I HEART MOOSIQ interview : HANDSOME GHOST
We’ve been in love with Los Angeles based indie duo Handsome Ghost for the past several years (revisit some of our past features, here). The pair has liquefied our hearts to no end with their music, which they sometimes describe as “indie-prom”, likely due to the bittersweet nostalgia and dreamy romanticism that oozes from its luscious folds. We’re thrilled that Handsome Ghost is currently on tour for their debut album, Welcome Back. IHM chatted with the dashing duo ahead of their show this Saturday, June 2, at
Café
Du Nord in San Francisco. Check out our interview below. Don’t miss out on Handsome Ghost’s tour! We’re also GIVING AWAY A PAIR OF TICKETS for their SF show on Twitter! Just head over to Twitter, here, and retweet for a chance at winning, winner announced Friday morning!
I Heart Moosiq: First off, I gotta ask, Handsome Ghost… How’d you come up with a brilliant name that matches the beautifully haunting sound of your music?
Handsome Ghost: Well, thank you. The band name came about back when I was using really heavy effects on my vocals. Ghostly vocals, if you will. The handsome part started as a joke and ended up sticking. I named the band when I was pretty confident that Handsome Ghost would never actually be a “real” band…but I’m happy with the name, I feel like it fits.
IHM: Tim, I read somewhere that growing up Postal Service was a big influence on you. If you could pick one song to describe you or as your anthem, which song would it be?
Handsome Ghost:
Yeah, absolutely. Both The Postal Service and Death Cab For Cutie, basically Ben Gibbard’s songwriting, were huge influences for me as I was starting to learn how to make music. The first Postal Service song I heard was “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight” and I remember being completely blown away. The build throughout the song, the fact that it doesn’t follow a traditional strong structure. And at that point those sounds and tones were so innovative, not to mention how perfect the lyrics are. That whole album really moved me, but I’ll pick that song because it’s the one that introduced me to the band.
IHM:
Eddie, I read that you were really into Taking Back Sunday. So same question to you – If you could pick one song to describe you or as your anthem, which song would it be?
Handsome Ghost:
I still listen to a bunch of those songs from my pop-punk days. I have a playlist for when I’m driving on tour with everyone else asleep. Just the hits (they’re all hits). I’d probably say “Cute Without The E”… So emotional. So so emotional.
IHM:
How did you guys first decide to do an Acoustic album and secondly how did you guys narrow it down to those 6 tracks?
Handsome Ghost:
Welcome Back took so long to get to where it ended up, but I feel like songs can sometimes be living things. I love how the songs are arranged on the album, but we wanted to offer kinda a companion piece to the album. Maybe hearing the songs differently gives them a new meaning? We chose each of the six songs for different reasons. Some were arranged so differently compared to how Tim originally wrote them (“Shallow City” and “Here’s To Endings”), some were really important songs that we felt deserved a little emphasis. “Soft” we had done for the record but it didn’t quite fit. But we love the song and lyrically really fit the story of the album.
IHM:
This is your first full-length album, but I’m surprised to hear you already put out two EPs over the last several years. Do you look back on those EPs and wish you would have done something differently with the sound or lyrics? Or even something as simple as the process of making those EPs. I think what I’m asking is have you guys refined the developmental process or each EP / Album / Song it’s own journey?
Handsome Ghost:
I definitely look back and wish I had done some things differently on those two EPs, sure. I’m proud of them both, and I think they represent where I was at those moments in time, but I feel like we’re better now than we were back then. At the same time, I think there’s an innocence or a naivety there, especially on that first EP, that is pretty special. I don’t listen to my own music (because it feels very awkward) but I know there are some little things on that first EP that I’d probably change now that give it a little charm, if that makes sense. But we’re always trying to get better, and if we’re lucky enough to make another album, I’ll probably feel the same way about Welcome Back.
IHM:
If I was a performer I think my favorite song to perform would be one that the audience sings back or the one that blew up. Which song is your favorite to perform that people don’t know so well yet?
Handsome Ghost:
Hah yes! It’s always cool to hear people singing along. Sometimes you hear someone singing and it’s like “daaaaaaammmmnnn….!”
I really love playing “Creatures.” It’s the last song on the album, and one that I think you kinda have to pay attention to. Playing it live is fun and it’s also nice to kinda force people to listen to it. hahah. Hopefully it makes people revisit it on the album.
IHM:
I see that you guys have performed at some East Coast Festivals like Firefly. Is there any festival or location that you would consider a dream place to play?
Handsome Ghost:
As a young man I saw a video of Dave Matthews Band playing at Red Rocks. That’s a venue that I would just be happy to see some day. So beautiful.
IHM:
Handsome Ghost is from Boston. Here we’re big Warrior fans. We’re actually surprised how far the Celtics have come in the playoffs. Do Celtics fans feel like if they had Kyrie and Gordon Hayward this year that they would be title favorites?
Handsome Ghost:
Okay, I have a lot to say about this but I will try my best to keep it brief. I absolutely adore this Celtics team as it’s currently constituted. They just play so hard, they’re so fun to root for. Even with all the injuries, here they are giving the Cavs (Lebron is my nemesis) a run for their money. That said: Even with a healthy Kyrie and Gordon, I think the Warriors are still the favorites. Even if you play perfect basketball, if the Warriors shoot well they’re going to win. They’re just dream crushers, what can you say. If it ends up being Celtics/Warriors this year I still think my boys are going to make GS work really hard for it.
IHM:
We’re looking forward to your show at Café Du Nord and years of meeting your Celtics in The Finals.
Handsome Ghost:
Thanks! Excited for San Francisco. Such a beautiful city.
Thanks for chatting with us, Handsome Ghost! So sorry the Warriors and Celtics won’t be meeting in The Finals after all, maybe next year!
Listen to debut album Welcome Back:
For the rest of Handsome Ghost’s Welcome Back tour dates, click here.
Handsome Ghost: Website / Facebook / Soundcloud / YouTube / Twitter
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