jake sings in the first verse, which he’d never done in a recording before, and I’m just generally really excited about it because we haven’t been playing it live,” Kelly said.
“I Can Be Your Dog”
This track once again has a nostalgic angsty feeling that sounds like it could be the intro song for an early 2000s teen movie. Whether I am listening to this song live at an Edgehill set or in my headphones, I can’t help but bop my head and get into it. Beyond its sound, the song has a playful edge, mixing lighthearted references to dogs with more daring lyrics.
“Ode to the Grey House”
As the title track, this song feels very meaningful and melodic. It has the typical emotional layers of an Edgehill song. The lyrics deal with feeling stuck, sad or depressed and hoping for things to turn around, with lyrics like “So tell me could it make you feel good / To pick me back up when you’re down.” In partnership with these delicate lyrics, the instrumentals are much softer.
“We now live in East Nashville in an old, like, 100-year-old house that’s grey. The album is called ‘Ode to the Grey House.’ It’s not necessarily about the house, but more about the time we spent writing and creating this album,” said Kelly.
“Innocent”
“Innocent” closes Edgehill’s album on a completely different note, leaning into a darker, heavier, almost metal-tinged sound that feels grungier than anything else on the record. Written by drummer Aidan Cunningham and his girlfriend, the track moves through slower, moodier moments before erupting into bursts of heavy rock, giving the album a bold, unexpected final punch.
“I’m excited for people to hear the last song. It’s just like a beautiful, heavy song that’s not like anything we’ve ever had out before,” said Kelly. “It’s fun to play live, and it’s just a dope song that I think represents a type of music that we haven’t exercised in our own music before.
As a whole, “Ode to the Greyhouse” is just the beginning of this next chapter for Edgehill. The band will continue touring this spring with bands like Worry Club, Winyah and Arcy Drive. In addition, they have hopes to continue their music journey and headline in the future.
“We’re not slowing down at all,” Kelly said. “Definitely only going to ramp it up, which is exciting. We’ll probably do a headline later this year, have some Edgehill-specific shows, which I’m really excited for because we’ve been opening for a while, and it’s been great, but it’s a totally different vibe when it’s your own show.”
