Philadelphia’s rising alt-rock force Grayscale continue their ascent with the deluxe edition of their acclaimed fourth studio album The Hart (Deluxe), an emotionally charged expansion that further highlights their evolution and magnetic songwriting. Fresh off the release of their striking focus track and video ‘Painting Over You’, featuring powerhouse vocalist Cassadee Pope, the band adds another highlight to a year already marked by millions of streams, major press support, and performances across notable festivals throughout their career. Following their recently wrapped and highly successful UK/EU headline run, featuring multiple sold-out shows, Grayscale have cemented themselves as one of alt-rock’s most heartfelt and dynamic voices, making this moment the perfect time to dive deeper into their creative world.
Below, we step into the conversation with the band to explore the making of The Hart (Deluxe), their artistic growth, and the stories behind the music.
You kicked off and wrapped up 2025 with two versions of the same record—what drew you back into the world of The Hart to create the deluxe edition?
The Hart is our favorite record we’ve ever made. We knew that the second we finished it, and as we created it. When it came time to think about what else we could do around it, bringing other artists into the world of those songs felt exciting. We were still really energized by the album: talking about it, playing it live, and it just made sense to hear these tracks with someone else’s voice. The deluxe wasn’t about reworking anything – it was just a chance to open the door and let people we admire interact with songs that already mean a lot to us.
How did bringing collaborators like Smallpools, Derek Sanders, and Slowly Slowly into the project shift your perspective on these songs you’ve lived with for so long?
We’re fans of everyone we brought on, and we’ve toured with most of them or watched them play live enough times to know exactly what their touch would feel like on these songs, and the outcome was exactly what we hoped for. That same kind of natural fit showed up across the rest of the features too, which made the deluxe feel complete in a way we really loved.
What was the moment you knew ‘Painting Over You’would become the emotional centerpiece of the deluxe version?
When we wrote ‘Painting Over You’, we always imagined it living as a duet someday. The song leaves so much space for another voice to answer back, especially a female vocal that carries its own perspective. So, when we started talking about the deluxe, this was already one of the songs we saw as a natural pillar.
The video for ‘Painting Over You’, with Cassadee Pope, is incredibly intimate—what conversations or creative choices shaped that stripped-back, slice-of-life feel?
We wanted the video to hold all the emotions that come with a breakup. They’re confusing, they overlap, they land at different times, and we wanted that full range to come through for both sides of the story. The goal was for it to feel real —a breakup unfolding in an actual shared home. It needed that lived-in, everyday atmosphere where two people are trying to understand what the end of a relationship feels like. We got lucky shooting in New York. The weather matched the mood — rainy, heavy, a little gray — and the apartment we filmed in belonged to a real couple, which helped everything settle into the tone we were trying to capture.
Your sound blends alt-rock, heartfelt lyricism, and flashes of other genres—how do you decide which sonic “colors” belong in a Grayscale track?
For The Hart, specifically, we set out to use fewer pieces of equipment. That meant using fewer preset sounds and spending more time with real synthesizers, finding tones manually. We took the things we loved about our previous three records and refined them into the most organic and authentic version of Grayscale to date.
With influences ranging from The Killers to Bruce Springsteen to Van Halen, how do you balance nostalgia with pushing your sound forward?
We love Rock n’ Roll. When we’re writing, we’re not thinking about referencing the past or trying to sound modern; we’re just following what feels honest for the song we’re working on. If something has a trace of the music we grew up loving, it’s because that’s where we come from, not because we’re aiming for nostalgia. Whatever feels right for the track ends up shaping where our sound goes next.
You’ve played massive festivals like Slam Dunk, Riot Fest, and Firefly—what’s one moment from the road that still replays in your mind?
The Thai restaurant outside of Chicago last fall.
Many of your songs explore growth and personal resilience—what’s a theme or emotion you’re still chasing in your writing that fans haven’t fully heard yet?
I have never been somebody who holds emotions back from art. If anything, The Hart showed me that I’m comfortable putting the full weight of whatever I’m feeling into a song. So it’s not that there’s a specific theme or emotion I’m chasing right now. It’s more that writing always ends up pulling whatever corner of my life I haven’t fully looked at yet. I don’t know what that will be until I’m actually in the process.
What’s something simple or unexpected that’s been bringing each of you joy while touring or creating this year?
We’ve been bringing golf clubs on the road, and a few of us have started playing on off-days. It’s become a really grounding thing and opportunity to be outside.
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