Kerrang! cover feature · World exclusive · 2020

Daze of Our Lives

The full four-spread Kerrang! cover story by Matt Allen: how a 15-year-old Chester walked into a Phoenix rehearsal room, and how Sean set about finishing the lost Grey Daze album. Tap a spread to read it.

In print · France

Batteur Magazine

Issue N°347 · January/February 2021

Sean Dowdell is interviewed about Grey Daze in France's drumming magazine, listed on the cover under Interviews. The feature, titled À l'ami perdu… ("To the lost friend…"), covers Chester, the band's 1993 beginnings and the making of Amends.

From the archive · Phoenix, 1996

Sees Light of Success on the Horizon

"Caught in the Act" column · by Kathy Cano-Murillo

Faces to remember: Bobby Benish, Chester Bennington, Mace Beyers and Sean Dowdell. Wake Me had sold more than 2,000 copies, the band had played Desert Sky Pavilion and opened for No Doubt and the Refreshments, and a third CD was coming. “We WILL be successful!” Dowdell says.

From the archive · Phoenix, mid-90s

Making the Pieces Fit

"Local Music Spot Lite" feature · by Josh Hummer

A profile from the run-up to …No Sun Today, recorded at Mesa's Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences with Mike Jones and David Knaver. A&R reps from Elektra, Warner Brothers, Sony and World Domination had all come around, and the band talks about writing together: "Getting out of your own way is what it is… setting your ego aside and writing what's best for the individual song."

From the archive · Phoenix, 1997

Grey Daze in the City of the Sun

"Soundcheck" feature · local Phoenix weekly

A 90s profile of the band ahead of …No Sun Today, with Sean on how the hometown crowd got behind them and dates at the Electric Ballroom and Mason Jar.

Press photos are in the Photos gallery. For high-res files, contact 1212 Management.

1. 1993
   Formed

   Grey Daze starts in Phoenix

   Drummer Sean Dowdell and singer Chester Bennington form Grey Daze and start playing the Arizona club circuit.

   

   Early promo shoot, Phoenix
2. 1994
   Debut album

   Wake Me

   The first album, released independently, puts the band's dark, heavy alternative sound on record. Produced by David Knauer and Grey Daze.

   "Wake Me" · lyric video

   

   Live, early 90s
3. 1997
   Record deal

   Grey Daze signs with Real Records

   Grey Daze signs a record deal with Real Records, the label behind …No Sun Today.

4. 1997
   Second album

   …No Sun Today

   A second independent record, with several of the songs that would come back decades later. Produced by Michael Jones and Grey Daze.

   Myth busted A popular story says most of the vocals on …No Sun Today are Chester's "scratch" takes from the basic-track sessions. Not true. Chester was sick for the first round of vocals, so the band recut them. Every vocal on the album is a proper, isolated take.

   

   …No Sun Today promo card

   

   Local press, 1997
5. 1998
   Production deal

   Grey Daze signs a production deal with Warner Bros.

   Grey Daze signs a production deal with Warner Bros. Records to record a four-song demo. In February 1998 the Arizona Republic reported the band was already working on a third album.

6. 1999
   Split

   Chester moves on

   After a New Year's Eve show at the Big Fish Pub in Tempe on December 31, 1998, the original band breaks up at around 12:30 a.m. on January 1, 1999. Chester soon goes on to front Linkin Park, and the rest of the band goes its own way.

   Did you know? In their six and a half years together in the 90s, Grey Daze wrote around 150 songs and recorded three full-length albums, though only two were ever released.

   

   On the marquee at the Whisky, West Hollywood
7. 2002
   Reunion · Cancelled

   The Dodge Theatre reunion that never happened

   Chester and Sean reconnected to plan a reunion benefit show at the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix to help former guitarist Bobby Benish with his medical bills. It was cancelled because of Linkin Park's recording schedule.

8. 2005
   Side project

   Bucket of Weenies

   Chester and Sean play together in the Phoenix cover band Bucket of Weenies, and talk again about bringing Grey Daze back.

9. 2016
   Coming back

   Chester and Sean bring Grey Daze back

   Chester and Sean decide to bring Grey Daze back for good. It was Chester's idea to reunite the band for Club Tattoo's 20th anniversary party, and a reunion show is booked at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe. Tickets go on sale, the show is on pace to sell out, and offers start coming in from festivals around the world.

   Chester and Sean announce the Grey Daze reunion concert
10. 2017
    July 20, 2017

    The show that never happened

    In February the band starts re-recording the 90s songs, and original Wake Me guitarist Jason Barnes tracks down the album's original master tapes. The reunion show never takes place. Chester passes away on July 20, 2017. On September 2, members of Grey Daze and Julien-K play an acoustic tribute to Chester at the Saxe Theater in Las Vegas. With Talinda Bennington's blessing, Sean, Mace Beyers and Cristin Davis decide to finish the songs around Chester's original vocals, without changing his voice.

11. 2019
    Record deal

    Grey Daze signs with Loma Vista / Concord Records

    Grey Daze signs with Loma Vista Recordings, part of Concord and run by former Warner Bros. executive Tom Whalley, to release the music they finished around Chester's original vocals. Recorded at NRG Recording Studios and the Salt Mine Studio Oasis, the album was wrapped on June 9, 2019 and mixed by August.

    Did you know? Rene Mata encouraged Sean to make the project something special for Chester's fans, A&R'd the album, and connected the band with producer Jay Baumgardner.

    Grey Daze on Concord's artist roster ↗
12. 2020
    Album

    Amends

    Chester's 90s vocals with newly recorded music, released June 26, 2020 on Loma Vista Recordings. The band kept every vocal and lyric exactly as Chester sang it and rewrote all of the music from the ground up. Writing took about a year and a half, and recording took almost another year and a half. Of 24 registered songs, 17 were picked from Chester's favorites and 11 made the album. Produced and executive produced by Jay Baumgardner and Rene Mata, with Grey Daze as co-producers and additional production by Alex Aldi, Lu Rubin, Pete Nappi, Cass Dillon, Chris Traynor, Esjay Jones and Lucas D'Angelo. Jay Baumgardner mixed it at NRG Studios, and Ted Jensen mastered it at Sterling Sound. "Sickness" became the band's first top 10 at rock radio, and "What's in the Eye" passed a million Spotify streams in six weeks.

    Did you know? The title Amends comes from the lyrics of "Morei Sky." The rose on the cover, designed by Cristin, Mace and Sean with art director Mike Lythgoe, stands for apologies, congratulations and love, all the emotions of making the record. The release moved from April 10 to June 26 because of COVID-19, so fans around the world held online listening parties on the original date. Some proceeds benefit 320 Changes Direction and Chester's children.

    Making Amends · documentary trailer

    Making of "What's in the Eye"

    Making of "Soul Song"

    Making of "Sickness"

    "Shouting Out" · hosted by Dave Navarro, presented by Inked
13. 2021
    Acoustic EP

    Amends… Stripped

    Stripped-down versions of songs from Amends, released January 29, 2021. The band went into EastWest Studios in Hollywood with producer Billy Bush to cut the five-song EP, recording in the studio's famous Beach Boys room on its Trident A-Range console. The EP premiered on January 28 with an animated global listening party, a day before release.

    KEDG interview, illustrated · 2021
14. 2021
    DC Comics

    Grey Daze become DC superheroes

    Grey Daze are invited into DC Comics' Dark Nights: Death Metal. The band are drawn as superheroes and put on the cover of a Dark Nights: Death Metal comic alongside Superman, and the band contribute "Anything, Anything," their cover of the Dramarama classic, produced by Tyler Bates, to the official Dark Nights: Death Metal soundtrack.

    The band members also voice their own superhero characters in "Truth Machine," an episode of DC's animated Dark Nights: Death Metal series, alongside David Hasselhoff (as Superman), Andy Biersack, Dave Lombardo, Chelsea Wolfe, Chino Moreno, Mastodon, Rise Against, Manchester Orchestra, Denzel Curry and more.

    

    The Grey Daze variant cover · Dark Nights: Death Metal #2 · art by Ryan Brown

    

    The Grey Daze flexi disc

    Official soundtrack trailer · out June 18, 2021 · executive produced by Tyler Bates

    The soundtrack on colored vinyl

    

    The Dark Nights: Death Metal trading cards

    Get the Grey Daze comic in the store ↗
15. 2022
    Album

    The Phoenix

    The second reimagined album, with guest musicians and family contributions. Produced by Esjay Jones with Lucas D'Angelo and Brian Virtue, and Grey Daze as executive producers.

    Much of the album was recorded at the legendary Sunset Sound in Hollywood in 2022.

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    In the studio

    Creation of The Phoenix · Episode 1

    Creation of The Phoenix · Episode 2

    Creation of The Phoenix · Episode 3
16. 2023
    New chapter

    Cris Hodges joins

    Cris Hodges starts performing with the band as lead vocalist.

17. 2023
    Video game · Nov 2, 2023

    "Sickness" lands in Rock Band 4

    Harmonix adds "Sickness" from Amends to Rock Band 4 as downloadable content on November 2, 2023, released alongside Heaven's Basement. Fans can now play Grey Daze on guitar, bass, drums and vocals. Harmonix's announcement calls the song a showcase of Chester's early songwriting.

    Rock Band DLC trailer · Grey Daze and Heaven's Basement

    Harmonix announcement ↗Get it for Rock Band 4 (Xbox) ↗
18. 2024
    Lineup

    Kenny Bulka and Evan Nichols join

    Kenny Bulka joins on guitar and Evan Nichols on bass.

    
19. 2024
    First UK tour · Single

    Across the pond, and "Fake Little Lies"

    The band plays its first UK tour in May, with Cris singing the songs in Chester's memory. Later that year comes "Fake Little Lies," produced by Brian Virtue, the first new song with Cris on vocals and the start of the band's modern electro-grunge sound.

    Announcing the first ever UK tour

    

    Whisky a Go Go, Hollywood · Dec 13, 2024 · Photo: Dream Views Live
20. 2025
    Tour

    The Fake Little Lies Tour

    Shows at home in Arizona and across Europe.

    
21. 2026
    Single · EP · Tour

    "Monster You Adore" and More Than I Can Offer

    A new single and EP, produced by Will Anspach, that lean into electro-grunge, with the title track picked for Apple Music's Breaking Hard Rock playlist, then a March run through Spain, France, the Netherlands and a UK headline tour.

    
22. 2027
    Coming next

    New music

    New modern electro-grunge music from Grey Daze is on the way in 2027.