"Obviously the majority of people that know me, know me because of Entourage...Maybe music lovers may not appreciate [my] music because they see me as that 'actor guy' on that show," Adrian Grenier says when asked about his
recent attempts to re-make himself as a musician and, most recently, the
proprietor of a recording studio. "[But I'm] not looking to dissuade or persuade, I'm just looking to do good work."By "work," Grenier means focusing on his latest project, Wreckroom, the aforementioned recording studio located in the basement of his Brooklyn home, and his off-kilter folk rock band, The Honey Brothers, which formed over a decade ago. And, though he hasn't gotten out of the acting game (he recently finished shooting Goodbye World, a movie whose description reads, "A group of estranged friends reunite as civilization collapses. And shit gets real. Real real."), it's fair to assume life now for the actor-musician might be a little more settled -- or maybe a little more "real real" -- than when he was playing Vince Chase, gallivanting around Entourage's glossy (and manic) version of Hollywood.
For starters, if Manhattan is decidedly less enthralled with the film and television industry than California it's fair to say Brooklyn is altogether apathetic about that whole scene. And perhaps there's no better example of this than Grenier's current crew of musician (and music industry) friends, many of whom are also based in the BK. "Musician friends pound you into the ground," he says. "They annihilate you. They keep you not just humble, they make you grovel." Two such friends -- and Wreckroom partners -- Brian Koerber and Mike Frankel accompany the actor during our interview and, while there's no doubt of the trio's bond, Turtle, E. and Drama, these guys are not. "Sometimes I turn into an actor and they all make fun of me," Grenier even admits. "Actors can tend to get a little self-involved and inflated."
The three work on the day-to-day operations at Wreckroom, which involves conducting recording and video sessions with visiting bands. "We encourage [bands] to come explore and experiment and play with different people," Grenier says. "We're looking to put people together who have never played together." During a CMJ showcase recently, Wreckroom released its first compilation CD featuring tracks by many of these bands but the actor insists they're "not looking to be a label -- we just want to provide a space." Whether this space becomes an incubator for the next "Big Brooklyn Indie Band," as Grenier and his crew hope, remains to be seen. And at least, for Grenier, there's always acting to fall back on. (And, we hear, a flat-top beer company.)