1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
Hello there! Since we officially finished the recording of Extended Play For My Sweet Mary Thyme, we have been relatively quiet insofar as activity is concerned. Of course, I am always working on new music in some form. In point of fact, songwriting for the next Ghostbound full-length is already well-under-way, and I may even have music for another project in the pipeline provided I do not scrap it entirely or otherwise co-opt it for use with Ghostbound. My bandmates stay busy with their own projects, as well.
2.In March you have a new album coming out, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
To be clear, it is an EP (or "mini-LP"), so there is the obvious difference of it being a lot shorter. Haha. But in all seriousness, I view it as an "expansion pack" to All is Phantom, so the music is, on some level, a very pointed extension of the various sounds we explored on that record. Bearing in mind that a lot of the music on both All is Phantom and this new EP stemmed from the same time period of about 2002 to 2015, and one can almost say that the songs on this EP were "left over" from AiP, and were left off that record either because they were a bit too simplistic, too samey, and/or incomplete in some way.
I daresay that the majority of the music on Extended Play was from the earlier part of that 13-year period, when I was much, much younger, and it can be argued that my abilities as a songwriter were a bit more prosaic than they are today. For whatever reason, however, the songs stayed with me, and I realized that I could weave these songs together as a singular "suite" of music via a unifying theme. Moreover, I realized that in the relative simplicity of the music, we could really allow our love of orchestration, arrangement, and, most of all, atmosphere to take the helm and to really build AROUND the bedrock of the songs; most of the songs contain no more than three or four chords, at most, and are generally in some variation of 6/8. At their most basic, they reminded me of the way the ocean moves as it hits the shore. A maritime, oceanic theme seemed natural.
3.While your music does contain a good amount of black metal influences you also avoid the use of any harsh vocals, are you open to adding them on future releases/
I certainly would not rule it out entirely, as I do not like to rule anything out, but I am not going to do something simply because the genre dictates that I do it. If I were to add harsh vocals, it would have to be dictated by the atmosphere of the music or the intent of the lyric, and I am not going to shoehorn something in simply because some corpse-painted, incel dingdong feels like cleanly sung vocals are out of place over blastbeats and tremolo riffs. The idea behind Ghostbound is that we would prefer to exist outside of easy categorization, and while we do employ elements of black metal, I wouldn't say that we are even a "metal band" in the strictest sense. Then again, it is not really up to me in terms of how we are perceived, is it? So, in short, yes. I am open to it.
4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years?
For this new EP, I wanted the lyrics to be more "image-based" in that I wanted them to explore narrative elements that are almost entirely outside of myself. All is Phantom, in turn, was heavily steeped in my own personal experiences. I wanted the songs on this EP to tell self-contained stories that are bolstered by the atmosphere of the music. I looked towards sea-faring stories in addition to one specific bit of apocrypha that went into a pieta found at Highgate National Cemetery that I first heard during a tour of the place, when I was in London with my parents in 2003. I wanted there to be a certain sense of "journey" to the music that starts out at sea and ends on land.
As a songwriter, this EP represents the earlier part of my journey, so I would not say that it is indicative of how I compose music in this day and age, necessarily. Back when these songs were first outlined, I could pretty much only play basic chords and open-string arpeggios in the Fields of the Nephilim mold, whereas now I am decidedly more "riff-based" in my approach. I will say, however, that this EP has taught me a lot about the use of orchestration and the joy of collaboration. A lot of the orchestration on AiP feels somewhat "tacked-on", in hindsight, and literally every member of the band had a hand in the arrangement and orchestration of Extended Play For My Sweet Mary Thyme.
5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Ghostbound'?
The term "Ghostbound" was something that I made up entirely from what I believe was a misheard lyric of another band, long since forgotten. Initially, it was merely the title of a song from an aborted attempt at a solo acoustic EP that I started working on over a decade ago. Funnily enough, the song in question would later become "And We Are Already At Sea", the lead-off track to the new EP. I am quite fond of the name, as it represents the idea that we are all in the same boat, at the end of the day. Death is the great unifier. Additionally, it represents something more positive, for me; I like the idea that we are all continually sailing towards a more peaceful place. We might not get there, and the journey may be dangerous, but the idea of forward motion is very real.
6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
The artwork was created by our good friend, Agam Neiman, who also created the lovely artwork for All is Phantom. As this EP is meant as a new series of chapters from the same novel, as it were, I wanted the artwork to at least continue the same aesthetic. The only difference is that All is Phantom takes place mostly on land, and Extended Play is almost entirely at sea, by design. The only instruction I gave to Agam was to focus on the color "blue" as opposed to the more verdant greens of AiP.
7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Ghostbound is not known to play live all that often, admittedly, as we all have day jobs and/or families, BUT we have been privileged to have played a number of good shows at Brooklyn's best metal venue, Saint Vitus, and we played one particularly fun gig in the live room of Kevin Antreassian's Backroom Studios where we were on the same level as the audience. I loved that feeling. Our stage performance is a bit more stripped down, but we are known to "bring it" in the respect that I tend to throw myself around the stage and that every member moves to the music, in some way. I really, really hate it when bands just stand there during their live shows, so I make a point to really engage physically with the reality of whatever it is I am doing.
8.You also have done some 'Red House Painters' 'Replacements' and 'Daniel Lanios' coivers, what was the decision behind doing your own version of their songs?
In hindsight, I probably should not have listed the covers of Replacements' "Here Comes a Regular" and Daniel Lanois' "The Maker" under the Ghostbound moniker, as I did those entirely by myself with no input from any other member. In truth, I recorded those mostly as a means to teach myself how to record via my home studio, SO...I guess you can say that those two covers are "non-canon". The Red House Painters cover was our first attempt at recording a song entirely remotely, where we all contributed our parts from our home studios. We have since stopped promoting that song in the wake of the actions of Mark Kozelek, who has proven to be a scumbag.
On the subject of cover songs, I am of the firm belief that one should pay tribute to those who influenced one's music. We record covers of songs that have had a direct influence on us, to be specific. We also have a live video cover of Manic Street Preachers' "4st 7lb" which can be found via our YouTube channel. Essentially, we like the idea of paying homage as well as introducing potential fans to new bands that would not otherwise be on their radar. Post punk, pop, dream pop, shoegaze, and 80s "big music" is as much a part of my musical DNA as any subgenre of metal, if not moreso, and I love the idea of spreading the word about bands I love and enjoy.
9.TRhe new album is going to be released on 'Red Nebula Records', how did you get in contact with this label?
Ye Olde Booke of Faces! I simply sent them a message in an effort to see if they would be interested in putting it out, as I saw that they were releasing the rather excellent new, likewise-seafaring Foret Endormie record on vinyl. I like the cut of Reb Nebula's jib, as it were, and it was pretty evident to me early on that they would not bullshit me. There is a lot of integrity on display with Red Nebula, and I suspect that they will only grow in the future.
10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of post metal?
It seems as if we have accrued a modest but strong following. Whether or not it is comprised of fans of "post metal" is anyone's guess, but the general consensus is that we are most definitely a round peg in a square hole, and I would not have it any other way.
11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Literally nothing ever goes to plan, but if I had my druthers, I would move us into a darker, more dissonant direction. Somewhere between Gorguts and XTC.
12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what ar eyou listening to nowadays?
While I was writing the songs for the EP, I was listening to a lot of White Light From The Mouth of Infinity/Love of Life-era Swans. Specifically, the songs "The Golden Boy That Was Swallowed By The Sea" and "Love Will Save You" were pretty direct influences on the EP. Additionally, The Waterboys - This is the Sea had a monumental impact on the EP as a whole; Mike Scott had this way of being able to sustain tension in a two-chord song like no one else. You might also hear a lot of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Richard Hawley, Fields of the Nephilim, Talk Talk, Echo and the Bunnymen - Ocean Rain, Alcest - Ecailles de Lune, and Ocean Machine - Biomech. These are but a few very direct inspirations as to why I wanted to explore an oceanic theme in the music of Extended Play For My Sweet Mary Thyme.
In terms of what I am listening to now, I am a huge fan of the most recent Secrets of the Moon record, Black House. Additionally, Dawnwalker's new record, Ages, is fantastic. I have also been spinning Dumal - The Confessor, Anguis Dei - Angeist, Bitch Falcon - Staring at Clocks, Strega Nona - Mirrored Pink, and Boreal - The Battle of Vosad, among many, many others. I am obsessive about discovering new music. Chances are, if the atmosphere is big and expansive, or if the band in question has a chorus pedal that they keep on at all times, it will have a place in my collection.
13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you very much for the detailed and thoughtful interview! We wholeheartedly appreciate the attention and we wish you and your readers nothing but good health and safety in these increasingly uncertain times.
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