Cover shot – BandBuffNPC
Originally from Tasmania, the members of GRAVEMIND found their home in Melbourne and delivered their own unique sound to a loving and dedicated fanbase. It was with their debut album Conduit that people really started to take notice as this album not only presented the sound of a mature band, it was also bold and powerful all the way from the production to the accompanying videos, and even down to the band’s merch. Reaching #30 on the ARIA charts was not a fluke, this was the result of one thing, hard work.
2020 has been really hard on a lot of bands and when the going get tough, the tough make a self-help YouTube channel. Dylan Gillies-Parsons, vocalist, manager and record label affiliate has made very good use of his time in isolation, and has unveiled what he’s been working on – the BandBuffNPC – (NPC meaning “non-playable character” (nerd much?)) is a platform for Dylan to unload a lot of what he has learnt from the industry over the past 8 years of fighting tooth and nail to succeed within it.
Dylan and his band Gravemind, have achieved some pretty impressive feats, including festival slots with Parkway Drive, sold-out headline shows across Australia and even a couple of now cancelled international tours (thanks Covid). This bearded wizard seems to know what he’s doing, as he’s been the driving force of the band for the past 5 years, doing everything a no-named metal musician can possibly do – learning, failing, persevering, and reaching forward into that great unknown in hopes of success. Dylan was the guerilla marketing powerhouse behind Graveminds debut album, these skills helped him secure a place within the Greyscale Records inner circle, assisting them with graphic design and marketing. Though his stint has been short, it has been certainly fruitful, and he is eager to share with like-minded musicians just what he’s learnt.
You can view the first video from the series below, subscribe to BandBuffNPC YouTube Channel here and check out the Patreon page here and don’t forget to follow Gravemind on social media.
You can also check our interview with Dylan here and see our our coverage of Gravemind playing at Good Things Festival and supporting August Burns Red.
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