In our next Band Interview, we have a long overdue catch up with doom two-piece, GHXST.
S] It’s been quite a while, how are you guys doing?
GHXST: Hey Dom, it’s been a while! How have you been? We’re currently in California, sheltering from the pandemic and missing live music. This has been a really dark and confusing year for the world, and we’re hoping our upcoming EP will be a welcome departure or maybe solidarity for our friends and fans.
S] Talk us through the inspirations ideas on ‘Dark Days’?
GHXST: ‘Dark Days’ was started in Brooklyn and finished in San Francisco. The songs share common themes of all GHXST records – nostalgia and existentialism – but ‘Dark Days’ focuses on moving on, ending toxic relationships and finding inspiration in really dark times. We called it ‘Dark Days’ as a reference to the great James Baldwin.
Sonically we wanted these songs to be very simple. Most of the drums are built around an 808 and the guitars are more restrained than ever. We were thinking of hip hop beats playing out of car stereos in Bed Stuy, plus the feeling of being stoned in the back of the crowd at a doom metal show.
S] How do you define success now as artists?
GHXST: There’s a wave somewhere gathering on the horizon, and suddenly you’re on that wave without any knowledge of how you got there or where it will take you.
S] What are the biggest challenges you face at the moment, aside from Covid?
GHXST: Same as everyone, systemic racism, and climate change.
S] How do you look back on ‘Black Camaro’ and that stuff now?
GHXST: Truly fondly. I have no idea how we wrote that song in the first place, and thinking back I have so many memories of the long gone, underground venues in New York and all of the glamorous people we met.
S] If you could rip out the soundtrack of any existing film and replace it with GHXST, which film would you pick and why?
GHXST: Either a neo-western or a neo-noir, like ‘the Assassination of Jesse James’ or ‘Lost Highway.’ Both of those we used to watch in the background while writing songs. But honestly, we’d write the next John Wick soundtrack any day.
S] Thanks for your time!
GHXST: Thanks Dom, stay in touch!
‘Dark Days’ from GHXST is out on November 16th.
