SOURCE – How would you describe Giving Up the Ghost on stage versus what people hear on the records? What makes for a fantastic show in your eyes, and what have been the most memorable moments so far in that regard with the band?
Miguel Meza (vocals) – The biggest difference is that we play really loud and it makes our sound a lot more intense. We prefer low lighting and no talking on stage to allow for the music to speak for itself. A fantastic show for us means playing with some fun bands in a small packed room. Intimate shows are the best.
Clayton Bartholomew (guitars) – We like to spice up our live show with lighting, fog and a projector screen. It’s all about trying to build an ambiance and setting a mood. We’ve only just begun to play live again coming out of the pandemic, so playing Giving Up the Ghost live is still in its evolution. We do have more live shows coming up, so we’ll be refining our set.
SOURCE – Were there any songs on the new album that seemed more of a challenge to the band than others?
Clayton Bartholomew (guitars) – Touch the glass was challenging because we’ve never really written a song like that before. Most of the band weren’t even sure if they liked it before it was recorded. I think in the end, we all came around and warmed up to it though.
Miguel Meza (vocals) – Bed of Flowers and Touch the Glass were definitely the most challenging in the studio.
SOURCE – How do you feel so far about the worldwide response to this record? Have there been any surprises in terms of appeal, and how do you handle any criticism if it’s given?
Clayton Bartholomew (guitars) – I think the record was well received. It’s pretty short as far as full lengths go, so that was the source of most of the negative talking points in reviews.
Miguel Meza (vocals) – The response has been pretty positive, we sold out of our most limited Vinyl pressing in the first couple of weeks following the album release date. We handle criticism pretty well; we know we’re not everyone’s cup of tea.
SOURCE – Nowadays in every album the person responsible for the sound production is strongly mentioned especially when he is a known one. How important do you think is the producer to the sound of a band?
Miguel Meza (vocals) – Big names don’t mean much to us, great work does. We owe a great deal to our good friend and producer Ben Hirschfield.
SOURCE – Your video for Bed of Flowers has received great views through YouTube – what can you tell us surrounding the video shoot?
Miguel Meza (vocals) – We filmed the entire music video in our practice space. I came up with the concept and execution and our guitarist Isaac handled the camera work. I also edited it. We used a cheap set of bedsheets, $100 worth of flowers and some pig’s blood.
Clayton Bartholomew (guitars) – Miguel is great with visuals, so we always defer to him on artwork and video stuff. Being on a tight budget means we have to be creative on how we film, etc. I think he did a great job putting that video together.
SOURCE – What have you been enjoying personally when it comes to musical enjoyment for bands and albums – do you return to a lot of the classics from youth or are you consistently searching for newer artists and influences to elevate your horizons?
Clayton Bartholomew (guitars) – We all listen to different stuff, which I think helps keep our output varied and hopefully more interesting.
Miguel Meza (vocals) – We like a lot of new music but we always end up returning to the classics. We enjoy listening to Crowbar, Type O Negative, Pink Floyd, Depeche Mode and Godspeed You Black Emperor to name a few.
SOURCE – What concerns do you have about the world that we live in today? What do you think the average person needs to work on and think about most to make this world a better, safer, and healthier place to live in?
Clayton Bartholomew (guitars) – I can’t really speak about the rest of the world, but I know the U.S. is in trouble. I think people have let themselves get worked into a frenzy by media outlets that capitalize on widening the divisions among us. I wish people could use common sense more, but I’m afraid that is too much to ask. I think people should trust in the experts and stop buying into conspiracy theories.
Miguel Meza (vocals) – We need to stop being selfish and take more accountability for our actions.
SOURCE – What’s planned following the release of Giving Up the Ghost?
Clayton Bartholomew (guitars) – We have live shows coming up in California and Nevada and are writing more songs. Our long time drummer, Patrick Spain, moved to the other side of the country last year and we were lucky enough to have Jordan Norton (also of Mount Desert) join the band. He has added his own personality to the new material we are writing and I think the next album will be really special based on the material we’ve written so far.
Miguel Meza (vocals) – World domination.
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