Toronto punks Greys have been taking things at a measured pace since we named them a Band To Watch back in 2012. They put out their debut, If Anything, over a year later, and then followed that up in 2015 with their Repulsion EP. Later this year, they’ll release their sophomore album, Outer Heaven, and the lead single from it is a reflection on the political and social climate following the Paris terrorist attacks last November. “No Star” is about feeling directionless and targeted and unable to do anything about it … well, except write a fiery song excoriating everyone’s misconceptions: “Don’t shoot, I’m not the enemy/ They want you to be scared of me/ I’m everybody’s strategy/ Where do I turn with no star in the sky?” Shehzaad Jiwani asks at the start of the track. Here’s how he laid out the song to Noisey.

The song was written in the wake of not only the shootings in Paris at Bataclan on November 13th 2015, but also the reactions it elicited in people. On one side, you had people burning down mosques and acting violently towards anyone who looked remotely Muslim. On the other, you had people speaking on behalf of the victims and effectively telling them how they should feel about such atrocities. It’s a song about not knowing where you fit in as a person of colour who was raised in a predominantly white community, not identifying completely with either side. It’s about not having a voice, but moreover not knowing where or when or how to speak regardless. It’s about wanting someone to understand and relate to you, but most importantly, letting you speak for yourself.

Listen below.

Tour Dates:
03/05 Brooklyn, NY @ Shea Stadium #
03/11 Cleveland, OH @ Mahall’s $
03/12 Dekalb, IL @ The House Cafe $
03/13 Lawrence, KS @ Jackpot Music Hall $
03/16-19 Austin, TX @ SXSW
03/21 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade Music Park $
03/22 Charlotte, NC @ Milestone Club $
03/23 Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter $
04/08 London, ON @ Call The Office %
04/09 Hamilton, ON @ Casbah %
04/21 Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz %
04/22 Allston, MA @ O’Brien’s
04/23 Philadelphia, PA @ First United Church
04/24 Washington, DC @ Comet Ping Pong ^
04/27 Detroit, MI @ PJ’s Lager House
04/28 Kalamazoo, MI @ Millhouse
04/29 Chicago, IL @ Mousetrap

# w/ Big Ups
$ w/ The Dirty Nil
% w/ Odonis Odonis
^ w/ Two Inch Astronaut

Outer Heaven is out 4/22 via Carpark/Buzz. Pre-order it here.