A Drop in the Gray

History

A Drop in the Gray came together in 1982 under the direction of Danny Phillips, a San Francisco native who had moved to Los Angeles. There he connected with Scottish guitarist Colin Campbell, and the pair began working on Phillips’ songs, forging a sound that blended lush, melancholic textures with harder-edged melodic guitar work. Later that year, bassist Hans Christian, a keyboardist, and drummer Marti Frederiksen joined the lineup, and the band was fully formed by 1983.

They signed with Geffen Records just before their first show at The Rodeo in San Diego on July 31, 1984. On October 27, 1984, they opened for The Fixx at the UCSD amphitheater, earning comparisons to that headliner and praise for being tight and polished. Extensive touring built their reputation as a strong live act. In 1984, the group recorded its debut album, Certain Sculptures, for Geffen.

The record was well received, gaining listeners in both the United States and Europe. Drummer Marti Frederiksen left in 1985, replaced by Harry Rushakoff, who later played with Concrete Blonde. After internal shifts and management troubles, Geffen dropped the band in 1986. A Drop in the Gray kept writing and performing for another year before breaking up.

Danny Phillips went on to form Chaintown and later released solo material; there are plans for him and Campbell to reunite under the band’s name. Colin Campbell moved to London and started Oceans Apart with Norwegian keyboardist Dag Veidal and singer Astrid Graasvoll. That group signed to Polygram and appeared on Scandinavian album charts. Campbell later worked with Roy Orbison and moved into film and TV soundtrack work.

Marti Frederiksen built a career as a songwriter and producer, most notably with Aerosmith. Hans Christian worked with John Waite and Sparks, relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1989, founded his own recording company, and collaborated with chant artists Krishna Das and Jai Uttal.

His band RASA (1999–2007) was signed to Hearts Of Space Records, Vally Entertainment, and New Earth Records. He now lives in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, and works as a producer at STUDIO 330. The band’s sole album, Certain Sculptures, was released on Geffen in 1984, along with a few singles.