Ágrip: Make Way for the Abstract
- Jul 11, 2016
- 4 min read
Today I dive into the indie community to talk about the indie band known as Ágrip.
In the town of Joplin, Missouri, Dylan Rose, 24, discovered his love for music at a young age thanks to the musical influences of his father.
“It really started before I was hardly even able to function as a proper human. As a child, my dad would introduce me to a wide array of music in just about every genre you could imagine. While I didn’t know much of the science behind everything, I loved it,” said Rose.
In the anxieties found only in the beginning of your teenage years, Rose was able to take refuge in a passion that had grown with him throughout his life thus far. “Freshman year of high school…I began running into those hiccups life starts to give you in your mid teen years and what was that thing I always had close? Music,” said Rose.
After this discovery Rose took his next step into the musical world: knowledge.
“One instrument after another, things became natural, more comfortable. It just continued through very much trial and error and band after band. But here we are and I couldn’t be happier.”
Today Rose is able to play a wide variety of instruments.
“Quite literally everything I can touch. Drums. Bass. Guitar. Piano. Uke. Programming. Whatever it is, let me have it for a couple hours and I’ll try and show you something good.”
Rose later reflects on his battles throughout high school that brought him closer to music.
“I had it rough, not at home, but just coping with various health conditions and psychological setbacks. Medicine and good friends sure helped, but sometimes you’ve just got to get something verbal and melodic out there to describe yourself and to tell a story, even if you’re the only one who hears that story.”
Rose’s love evolved from the freedom of creativity that comes with making music.
“It’s based upon doing what sounds good to the creator and hoping somewhere someone sees your insanity and it sucks them in. It’s a lifestyle.”
After forming and taking part in a variety of bands into his young adult life Rose started his singer/songwriter band Agrip and centered around his melodic capabilities. Being the only member of Ágrip, Rose writes, sings, and plays all the instruments for his band.
“(For this album) we had keyboards, my hollow body electric guitar, bass, occasional acoustic guitar work and some midi synth backgrounds. Nothing crazy- yet,” Rose said.
The band name Ágrip was derived from the loose slang Icelandic term meaning ‘abstract’.
“I loved it because it engages people to inquire about the name and it also stands out. Abstract was used because I intend to have nothing holding me to one sound or idea. If I want to explore I can. To be abstract in art,” Rose said.
Ágrip just released his first EP entitled ‘Fools Like You’.
“It’s a lot about disconnected relationships mixed with a hint of distrust. Mainly a trip between an astronaut who went to space always knowing he’d return like usual but his wife knowing all along that they never intended for him to return. All that creating a disconnect between them and the feeling of isolation.”
Rose often found musical inspiration for his EP in the face of tragedy.
“The song ‘We Are Two’ on the album is about death in my family and it’s one I’ve off and on wrote for the past few years and never recorded. Depression is always a big factor. The music is just a tool to distract or cope with things and that’s what I strive to do.”
Rose insures us that ‘Fools Like You’ will only be the beginning of the music released by Agrip.
“I’ll be releasing different EP’s throughout the next year… 2017 might be the year I decide to do a full-length album but I’m not going to get ahead of myself. Depends
on how much ground I can cover right now.”
An indie musician himself, Rose is a supporter of his local music community.
“It’s artists using small means to make big things. I can’t stress enough how important it is to latch on to local and non-local independent scenes and do your best to find something you like. That’s where everything begins. The bands you like won’t make it otherwise,” said Rose.
In the world today, self-producing has become a popular means to get music out there.
“The fact of the matter is if I went to someone else it would sound ‘better’… I’m far from superior at that end of the spectrum but at the same time how else can I get better? And it’s free so that helps. I learn more about my music producing it myself. The extra time also helps. Did I mention it’s free?”
Ágrip can be found on social media platforms Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter. Find ‘Fools Like You’ is now on iTunes, and Spotify.
“Go there and ‘like’ the page and share, share, share. That’s the easiest way to get it circulating … It’s all about fan promotion. I can’t do it alone.”
Check out Ágrip's video 'Wayfarer' below.
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