End Code, a rock band from the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, recently released a new single called “Out Of My Head”. It’s an interesting and unique track that tells a personal, meaningful story.
The band includes Lee Cooley (lead vocals/guitar); Rob Gronkoski (drums/vocals); Dave Melton (bass guitar/vocals); and Joe Franklin (lead guitar). The current lineup of End Code has been together since 2020. The connection between Lee, Rob, and Dave goes back a few years when they called Lee to play bass guitar for a set at Rocklahoma. They got together and rehearsed, then drove 14 hours to play at Rocklahoma in front of thousands of people! It was originally supposed to be a one-time-only thing, but they all clicked and started writing songs together. Lee switched to guitar and lead vocals, while Dave, who was playing guitar, began playing bass. In 2019, when they started writing their first full-length album, Dataless, Joe Franklin came on board to play lead guitar, and the band lineup of End Code was complete!
I always like to explore how bands create their music. I find it fascinating and I think the song creation process tells a story about a band. Lee Cooley gave me insight about how End Code’s music comes to life. He says “Out Of My Head” started with an idea for a song that Joe Franklin had that he played on acoustic guitar. The song stuck with Lee when he first heard Joe play it, and he started to arrange a song around it. And, as the band always does, they threw it around and put it together. Lee then wrote the lyrics and the melodies.
Lee tells me that End Code truly is a collaborative unit. Lee and Rob both write lyrics. All of the members contribute to the musical elements. Sometimes a song will come from a riff that Joes comes up with, and it starts from there. Lee shares with me that, to him, one of the coolest things about writing music is there really are no rules. However it comes together, is how it’s meant to be. He also believes that a band’s music is stronger if all members are involved, and that is definitely the case with End Code. The band’s drummer, Rob Gronkoski, is a sound engineer who owns a studio, which is very beneficial to End Code. Lee jokes that Rob gets all the credit for making them sound better than they really are.
“Out Of My Head” is an interesting song with a unique vibe. It starts out with an acoustic guitar intro played by Joe Franklin. Soon the electric guitar, bass, and drums kick in and the song gets heavier, yet still has a mellow kind of feel to it which reflects the deep meaning behind the song. The bridge features a spectacular guitar solo by Joe, which leads into the acoustic riff from the beginning of the song. The track closes with the final chorus, and the outro, of course, incorporates that original acoustic melody. Lee Cooley’s voice is soulful, and you can sense that he is telling us a story with the lyrics. I hear some elements of Nu Metal in End Code’s music. I get vibes of bands like Staind and Seether.
When I listen to “Out Of My Head”, I hear a theme of self-doubt, insecurity, and wondering if you’re good enough. Lee says I’m basically \correct. He explained the story behind the song to me. It’s about doubting yourself when things are tough. Lee shares that he was inspired by a friend of his who suffers from bipolar depression. After she would have an episode, she would apologize and tell him she was “out of her head” again. That kind of stuck with him. He always felt sorry for her. Sadly, they are no longer friends, but when he wrote the lyrics he was thinking of their friendship.
Lee put together a cool lyric video for “Out Of My Head”. He admits it was his first time doing something like this and he wasn’t completely sure what he was doing. He used a computer program, and just basically figured it out as he went along. He’s looking forward to doing it again and things the next one will be even better. I think the video for “Out Of My Head” is really good. The graphics and gold color scheme are cool. The lyrics are easy to follow, which is definitely important if you’re doing a lyric video and you want the viewer to be able to follow along.
What does the future hold for End Code? The band has five more tracks they’ll be releasing in the coming months, and they are excited to keep putting new music out there. They’re also looking to get merch together and start playing some live shows in the future!
I want to encourage you to listen to the whole End Code catalog. It’s great. Their music has a unique sound that you don’t hear everywhere these days. I’m so glad I discovered this band!
You can find End Code on Facebook, Instagram, Linktree, and YouTube.
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