Ghost Coasts is an indie rock band from Michigan who have been playing shows around Detroit recently. They released a stellar cassette "Cabin Fever" earlier this year that can also be found on Spotify and Bandcamp. We spoke with the dudes from Ghost Coasts about their sound, their influences, and new music they've been working on.
GHOST COASTS
Remove Records: Tell us somethings about yourself and your project.
Connor: I'm Connor aka the beat machine fueling Ghost Coasts' raunchy rhythm section. Ghost Coasts started when Arik (guitar/vocals) & I were in another band together, but felt the need to start our own project as we had a similar outlook on what we wanted from music. I hadn't known Arik for very long but we clicked immediately, so I can truly say Ghost Coasts formed due a blooming (onion) friendship.
Arik: I’m Arik and I play guitar and sing in Ghost Coasts. The band started about a year ago when Connor and I started jamming separately from our other band and convinced James and later Andrew to join in as well. Things took off pretty quick and we released two songs within a month of starting the band. We all have a pretty intense and shared love for a few different bands and terrible humor so it all works pretty well.
Andrew: I photographed the cover of Juniper // The Safeword is Pineapple before i was in the band. I was asked a few months later after jamming with Arik, Connor and James.
Remove Records: What are some of your musical influences? And what are some non-musical influences?
Arik: My main musical influences would probably be Stevie Wonder, CHON, The Strokes, Surf Curse, or anything else within the soul/motown parameters really gets me going. Influences that affect my playing and writing outside of other music would definitely be my friends and even complete strangers. Sometimes people can say really poetic and interesting things unintentionally…but they also can say and/or do the most irritating things which makes me want to kill them. There’s a lot of inspiration and angst to draw from in that department.
Andrew: My musical influences include King Krule, Tame Impala, Jimi Hendrix, Jim James, Daniel Cesar, Led Zepplin and Frank Ocean. My non musical influences include Alessio Albi, Co — Star, René Magritte, Salvador Dali, David Alexander Flinn and Mother Nature.
Remove Records: What is your favorite music venue?
Connor: My favorite venue we've played as a band are pretty much any house shows. Nothing beats the energy. My favorite venue I've personally played was this place in Madison, Wisconsin called The Rave. It was across from one of the hotels Jeffrey Dahmer used. This building was HUGE & it had an abandoned underground swimming pool room that all the artists would sign the walls of. Also the place was haunted.
Arik: There’s a co-op at MSU called the Vesta Cooperative that is my favorite place to play. They’ve invited us out to play a lot of shows and are always a blast to be around. I’ve made more than a few friends playing there.
Andrew: I enjoy playing at Vesta and Phoenex House. We have made some groovy friends in East Lansing and always have a great time playing.
Remove Records: What advice would you give to someone just starting out in music/ art?
Connor: My advice for someone starting out in music/art is to consume everything at your own pace. Whether it's music, performing, or networking, the music/art world can be extremely overwhelming & sometimes you feel like you're behind everyone else, but good art isn't going to come from you being stressed/rushed (not saying it can't, but it probably won't). ALSO very important & it's stressed over & over, but networking is literally the key to thriving in what you want to do. I wouldn't be doing 90% of the shit I am now if it wasn't for going out, talking to people & putting yourself out there.
Arik: My advice? Don’t create things for other people. Create things for yourself and don’t feel like you need everyone’s approval. Networking is important but don’t pretend to like things you don’t actually like just to try and make friends or make connections. It doesn’t matter how fast or well you can play. Attitude is the most important part. The only technical thing I’d say anyone needs to be able to do is play to a metronome. That shit is important. Cop an attitude in time.
Andrew: Learn things that you enjoy, enjoy the things you learn and push yourself to be the best that you can be. Believe in yourself.
Remove Records: What messages or themes are you trying to convey through your music/art?
Connor: A lot of the messages we try to convey focus around being sad but also happy, & things being bad but also good. But mostly, rock & roll baby.
Arik: I don’t typically try to include themes or messages intentionally. They seem to insert themselves if I’m writing from a genuine place. I’d say Connor covered most of it our themes so far. Most of my songs come from a place of irritation or discontent without trying to feel too down and out or sorry for myself.
Andrew: Arik’s love life is outta control.
Remove Records: What are you working on next?
Connor: We're about to put out a new single, & after that we're going to focus on writing new music and have a BANGER FUN time doing it. Having self-imposed deadlines can be stressful & it's vital to have fun along the way while working on new material so it comes out naturally.
Arik: We have a new single called Rosebud we’ll be putting out soon. Probably gonna lock ourselves in a cabin this winter and hopefully all come out alive and preferably with some new songs. I’d also like to play some more shows out in the Detroit area.
Andrew: We are scheming up a single release and writing some more tunes.
Remove Records: What do you think about the future of music/art?
Connor: I'm really interested in what I'll be listening to/getting radio play when I'm 64 years old. Music subtly & naturally will recycle itself over time, hopefully without getting sued by Tom Petty. The idea of modern music is still like, under a century old. If people out here still listening to Beethoven (who probably didn't even know how to use Ableton) then I can only hope that Ghost Coasts has its own special place in 2087.
Arik: The future is terrifying and unpredictable. I don’t think Tom Petty will be suing anyone since he’s dead BUT.... I do think as long as we have a capitalist economic system that is inherently flawed there will be people who are exploited and discontent with their situation who will need to create art to try and cope with whatever struggle they might be having.
Andrew: I think it will be exciting and i can’t wait to get a glimpse into the new minds and ideas.
