The Gray Goo Drops ‘Cabin Fever Dreams’ and Hits 100-Show Milestone
The Columbia Falls-based “proggy psychedelic doom funk” band is hitting their stride with their third full album and a growing following at their high-energy live shows as they navigate the highs and lows of northwest Montana’s seasons
By Maggie Dresser
In the last handful of years since forming psychedelic doom rock band The Gray Goo, the musical group has revolved around dark yet satirical themes in both their recorded albums and on full display at their live shows across the Flathead Valley and the greater mountain West. During those first few years, the band released an album called “1943” in 2022 followed by “Circus Nightmare” the following year.
Meanwhile, their animated live performances at bars like The Remington Bar in Whitefish and venues like Glacier Lanes and Old School Records, both which have since closed, started drawing crowds of all ages and unexpected demographics.
On Sept. 20, guitarist Max Gargasz, bassist Matt Carper and drummer Zach Ronish played a release party for their new album, “Cabin Fever Dreams,” which also marked The Gray Goo’s 100th show. While it’s their third full album, the band describes a more thematic collection of songs with tones revolving around seasonal depression and the waves it brings.
“For me, the beginning of the album is the sunny happy part and as the album progresses, the clouds are rolling in, and you can feel the vitamin D going away,” Ronish said. “By the end of it you’re just isolated and you’re snowed-in – you don’t want to go outside. And then it cycles.”
The opening song, “Intrepid Traveler” takes the listener on a 11-minute stream of consciousness before seamlessly transitioning into “Isolation,” which takes on a darker tone with lyrics describing the depths of the Flathead Valley’s notorious cloudy winters. By the middle of the album, it’s widespread overcast.
“It’s more of a somber psychedelic chill vibe,” Gargasz said. “For me, it’s what it means going through changes in life and dealing with depression – seasonal depression in particular – and how your mindset changes through the seasons.”
While dark themes and heavy music have always been part of The Gray Goo’s aura, the band wrote “Cabin Fever Dreams” with more intention as the Columbia Falls-based, multi-genre musical group hits their stride and continues evolving. They describe their first two albums as a “hodge podge” of different songs, unlike their latest album.
“’Cabin Fever Dreams’ felt a lot more like a cohesive album,” Carper said.
In addition to a weekly Friday night practice sessions at their space in Columbia Falls, the 29-year-olds have been consistently writing lyrics, playing at Flathead Valley venues and mapping out tour dates across the West. Since forming during the pandemic, they have played shows in five states including Oregon, Colorado and California.
Now exercising more discipline in their craft, the bandmates wanted to channel their individual struggles with depression and feelings of isolation into their music in “Cabin Fever Dreams.” Showing a more vulnerable side, they highlight northwest Montana’s absence of sun during the winter months and the pervasiveness of seasonal affective disorder.
That darkness hit home last year when their close friend died at age 28. While the album was already in the recording process at the time, his death was a direct consequence of depression’s impacts and the message they were already working to translate in their music.
“We all grew up around here and we’re no strangers to tragedy and especially suicide,” Carper said. “Our album is dedicated to our friend Jason Williams who passed last year. He’s one of many unfortunately, and he was a very good friend. We’ve all had our different bouts and experience with depression and there’s a lot of people we know who it’s affected. The gray around here can be so detrimental to mental health and just where we are in the country and the state of the world. But there’s also so much that’s good about where we are.”
Despite the tragic reality, the band has channeled that darkness into their art, which has resonated with their dedicated fanbase.
Even though they’ve reached a 100-show milestone since forming only a few years ago, Gargasz says he consistently underestimates their local support.
“Every single show, I’m like – no one’s going to show up,” Gargasz said. “And then they do. It’s really cool to have people come out and support us and buy lots of merch.”
Isaac Passwater of impillustration has been designing the band’s album covers and merchandise since The Gray Goo formed and a steady stream of shirts and prints are available at their shows. The band was also recently approached by ONE Condoms, a company they now partner with to sell “goo catchers.”
At any given Gray Goo show around the Flathead, the audience typically consists of a diverse range of all-ages fans spanning from metal heads to baby boomers along with a balanced ratio of men and women.
While the bandmates say it’s difficult to compartmentalize their music into any specific box, they describe the multi-dimensional sound as a “proggy psychedelic doom funk fusion,” drawing on genre influences like jazz, doom rock and classic rock along with artists like Primus, King Crimson and The Velvet Underground.
“I’ve heard a lot of people say, ‘I didn’t think I was into this kind of music – whatever it is,’” Carper said.
At their last show, Gargasz remembers looking into the crowd and seeing war veterans, 70-year-old men, metal heads and “all kinds of different people,” with their music connecting all walks of life.
At their shows, that connection is on display during their regularly active mosh pits in the center of the crowd. The band keeps an eye on the moshing to ensure it doesn’t get out of hand, although it sometimes ends in elbows to the face and chipped teeth. But despite the hazards, they feed off the crowd’s reaction.
“Seeing the crowd react is one of my favorite things,” Ronish said. “You kind of get this reward when you’re done composing a song. You look down in the audience, and you get to see which parts they like. That exchange of energy is what helps us create better music. Sometimes I get all sweaty and my glasses fly off my face, and I hate that because I can’t see anything.”
The band notices the crowd goes especially crazy during their “noise rock” portions of their shows, which they describe as an exaggerated tension and release combined with a heavy, psychedelic sound that “punches hard.”
“It’s a crazy wall of noise,” Gargasz said. “There’s no scale, no technique. People seem to like it – it’s weird. I think it’s because of the emotion we put behind it.”
While they don’t take themselves too seriously, Gargasz says they take the craft seriously – creating a vulnerable space to express a spectrum of emotions. They also partner with organizations like the Nate Chute Foundation to raise money for suicide prevention and awareness.
While the heavy, dark tone is an essential part of The Gray Goo’s personality, Carper assures listeners that light always comes out of the darkness, which also holds true in “Cabin Fever Dreams.”
“We really want to be a beacon that people can reflect upon and have a beautiful experience even in the depths of a gray, cloudy winter,” Carper said. “Before you know it, it cycles back around and it’s springtime.”
“The album’s thesis statement is taking those feelings and creating art – creating something beautiful and channeling that energy into something positive that gives you purpose and identity,” Gargasz added.
The Gray Goo will play at the Top Hat in Missoula on Friday, Oct. 24 and on Halloween at the Great Northern Bar and Grill in Whitefish.
