An interview with Ghosts of Sunset
An interview with Ghosts of Sunset
HOMAGE
What inspired the name of the band? What are your influences?
Ghosts of Sunset is an homage to the artists that sprung from the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles California USA. Our influences are all over the map, but a lot of common ground for us in in that 1980s “hair metal” scene. Ratt, Motley Crue, Quiet Riot, Poison, Faster Pussycat, LA Guns, etc… but our name also a tip of the hat to everything from Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, the Doors, the Byrds, Rodney Binghenheimer’s English Disco Buffalo Springfield, the Runaways. It was just such a rich breeding ground for fantastic music. As two Midwestern kids growing up in the late 1970s and 1980s it was akin to “Oz”. The promised land.
How do you approach songwriting?
Boiled down it all comes back to human experience. Every song starts with the desire to tell a story. That story can be personal experience or observed experience or even completely fictional. We try and make sure musically we’re moving storylines forward, setting scenes, and creating a narrative that draws people in. HOWEVER, got to have a catchy chorus and some musical hooks too while avoiding cliches. It’s an interesting dance for sure. Once you’re inside a song either writing or listening, the rest of the “real world” just seems to slide away. Songs are magic places.
HUMAN EXPERIENCE
HUMAN EXPERIENCE
How do you approach songwriting?
Boiled down it all comes back to human experience. Every song starts with the desire to tell a story. That story can be personal experience or observed experience or even completely fictional. We try and make sure musically we’re moving storylines forward, setting scenes, and creating a narrative that draws people in. HOWEVER, got to have a catchy chorus and some musical hooks too while avoiding cliches. It’s an interesting dance for sure. Once you’re inside a song either writing or listening, the rest of the “real world” just seems to slide away. Songs are magic places.
MOVE
Why do you write the sort of music that you do?
To hopefully move other humans the way we were moved by the music we love. To turn people onto something new or point them to the music that means so much to us. If I name-check Hanoi Rocks and someone digs back and discovers their music, I feel like I’ve done my small part to keep the circle continuing while trying to “repay” in some small way my musical heroes.
How do you decide what songs to perform live and how do you transpose them into that live setting?
We usually choose songs that can translate live. That doesn’t always mean reproducing recordings note for note. It can simply mean exchanging emotions in a shared setting. I love the Black Crowes, but don’t go to their show if you want to hear the songs presented like they are on the records. That being said, I also would like SOME familiarity to the music I’ve been listening to on the records. It’s a tightrope act for sure. When it works, it’s transcendent. When it doesn’t it can leave everyone scratching their heads.
TRANSLATE
TRANSLATE
How do you decide what songs to perform live and how do you transpose them into that live setting?
We usually choose songs that can translate live. That doesn’t always mean reproducing recordings note for note. It can simply mean exchanging emotions in a shared setting. I love the Black Crowes, but don’t go to their show if you want to hear the songs presented like they are on the records. That being said, I also would like SOME familiarity to the music I’ve been listening to on the records. It’s a tightrope act for sure. When it works, it’s transcendent. When it doesn’t it can leave everyone scratching their heads.
NEW SINGLE
What plans do you have for the future?
Right now, we’re promoting our second single on Golden Robot Records called “Never Goodbye”. It’s looking like we’ll release one more single, then a complete 6 song concept EP called “Headed West” that chronicles the story of a fictional band in the 1980s hard rock/”hair metal” scene. We’re already amassing songs for a full-length album in 2021. When our industry recovers and the Covid-19 pandemic is under control, we’re looking at some select live dates as well.
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