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After a decade spent as a decorated live rock guitarist, sharing stages with artists spanning the width and breadth of the music industry, such as Portugal. The Man, The Florida-Georgia Line and Sublime with Rome, Nashville singer-guitarist Mikei Gray had something different in mind when he started The Frst, in 2017. “Freedom and fun were the goals with this project, so as a mission statement there is no I in The Frst.”
The Frst’s early singles include anthemic protest against distracted driving “Another One” and Soundcloud USA Rock Chart Top 10 track “Cycles”, both of which have seen Gray’s project pick up momentum across the US.
We are thrilled to premiere their new music video for latest single “Rules”, featuring Andrew Leahey, Nathan Cogan (Taking Back Sunday), Jeff Hutchins (Insane Clown Posse) and Justin Smith. The video is a damn fun watch…it’s one big party. The vibe of the track is matched perfectly – an energetic song that puts a smile on your face should have a video that does the same, and The Frst have succeeded.
Mikei Gray on the song:
Rules was actually “the frst” song I wrote for The Frst. Since the project was all about fun, I wanted to combine multiple genre’s, in this case, Indie, Punk, and Doo Wop, into something that felt both fresh yet familiar.
After the song was written, I started calling friends in Nashville, seeing if they would join me on the record. To my amazement, what became The Frst unfolded before my eyes! One by one, Jeff Hutchins (Insane Clown Posse, Bubba Sparxxx) killed the drum track, Justin Smith (Them Vibes, Lindsey Ell) grooved out on the bass, Eric Barfield (Kris Allen, John Berry) added awesome retro keyboard sounds, and finally, Nathan Cogan (Taking Back Sunday) rocked a chunky guitar part that glued it all together. Only then could I re-write the verses of Rules over half a dozen times, until the storyline unfolded with vivid details. Our time on the road, particularly Key West, helped inspire the lyrics.
When it came time to shoot the music video, it was tough getting all these powerhouses together at the same time! To make matters worse, the minute we began shooting, the Nashville skies opened up and dumped rain water on us. Nonetheless we persevered, rocked, and had the party of the year! Big thanks to our video crew on this one, (Alexandra Arielle Brown, Duane Borba) and of course Groundsounds for the feature!
Watch the video below and be sure to connect online for more!
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