Backstory:
Excellent Exchange began as a group of high school friends from the small town of Vernon, Vermont. The band’s lead singer, Jay Gallagher, grew up in a household filled with music. His father, a jazz pianist, inspired him to venture into the world of music. The band’s drummer, Ian Matthews, was a childhood friend of Jay, and the two began jamming together in middle school. They added bassist, Sophie Hargrove, and guitarist, Liam Duncan in high school. The band was officially formed in 2011, gaining popularity in their hometown before spreading their roots to the broader New England music scene.

The band’s name, Excellent Exchange, was inspired by the members’ belief in the transformative power of music. They see music as a universal language, a means of expressing emotions and ideas that words alone cannot convey. For them, every performance is an exchange—an opportunity to share a part of themselves with the audience and, in turn, to be moved by the audience’s response.

Genre:
Indie Rock

Title:
“Shades of Grey”

Full Song Lyrics:

(Verse 1)
[Am] Floating on a cloud, [G] nothing to bring us down,
[Em] Living in a dream, [F] lost in the sound.
[Am] Echoes in the night, [G] whispers in the breeze,
[Em] Shades of grey, [F] beneath the trees.

(Chorus)
[G] Shades of grey, [Em] a beautiful play,
[Am] Dancing in the twilight, [F] lost in the fray.
[G] Shades of grey, [Em] no need to say,
[Am] We’re painting the world, [F] in our own way.

(Verse 2)
[Am] Silhouettes dancing, [G] beneath the moon’s glow,
[Em] In the realm of shadows, [F] where secrets grow.
[Am] We raise our voices, [G] we sing our song,
[Em] In the shades of grey, [F] we belong.

(Chorus)
[G] Shades of grey, [Em] a beautiful play,
[Am] Dancing in the twilight, [F] lost in the fray.
[G] Shades of grey, [Em] no need to say,
[Am] In the hues of life, [F] we find our way.

Band’s Favorite Fan:

Excellent Exchange’s most devoted fan is a woman named Bethany. She discovered the band while they were still playing in local pubs and has been following their journey ever since. She describes Excellent Exchange as her favorite band due to their authentic lyrics and their unique indie rock sound that “touches the soul”. According to Bethany, “Their music is a poetic form of storytelling, and it’s impossible not to be moved by their songs. They’re not just musicians, they’re artists—and it’s an honor to be part of their musical journey.”