Nathan Gray & The Iron Roses

Nathan Gray & The Iron Roses delivers powerful, punk-driven anthems for the outcasts, the lonely, and the unseen. Here, you are never alone.

In order to tell the back story of Nathan Gray & The Iron Roses, one can simply throw a glance over the singer’s entire discography which spans several decades. When Boysetsfire released their first songs in the '90s, Nathan Gray gave expression to his political anger on them, often speaking on social justice, political conflict, and a need to get involved in our communities.

Over time, his image evolved, and his songs became more introspective – especially on his latest solo records. “It’s no secret that I have always been a person who is passionate about politics and how it affects the world,” Gray reflects, “But there came a time in my life where it was critical for me to stop and focus on my own demons, heartaches, and growth. Those things were nearly suffocating, and I needed to work through them in order to be in a place to think and act more on a macro level. Once the fog lifted a bit, it became clear to me that I was ready for my next step, but wasn’t entirely sure what that meant.”

Gray finally found that step in a new vision that shows the singer more political than he has been in many years while adding very personal feelings of solidarity, cohesion, and reflection to the equation. His 2021 album Rebel Songs is a cross-section of the singer’s entire history while drawing a connection to the current world situation.

”When the pandemic hit, suddenly it was painfully obvious that the political is very personal,” Gray says. “We had this global incident that we were all experiencing simultaneously, but in very different ways, many times separated by political leanings. It influenced how seriously people took the virus, whether or not to mask, whether or not to close schools, whether or not people deserved financial assistance to recover from not being able to work for a year. It shone a light on how horribly underserved many particular groups were – women, people of color, the lower class, the middle class, people experiencing homelessness, and LGBTQIA+ folks. Every single day we were seeing how they were being put in dangerously vulnerable situations, and it broke my heart to see the divide of people.”

Rebel Songs stands as a soundtrack to a more compassionate community and Gray hopes to simply inspire people to care more.