Because of time conflicts between and the band members, my interview with Ghosts Of The Great Lakes happened via MySpace. Frontman Benny West handled all of the answers.
The following was copied and pasted from the Web:
TELL A BRIEF STORY ABOUT HOW THE BAND GOT TOGETHER? HOW LONG AGO DID IT FORM?
Ghosts formed in July of 2008 when Jeff and I left the band we were in. We had plans for GHOSTS long before we left designer virus. Creativly that band was not what we wanted despite it being a fairly well recieved band. We knew we could make better music. We recruited Mike Snyder for bass. He was our only choice. Mike had played in a band with Jeff years ago. We knew creativly he was the best choice. We didnt really hunt for a drummer. We worked with Dane and became quickly clued into the fact that the kid was a drumming phenom. We tried him out once and that was it
HOW WOULD YOU GUYS DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE OF MUSIC? HOW DO YOU THINK IT COMPARES
TO THE REST OF THE BATTLE CREEK/KALAMAZOO SCENE?
Our style of music is tough to describe as all atmospheric type bands are. We write songs and most of them have a usual structure for the most part but we really focus on making the songs have a very spooky, spacey, dreamy quality. Something from a dream or a distant memory. Music for movies. We dont think we are alone in our sound but dont feel like we sound like any other local bands. If you broke certain parts down you may be able to make some comparisons but nothing as a generalization. We are confident we have our own thing going on.
HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT WRITING SONGS? ARE YOU A JAM BAND, OR IS THERE ONE SONGWRITER, OR IS WORKED ON COLLECTIVELY?
We are absolutly not a jam band. Ghosts write music collectivly. Each song is differant in its birth. Usually Mike or Jefff have a riff they think is special then it is developed and structure the song with dane. Once a basic form is made we will make work on making it more complex. When it is farly solid in its structure we will finalize lyrics. We are not a jam band. Any of the musical segments that may last a while are completely rehearsed and never improvised live. We spend a lot of time writing these segways.
WHO WRITES THE LYRICS? WHAT WOULD YOU SAY MOST OF THE SONGS ARE ABOUT?
I write all the lyrics. They are all very personal and emotional. I could say that any of the songs are mostly about one subject. But they do all come from personal experiences in one form or another. I dont write about this and that. I write about things I feel people can relate and bond to.
WHAT IS THE MESSAGE OF GHOSTS OF THE GREAT LAKES? IF YOU TOOK THE COLLECTIVE MESSAGE OF ALL THE SONGS AND LUMPED IT INTO ONE THEME, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
There is no collective message. Our songs revolve around a metroploitan lifestyle and the ups and downs of such a lifestyle. There are no specifics. Its Lifestyle music. Thats it. Its fashion, parties,relationships,addiction, love, hurt, death, life.
WHAT KIND OF IMPACT DO YOU HOPE TO HAVE ON A LISTENER?
We hope to develop an emotional personal bond with the listener. We want people to feel what we are doing. People have experienced what we touch on in our songs. We want them to be able to relate to our lives.
WHAT ARE YOUR ASPIRATIONS AS A BAND? HOW FAR DO YOU HOPE TO TAKE GOTGL AND HOW DO YOU HOPE TO GET THERE?
We want our music out there. We have just finished our first album as a band. We want to get it to people. We are going to tour and work hard and continue to progress. We are very proud of our creation "death of the party". We are gonna just work our buts off and see where it akes us. honestly we want it all and everyone knows it. We will see if we can get it.
Ghosts formed in July of 2008 when Jeff and I left the band we were in. We had plans for GHOSTS long before we left designer virus. Creativly that band was not what we wanted despite it being a fairly well recieved band. We knew we could make better music. We recruited Mike Snyder for bass. He was our only choice. Mike had played in a band with Jeff years ago. We knew creativly he was the best choice. We didnt really hunt for a drummer. We worked with Dane and became quickly clued into the fact that the kid was a drumming phenom. We tried him out once and that was it
HOW WOULD YOU GUYS DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE OF MUSIC? HOW DO YOU THINK IT COMPARES
Our style of music is tough to describe as all atmospheric type bands are. We write songs and most of them have a usual structure for the most part but we really focus on making the songs have a very spooky, spacey, dreamy quality. Something from a dream or a distant memory. Music for movies. We dont think we are alone in our sound but dont feel like we sound like any other local bands. If you broke certain parts down you may be able to make some comparisons but nothing as a generalization. We are confident we have our own thing going on.
HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT WRITING SONGS? ARE YOU A JAM BAND, OR IS THERE ONE SONGWRITER, OR IS WORKED ON COLLECTIVELY?
We are absolutly not a jam band. Ghosts write music collectivly. Each song is differant in its birth. Usually Mike or Jefff have a riff they think is special then it is developed and structure the song with dane. Once a basic form is made we will make work on making it more complex. When it is farly solid in its structure we will finalize lyrics. We are not a jam band. Any of the musical segments that may last a while are completely rehearsed and never improvised live. We spend a lot of time writing these segways.
WHO WRITES THE LYRICS? WHAT WOULD YOU SAY MOST OF THE SONGS ARE ABOUT?
I write all the lyrics. They are all very personal and emotional. I could say that any of the songs are mostly about one subject. But they do all come from personal experiences in one form or another. I dont write about this and that. I write about things I feel people can relate and bond to.
WHAT IS THE MESSAGE OF GHOSTS OF THE GREAT LAKES? IF YOU TOOK THE COLLECTIVE MESSAGE OF ALL THE SONGS AND LUMPED IT INTO ONE THEME, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
There is no collective message. Our songs revolve around a metroploitan lifestyle and the ups and downs of such a lifestyle. There are no specifics. Its Lifestyle music. Thats it. Its fashion, parties,relationships,addiction, love, hurt, death, life.
We hope to develop an emotional personal bond with the listener. We want people to feel what we are doing. People have experienced what we touch on in our songs. We want them to be able to relate to our lives.
WHAT ARE YOUR ASPIRATIONS AS A BAND? HOW FAR DO YOU HOPE TO TAKE GOTGL AND HOW DO YOU HOPE TO GET THERE?
We want our music out there. We have just finished our first album as a band. We want to get it to people. We are going to tour and work hard and continue to progress. We are very proud of our creation "death of the party". We are gonna just work our buts off and see where it akes us. honestly we want it all and everyone knows it. We will see if we can get it.
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