Ghosts on Film
“Ghosts on
Film” is a unique band that manages to sound familiar yet wholly original at
the same time. Initially there was an idea. It really shouldn’t have worked. A
blending of four different influences no one expected would mesh as well as
they did. The three members (with occasional help from talented friends) would
work to find a way to bring the elements of music they each loved together in harmony.
Fusing Electronica, Metal and Post Punk with a touch of Shoegaze seemed nearly
impossible, until it worked. Ghosts on Film is a Houston based band creating
atmospheric music that has been described as cinematic or scenic in nature.
Layered guitar textures blanket understated vocals supported by the solid
rhythms of drums and bass. Filtering in and out of this mix are creative and
perfectly timed electronic elements. The results are striking. The music is
powerful and emotive in a way that few self-produced bands ever achieve.
The band is comprised of three members Jason Carroll (guitar and vocals), Andrew Espinosa (programming, keyboards and guitar) and David Young (bass, guitar and vocals). They have been friends for quite some time and have spent time in different bands and musical projects over the years (sometimes together) but they have never been able to find the right fit until coming together as Ghosts on Film. The band grew from initial ideas in 2009 to a fully realized sound in 2011 with the release of their debut E.P. “Walking Without Shadows” on Systaine Records. They are currently writing and recording material for a follow up, scheduled to be released in the fall of 2012.
Systaine Records:
The band is comprised of three members Jason Carroll (guitar and vocals), Andrew Espinosa (programming, keyboards and guitar) and David Young (bass, guitar and vocals). They have been friends for quite some time and have spent time in different bands and musical projects over the years (sometimes together) but they have never been able to find the right fit until coming together as Ghosts on Film. The band grew from initial ideas in 2009 to a fully realized sound in 2011 with the release of their debut E.P. “Walking Without Shadows” on Systaine Records. They are currently writing and recording material for a follow up, scheduled to be released in the fall of 2012.
Systaine Records:
How and when was the band formed?
David: We
began shaping the idea that would eventually become Ghosts on Film in 2009.
We’ve known each other for ages so working together was easy, refining the
sound we wanted took us awhile and was a bit harder. I think the band we are
now really came together in the summer of 2011 as we recorded the songs for our
first release, Walking Without Shadows. We just really wanted to record the
type of music we wanted to hear. It started as a recording project between
friends and has really only now started to gain notice.
Can you tell us what the band has been working on and what you've got forthcoming in the near future (new releases, tour, etc.)?
David: We’ve
just started working on songs for an e.p. that we hope to release in the early
part of summer. It’s early stages at the moment but the ideas are there and we
are hoping to expand the sound we captured with Between Sometimes and Never.
Do you consider your music to be part of the current shoegaze/dream pop scene, or any scene? Defining one's sound by genre can be tiresome, but do you feel that the band identifies closely with any genre? How do you feel about genres in music, in a general sense?
David: I
don’t think we’ve ever really stopped to consider what genre we fit into best
but most people seem to feel we are at the intersection of shoegaze/dreampop
and post punk. A lot of our influences come from those genres so if we reflect
them we are perfectly happy! As a band we always hope our music will be
interesting to anyone who listens regardless of what style they would normally
lean towards but as music fans I think we all identify with genres and
appreciate the sort of sonic cultures that come with them.
What do you think of modern shoegaze/dream pop/psychedelia artists, any favorites?
David: I’m a
huge fan personally and most days find myself listening to just about anything
coming out on Saint Marie or Drifting Falling and of course, Club
AC30. Some of my current favorites are Drowner, Panda Riot, Nightmare
Air, Ringo Deathstarr , You Walk Through Walls (and Matt Bartram’s solo work),
Kontakte, Winterlight and Oppressed by the Line. There is so much happening and
so many great bands out there!
Andrew: All
of it!
David: I
think more than the gear, for me it’s having Jason and Andrew there to push me
to try harder. Like most bands we tend to feed off of and inspire each other
and our sound is a direct reflection of that. I can get lost in guitar textures
and it helps having them there to help reign me in or to push me when something
is starting to sound right. I became the band’s vocalist out of necessity
rather than through any skill or experience, so needless to say I rely heavily
on my bandmates for feedback and support. For me our camaraderie is the most
critical thing.
Jason: Definitely
into the sound of a Fender guitar, specifically the jaguar. It helps to provide that edge when we are
looking for that wall of shoegazey goodness.
Is shoegazey even a word? Both
Dave and I use Line 6 effects (POD HD500 and POD XT Live) which I now realize I
couldn’t live without. I also use an
Ephiphone Les Paul actually, that gives a much heavier and crunchy end when we
need it.
What is your
process for recording your music? What gear and/or software do you use? What would
you recommend for others?
Andrew: The
recording, mixing and mastering process is done in the digital realm. We use Sonar X2 to record and mix all the
songs. The guitars are run direct into
the mixing console and then to the PC.
The synths are a combination of hardware and software based synths. All the drum work is programmed using a
variety of software based modules. We
master in-house at the moment because we feel we’ve received better results
compared to when we’ve sent our mixes off to outside mastering houses. Granted, we operate on an indie band budget
so we haven’t sent our stuff to high-end studios for mastering but we’re able
to get the sound we desire ourselves and for now we are sticking to that. As for a recommendation to others, it’s not
so much what you have but how you use it.
Learn how to use whatever means you have at your disposal effectively.
How do you feel about the state of the music industry today? There is no doubt a massive change underway; how do you see it and do you feel it’s positive at all?
David: I
think it’s actually a pretty exciting time! Things are changing and people are
not looking at and buying music the way they may have in the past. As a music
fan first and foremost I find myself looking for new and exciting sounds and
there are so many great independent bands/musicians out there just waiting to
be heard and it’s never been easier to connect with them. There has been such a
shift to DIY in recent years and it’s really amazing. I think its bringing
music fans and musicians closer together and that is always a great thing!
Jason: I
would have to say that I was not a fan of it in the beginning. I think mainly because it was just different
and there was an uncertainty of where music would go from there. The Ipod changed everything. Now I see it as a blessing actually. Small indie bands like us have the chance to
get our music out there quickly and into the hands of listeners throughout the
world.
When it comes
to label releases versus DIY/bandcamp and the like, what is your stance, if
any?
David: We
produce our own music and run the label we release it through so we fall into
the DIY category but as music fans we support any way bands get sounds out
there. I think when it comes down to it you have to do what works best for you.
Having the support of a label is a great thing for musicians but it’s equally
nice knowing that it is possible for bands without label support to release
music and be heard today.
Do you prefer vinyl, CD, cassette tape or mp3 format when listening to music? Do you have any strong feelings toward any of them?
David: I’ve
loved all four formats over the years. For convenience MP3s are something I
find myself listening to quite often but I do love having physical copies too
and love picking up CDs and even vinyl when available.
Jason: There
is something to be said about having a tape, specifically a mixed tape. Growing up I was on the cusp of the tape/cd
format change and it didn’t make that much of an impact really. I wanted music. Now digital downloads are so much a part of
life, that I can’t imagine not having that option.
What artists
(musicians or otherwise) have most influenced your work?
As a band we
share some common influences but as individuals we have pretty varied tastes.
It’s the differences that shape the sound more than the shared ones as they
challenge us to make our personal ideas mesh.
David: There
are so many! I think probably the Cure, New Order, the Church, the Chameleons
(U.K.), Catherine Wheel, Lush, Ride and more recently bands like Air Formation,
You Walk Through Walls, The Foreign Resort, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart and
the Joy Formidable have had such a big influence on me personally. I tend to
take inspiration from everything I listen to really.
Jason: I was
very much into the metal scene most of my youth with bands like Megadeth,
Anthrax, Testament and Stryper. As I got
into high school, I began to branch out into other genres that include
Morrissey, The Smiths, The Cure, etc.
Then I discovered shoe gaze that sort of blended the different types of
music I was into. Bands like Sigur Ros,
My Morning Jacket, Suede, and Placebo are some of the more recent bands that
continue to influence me.
Can you tell us a little about what you are currently into (books, films, art, bands, etc.)?
Jason: Dave
has forced me to start liking The Walking Dead among many others. I’ve always been a Lord of the Rings junky
and the whole sci/fi/action/adventure genre.
I’ve gotten into The Joy Formidable, again through Dave, and I’m also
enjoying the resurgence of the metal scene.
David: Oh I
could go on about this all day! As Jason mentioned I’m a big Walking Dead fan
(both the comic and the show) – I’ve got horribly unrefined taste when it comes
to reading and film! I watch a lot of sci fi and horror and there is a part of
me that just adores b-movies. I’m currently reading the Twelve by Justin
Cronin. See? Not very refined am I? I’ve been waiting for the new Joy
Formidable release as well as Johnny Marr’s solo disc and of course, like
everyone else I am waiting for My Bloody Valentine to finally release the new
album (or is Kevin Shields just toying with us?). The new Panda Riot stuff is
sounding great and that’s on my radar as well!
If you had to
choose one track that was the ultimate definition of your sound, which would it
be and why?
Jason: My two
favorite tracks right now are Stray Light Fades from our first release, Walking
Without Shadows. I really like Where the
Truth Divides from the current release. To me, those songs really identify who
we are musically. I’m proud of those
songs. Wait, you asked for just one
song. I think those two tracks really
define where we began to find our sound and where we’ve taken that currently.
David: That’s
a tough one. I’m not sure I could choose just one but I like Mercury a lot
because it has all the sound elements but it’s got a different flow vocally. I
think it represents our core sound while showing that we can challenge
ourselves to try different things.
Can you tell us a little about the band’s song writing process?
David: Well,
it varies. I tend to record a lot of demos at home and send them along to Jason
and Andrew to get their thoughts. When they like a song we’ll convene and give
it a work over until it sounds right. Other times Andrew will send drum and
synth tracks our way and we’ll build from those. When we all get together and
just decide to play and see what happens we get interesting results too. Where
the Truth Divides came from a guitar melody Jason had been playing in the
studio.
What is your philosophy (on life), if any, that you live by?
David: Well,
as typical as it might sound I try to treat others as I’d like to be treated. I
feel like if more people concentrated on being the best versions of themselves
rather than worrying about the lifestyles of others it would be a better world.
Not much of a philosophy I guess but it works for me.
