NEWS from Ghostly Beard!

- 20 Oct 2017 -

In this interview, we talk to Ghostly Beard about his new album “Invisible” released today 20 October 2017!

“Invisible” is just out, how are you feeling?

Pretty happy about it overall! It’s been in the workings for a few months now, I’ve talked about it and am now curious to see how fans of my previous EP are going to receive this one … which is very different.

First of all, let us know a bit of background about you. When were you first introduced to music?

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away… No kidding, I was a young kid in the south of France, my parents listened to classical music all the time, and I loved it. I was also a fan of “The Sound of Music” (I’m still in love with Julie Andrews!). But I had older brothers and they made me listen (didn’t have to force me too much, though!) to “Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin, and my head exploded. From then on, I had the bug!

Who has been the greatest influence on your sound?

A lot of artists, from a lot of genres. I wanted to be a session musician, so I have listened to and learned to play all sorts of music. I couldn’t pick just one, but off the top of my head they include Peter Gabriel, Michael Franks, Pink Floyd, Steely Dan, Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, Yes, Weather Report, Frank Zappa, James Taylor, King Crimson, Led Zeppelin, J.S. Bach, Pat Metheny, Magma, Stravinsky, John Coltrane, Larry Carlton… probably many, many more!

When did you start work on this album? How was the process?

I wrote and recorded these tracks over a period of a couple of years. They come from various inspirations and various moods, which is why the album is so diverse.

How does “Invisible” move on from the work you’ve been doing?

Well, the first EP was resolutely Progressive-Rock. Now this one is much more Jazz. The constant is that I believe it’s still about songs with some depth and I still put the same attention to writing, production and performance. I hope people will give it a try!

Can you sum up the album lyrically/musically?

Not sure I can. Lyrically it’s quite diverse, from a love letter to my daughter to dreamy themes, to self-deprecation, to tales of lost love. Musically, it’s my eternal quest to find a blend of many influences and genres that I love, this time more on the jazz side, but still rock and blues and pop and anything in between.

How do you work on your lyrics? Do lyrics or the music come first?

Rarely do lyrics come first for me. I usually have a melody or some cool harmonic progression that inspires me, as a starting point. Then I record a draft, then I “live with it” for a while. If it’s good enough, with a strong enough melody or has something interesting going on, it will survive the process, otherwise, it goes into the bin. I listen intently to this “draft” for a few weeks, and slowly things start to take shape in my head, additional parts, a counterpoint melody to start adding into my DAW. And then words (or rather word sounds) start to form which leads to building lyrics around them, that relate to the mood of the tune. For me, sound is the most important thing in lyrics as I consider the voice to be yet another instrument. Words have to flow, perhaps even more so than to have a definitive meaning.

How did the Album Title Invisible come about?

Easily! I found that album cover image when looking for shadow pictures for my website a while ago. As you probably know, I don’t display my face anywhere. It’s my way of saying: listen to the music, close your eyes, don’t worry about what I look like. So, I am truly invisible. I am also invisible in the grand scheme of the music business, I’m just doing my thing, mostly unknown and it’s fine if only a few people really dig what I do.

The first EP was called “Infinite”, this one is “Invisible”, the next album will be called “In….”. I’ll leave you to guess!

What’s next for Ghostly Beard?

Promoting this album! I have lots of videos to release for this album, so hopefully airplay and features will follow. I’ll continue to write and record of course (plus mix my next album!), and find time for my daughter. I’m also quite active on social media, trying to shout out and promote other artists and anyone in this indie world, to create a network of people really supporting each other – radios, blogs, podcasts, promoters and fans. In fact, anyone who is supporting indie music is worth supporting in return. It’s a two-way street and I love it!