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Interview with Spooky Mansion: Grayson Converse on Passion, Process, and Influence

  • July 29, 2024
  • 6 min read
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Interview with Spooky Mansion: Grayson Converse on Passion, Process, and Influence

In this interview, Grayson Converse of Spooky Mansion takes us on a journey through the band’s origins, creative process, and inspirations. From the unconventional path that led him to music, sparked by a friend’s desire for camaraderie in both jazz and mischief, to the challenges of translating the raw emotion of a demo into a polished studio recording, Grayson shares candid insights into the world of songwriting. He reflects on the influence of iconic artists like Red Garland, Pixies, and Modest Mouse, and the lessons they’ve imparted. Through it all, Grayson remains committed to creating music that is groovy, fun, and leaves listeners feeling good about the world. Dive into this engaging conversation to discover the stories and philosophies that shape Spooky Mansion’s sound.

  1. Can you share the story behind how you started in music? Was music always a passion? 
    In 9th grade my close friend played guitar in morning jazz band. For a year I watched him leave school early and go on trips to play jazz competitions across the state. He complained that everyone else was a total geek that deserved to be wedgied and placed into trash cans, and when they went on the road he had no one to do drugs with, commit minor crimes of shoplifting and vandalism. He suggested that if I learn piano I could join the band and then we would be free to go down this bath of delinquency together. He sold me, so that summer I began learning piano. It was the beginning of youtube and I’d run from my upstairs computer down to the piano in the living room trying to remember the thing I just saw on the video. By 10th grade I was accepted into jazz band and thus able to begin my life of drugs and crime. It was a bonus that I also gained a passion for music and fell in love with harmony. I ended up going to college and graduating with a degree in Jazz Piano Performance. This degree has served me incredibly well in my life as a general contractor building houses. Everytime I start a job I present them with my degree in Jazz Piano Performance and the client is satisfied that their house will be built expertly. The student loans that I still ignore are a symbol of that great life choice I made.
  2. What challenges (if any) have you faced in writing ‘What About You?’?
    The great challenge that many songwriters go through who produce their own music is called ‘demo-itis’. In the days when you are first writing a recording a song alone in your room there is a freshness to the music. Every bassline, guitar line, drum take – they are all totally inspired and organic. Then at the end you are left with this ‘demo’ of the song the performance of which is perfect and beautiful and the sonic quality of which is totally made of crap sandwiches because you did it in your room. Now someone gives you some money because they like the song and you go to a studio and you have to recreate the magic of the original song with expensive equipment and smart people who put microphones in correct places. Then you spend a month going back and forth between the two recordings, totally confused about what music is and what constitutes art and truth and other pretty stupid stuff. And then you have to pretend that you like the new version more than the old version since you spent a ton of money on it, and then you have to hide the old version in a folder titled ‘Water Balloon Grenade Launcher’ so that you’re confused and can no longer find the original and then you forget about it and then you release the other one and then you do it all again when you make your next record. All that to say – ‘What About You?’ is great and turned out just the way I hoped it would.
  3. Could you walk us through your songwriting process on “Saturdays”? What inspired this track?
    It’s a song about being happy and satisfied with the life you have. If you have to work all the time and put off your other interests and slowly become dumber at least you still have saturday! Or maybe it’s Wednesday for some people. But at least you have 1 day where you can cook shrimp, watch your wife garden and daydream about the days when you had less responsibility. When you rode a motorcycle in the jungles of vietnam and got robbed from extremely friendly vietnamese people and fell in love with the lady that worked at the hostel and took her on a date but then you didn’t know if you’re allowed to touch her because you forgot how the culture worked and so instead you go to the beach and then she’s in her swimsuit and obviously trying to tell you its okay to kiss her but then you’re still confused and not very smart to begin with so you keep telling her about your band and she’s like ‘ ya whatever i think that’s fine but I don’t really care’ and you’re like ‘what do you think about philosophy’ and then she’s like ‘holy cow this guy is truly an idiot’ and then she goes home and then you go home and then you forget that she works at your home, which is a hostel, and so then the next morning you see her and you’re like ‘anyways, do you have any extra tooth brushes behind the desk’ and then ya.
  4. Who are your biggest musical influences, and how do they shape your sound?
    Red Garland taught me to use rhythmic motifs to add energy and interest in a song. Pixies taught me how to get real loud and then real quiet and that’s a good way to keep a song interesting without having to work too hard. Modest Mouse taught me it’s okay to just yell a bunch and after awhile people will get used to it and then you’ll be told you have a ‘unique’ and ‘interesting’ voice and how sometimes that’s better than a ‘good’ voice. And so that’s kewl. 
  5. What message or impact do you hope to convey with your music?
    The music is trying to be groovy and fun. The world is mostly a good place and I want to add one more element to it that makes people say ‘dang that was kewl and fun and now I feel good’.

Check out Spooky Mansion’s latest single “Weather” below:

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Chris Ryan

Chris Ryan is an accomplished promoter, event planner, producer, activist, counselor, poet and blogger. Within the course of two and a half years Chris Ryan has worked with some of NYC's most established promoters/event planners, been named 2007′s GaySocialite of the year, granted a promoter of the year award from NYC's most famous gay establishment, Splash. He's worked in some of NYC's top venues including; Avalon, Capitale, Cipriani, Cielo, Pacha, Element, Le Poisson Rouge, XL, G Lounge, Plumm, Hilton Hotel, Indigo Hotel, Spirit, Myst/Quo, Splash, The Ritz, Vlada, Roseland Ballroom, Heaven, etc.In 2008, Chris Ryan has begun to unveil some of the most innovative & unique parties New York City has ever seen. The Fusion events "fuse" together all disciplines of art into an event that remains diverse yet cohesive at the same time. ChrisRyanNYC.com won best gay promotions website from NYC Event Patrons in 2008 & he was granted an award from the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, Gov. Patterson & Michelle Clunie (QAF) saluting him for his hard work in nightlife. Chris Ryan has also begun working with many renown companies, including; doctors, lawyers, physicians, modeling agencies & more. Chris Ryan has been responsible for wide-scale promotions for all these companies & generating tremendous business. Chris Ryan has even started to become National with events taking place in LA & Miami this year.In May of 2009 Chris Ryan received the very prestigious honor of being named a "40 Under 40″ Gays in America by the Advocate Magazine. He also created three successful parties that generated over 1,500 patrons each. In January of 2010 Chris Ryan was featured as one of the top promoters to look out for in Noize Magazine Chris Ryan joined forces with legendary promoter/event producer, Lee Chappell and created one of the most talked about events of all 2010, Desire @ Capitale. Chris Ryan and Lee featured one of the most outstanding artists NYC has ever seen, "Oh Land." Her performance coupled with an exquisite and unforgettable set design added to this extravagant event that held over 1,000 patrons in one of NYC's most successful PRIDE events! Chris Ryan then joined forces with legendary Pacha promoter, Rob Fernandez in addition to Jake Resnicow and Tommy Marinelli to bring one of the largest and most successful parties worldwide to NYC, MATINEE. The event on Governor's Island saw over 2,000+ attendees and one of the most ambitious productions ever.In 2011 Chris Ryan started Emerge Music Promotions with business partner Darren Melchiorre. Emerge Music promotions began signing artists with plans to develop and market the artists to the community at large. Emerge Music promotions has big events planned for 2012 and 2013. Chris Ryan debuted the IMAGE events which took place on top of two of NYC's most beautiful rooftop venues, Rare View and Indigo Hotel. The events were blogged everywhere and featured the fashion designs of several clothing designers, artists and photographers. Chris Ryan felt that fashion and art should be displayed at every event and attracted the likes of Malan Breton, Calvin Klein and even Katy Perry. Chris Ryan began an extremely successful event which incorporated the concept of a house party into a nightclub atmosphere. The event Twist'D at G Lounge has been one of the most talked about events in NYC and allows it's audience to play nearly-naked Twister, beer pong, flip cup & more with other attendees. Chris Ryan was granted an excellence in volunteering award from AVP (Anti-Violence Project) for all his efforts in supporting the organization.2013 has a very promising landscape on the horizon and Chris Ryan is complacent in saying "you haven't seen anything yet!"

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