The members of Defecting Grey – all veterans of the NJ/NY punk/power pop scene – fell into each other’s orbit after their tenure in Third of Never. The band is comprised of brothers CJ and Vince Grogan (The Grievous Angels/Gigantic/Buzzed Meg) and Mike Polilli (Buzzkill/Atom Driver). A power trio with a penchant for buzzsaw melodicism in the tradition of Husker Du, The Minutemen, and The Jam, Defecting Grey’s songs are as memorable as they are visceral.

“Having previously released CJ Grogan’s solo work I checked out the Defecting Grey EPs and loved what I heard,” said Fake Chapter label head Gilligan “When I heard the rough mixes of the ARC album I knew it would be a perfect fit.”

With ARC, Defecting Grey’s strengths are on full display. The slicing power pop of “Radios On” and “Fighting with the Enemy” sits comfortably next to piledrivers “Politik” and “NO FX”, while well-crafted fare such as “Seven Hunters”, “Nobody Loves You” and “Sarsen” are equal parts maelstrom and melody.

In Dec 2024, the New Jersey power trio returned with Circuits, a bulbous six-pack of brutally melodic pop punk.