Exclusive Interview: Ghost Party Unveils Their Creative Process and Future Plans
1. Can you share the story behind the formation of Ghost Party? What struggles did you face initially? Ghost Party started as the side project for a lot of the unused ideas for the band I was in at the time(2018-19)…a garage psych band where I was the lead guitar and background vocalist. I would throw together solo shows or recruit a few of my band buds to fill out a lineup..setlists of originals and covers some of it made up on the fly…mainly playing back and forth between Houston and Austin. Some really fun sets…some not so great. Ghost Party seemed like an appropriate moniker to capture the shambolic nature of these lineups and to temper expectations. The main challenge we faced..right off the bat was that we started to actually solidify right as the pandemic happened and promptly went on hiatus. We were literally on our way to SXSW 2020 when it got cancelled! Of course the solitude led me to get more introspective and dig into my folky past..to dig deep into my record collection for inspiration, and to workshop my lyrics nonstop. Forging a rootsy, cosmic country, psychedelic experience that leans more heavily on the lyrical journey and layers of sound. Next, reforming in a sort of a new and unexpected genre coupled with my first foray as a lead vocalist in a project have been major challenges..but it’s getting better! I’ve played music all my life, but this is the first time to really step out. Luckily I’m joined by the best musicians I’ve ever had the privilege to play with and I recorded it all with one of my all time favorite producers.
2. Could you walk us through your songwriting process on “Teenage Shaman”—this one really stood out for us? What inspired this track? I’m glad you asked about that song, you chose the one that made its way in at the last minute..almost didn’t make the cut! Everything on Ghost Moves was more or less musically and lyrically written in the last two years with the exception of Teenage Shaman. The lyrics and chords for that one have been kicking around for quite a while longer than the rest. I’ve been sober for many years now, but Teenage Shaman is a time travel back to a much darker era. I’m definitely trying to capture the harrowing “inbetween-ess” of being trapped in a destructive push-pull cycle…contemplating the reality of oblivion..all while the music seems to observe it somewhat passively or soothing fashion and pushes it towards catharsis…hopefully! Sonically, the song is loaded with organ drones, layers of fuzz guitars, hypnotic tremolo, and vocal harmonies…all the things I love. It’s probably where I pay tribute to my psych and shoegaze influences the most on this go around. Once the song fell into place, it was obvious it had to be the album opener because it’s sort of the gateway in which you enter into the rest of Ghost Moves. It’s an initiation track!
3. Who are your biggest musical influences, and how do they shape your sound on ‘Ghost Moves’?Ghost Moves is very much a tribute to my influences. The Lou Reed style storytelling seems to collide with the cosmic vision of Gram Parsons and rolls into some Spiritualized/Spaceman 3 layers as it barrels towards the 90s era where Shoegaze and Americana became strange bedfellows. At least that’s the hope. You’ll even find some krautrock efficiency and lo-fi bedroom folk in there somewhere. I’m also really informed by a lot of vintage music that was recorded hastily and pretty much promptly fell into the void. Elyse Weinberg, Royal Jesters, Cerro Verde, etc… I’m finding inspiration in all this music that hasn’t been endlessly pawed over, that’s kind of only finding its way in the streaming era. It makes me wonder what else is out there? Ghost Moves is a love letter to that aesthetic. Also informed by some of the modern movers of that style, Jess Williamson, Sylvie, Sam Evian, Color Green. It’s a good time for music I think! Finally, the recording techniques of that era are a huge influence! Dynamic mics into vintage analog gear onto tape, plate reverb…quick creative decisions on the fly, musicians cooking in the room. The goal is to capture the vibe as it unfolds. We definitely had modern conveniences while we recorded but pretty strictly adhered to an old school ethos and I’m really satisfied with that
4. What can fans expect from your upcoming projects and tours? We’ll be releasing the vinyl of Ghost Moves next month, so be on the lookout for that! I’m kind of stunned with how the album reads on vinyl. I hope you dig in with it! We have a run of shows in Texas in July…very hot! A midwest tour in the fall. I’m wanting to squeeze in a solo tour as well. Also we already have half of the next album recorded and I’m pretty excited with what’s happening there! We might drop a single in the fall.
5. What message or impact do you hope to convey with your music? I hope this music finds a group that will love it. I hope that I’ve left enough space for the listener to make the music their own. I hope to see ya’ll soon!
