North Ghost took some time out of their busy schedule to answer our questions about their music and how they make it.
First off, What’s up with your name? Is there a story behind it?
We’re from a small town in the North Coast of Ireland. So it’s a play on words. But when we came up with it, we talked about how it reminded us of growing up here, all the people we once knew, the places we used to go to and hang out as teenagers. So some of our lyrics reference these things.
Tell us about your musical past, would you tell us about your early years?
Jake and I (Shay) have played in Pop Punk bands from the age of 14 and have basically played music together one way or another, ever since. It’s kind of a running joke that I refuse to be in a band without him. He’s gotten a lot better at it, I haven’t.
We met Paul in our late teens and started a Synth Pop band which got popular quickly, then burnt out just as fast. After that, we all moved around different parts of the world but ended up back in the North Coast around the same time, so we kick started this project last year and haven’t looked back.
How would you describe your sound?
Glittery riffs, crunching guitars, exciting choruses, vocal melodies that’ll move into your brain, make themselves a coffee and start asking you what your Netflix passwords are.
Which artists have the biggest influence on your sound?
To be honest, we have an eclectic taste, genuinely listen to everything. You can definitely hear some little sparks of influences inside our music, but at the same time, it still sounds like us. If we had to choose, you’d probably be able to compare parts of our songs to Jimmy Eat World, The Wonder Years, Motion City Soundtrack, to name a few.
What’s the last song you listened to?
“Ruin My Life”by a band called ‘Parker’ who’re in the town next to us. We’ve been exploring local bands recently and those guys stood out.
What’s your source for hearing new music?
Each other. Anytime we get together there’s always a “Oh, have you heard *this*” for the first half hour. There’s nothing better than hearing a track and then getting excited to show your band mates. Sometimes I’ll even hold out until I see them in person so I can do that awkward ‘watch to see their reaction’ thing.
Who is your dream producer?
Paul our vocalist/guitarist produces our tracks and to be honest, his skills are insane. I think that’s why we have a pretty unique sound. We’ve all sat in his home studio for months on end finding a sound that’s ‘us’. After that, we’ve been having legendary engineer/producer, Romesh Dodangoda (Bring Me The Horizon, Kids In Glass Houses, Funeral For A Friend) mix and master our tracks and he’s really taken them to another level.
There’s definitely a lot of talent out there in the producing world, we’d love to work with Colin Brittain too, his production for the newest ‘Story Of The Year’ record blew our faces off.
If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?
Damn, I don’t even know! I mean, I could name drop a huge Pop Punk band or the obvious like Mark Hoppus, but to be honest I think some of the best collabs are with two completely different sounds. So I’m gonna say Post Malone.
What led you to music, and what motivates you to keep making it?
Pop Punk was pretty much our soundtrack to growing up. It’s got a nostalgic triangle choke on us and we can’t break it, it’s deep. Coming to that realisation is why we’re still doing this. To be perfectly honest, it’d be really nice if other people heard the music and it became part of their soundtrack, too. That would be a huge bonus. But in truth, we’re doing this for us. I’m not ashamed to admit that we make music that we want to hear and I don’t really give a f**k if someone tells me it sucks. I think we’re all past that point and our skin is thicker than it’s ever been. I love the music we make.
Tell us about the songwriting process. How does it all come together?
It’s a completely even playing field, creatively. We each have our own little quirks that we bring to the table, Paul has an incredible brain for harmony and hooks, Jake’s guitar playing is an absolute powerhouse, and he’ll throw chords at us that blow our minds. Jay Dickson brings a level of drumming to the tracks that is unmatched in our opinion. I’m probably my own biggest critic, but I’m confident that I can come up with a melody that’ll get stuck in your head. Whether you like it or not. It’s staying.
How do you connect with your audience? What is the easiest way for them to connect with you?
We’re most active on Instagram and TikTok. We’re DIY, so feel free to shoot us a message and we’ll most likely respond in an embarrassingly quick time.
www.instagram.com/northghostband
What’s next for you?
We’re almost finished our Debut EP which will be fully released in the summer months. We just want to keep writing writing writing and making sure it stays fun. We’ll be looking for live opportunities soon.
Anything else you’d like to add or let us know about?
Our newest single “Good Luck Trying” is out on 05/05/23 on all platforms. Go follow us on Spotify and don’t be afraid to say hello.
