Love Ghost: “Ego kills bands and friendships”
We spoke to the rock band about beginnings, influences and the significance of leaving a legacy behind.
Photo: Daniel Modeste
From Mexico to SoCal and now Europe, Love Ghost boasts a diverse fan base from around the globe. Now, on the last leg of the Anarchy and Ashes Tour, Finn, band leader, founder and songwriter, looks back at the trail the group has blazed so far.
We not only discuss band beginnings and influences, but the significance of legacy and the message they want to leave behind.
Romance can so often be haunting, but what made you go with the name ‘Love Ghost’?
I chose the name when I was twelve, and I chose it because I have a fascination with love and death. Some people believe in ghosts; others believe in love. Whichever one is real is up for you to decide.
It’s often the most unlikely circumstances that bring bands together. How did you all meet? What do you think has kept you together?
The band lineup and members have changed many times. This particular lineup is unique because half the members are from Mexico and the other [half] are from SoCal. I ended up living in Mexico for a period of time and I lived in an abandoned elementary school with many musicians; that’s where I met Dani and Alex. I have known Daniel and Theo for many years in Los Angeles. I believe the factor that keeps this reincarnation of the project alive is that none of us have a huge ego. Ego kills bands and friendships quickly.
It seems like quite a few of you started playing instruments at a young age. What was the first instrument you tried and what made you pick it up?
I have played piano since the age of four and then progressed to the guitar at age eleven. I always have been drawn to musical instruments for reasons I can’t necessarily describe with words. It’s just a natural calling.
Let’s talk influences. I feel like I hear the inspiration of one or two of my favourite musicians throughout the evolution of Love Ghost’s sound… are there any strong ones that you often revisit?
Yeah, absolutely, I’d say a lot of 90s rock and then SoundCloud Emo Trap, I used to say that. Love Ghost is like a combination of Nirvana and Lil Peep but, in recent years, there’s been a strong industrial undertone to a lot of the music.
Tell us about your songwriting process.
I write music all the time; it just bleeds out of me. I don’t always release everything that I write, but I do release a lot of it. It’s easy to do that when you can record it yourself. But usually inspiration comes to me and I just let it bleed out of me. Sometimes it feels less like writing music and more like a conjuring of sorts.
What’s the best part of performing live?
I mean, when everything is going right, it’s immaculate and I just reach a flow state up there. My favourite part is getting to share energy with people. I love that feeling of looking into the crowd’s eyes and them giving me their energy and then I give it back, it just feels magical.
Do you have any pre-show rituals?
Yeah, sometimes we like to get into a huddle and share a few words before we go on. It just brings everyone together and makes it feel like a team.
If you could travel back in time to play for any crowd or venue in history, where would you go?
That’s a good question, I mean any big music festival would be epic. Like Woodstock or something. But any arena would be ideal also. Maybe I’d choose something unusual; if I could play music for a Viking warship before battle, that would be memorable. Let’s go with that.
When you look back on your band 10 to 20 years from now, what message do you want your impact to be?
I hope the message would be to stay true to yourself and to express your heart without fear. That’s the core message of the art and I hope its impact lasts long enough after I’m gone that people still get that from the music.
If you could jam with any artist dead or alive, who would it be?
That’s fun. It would have to be Kurt Cobain because that would be epic.
You’re on a desert island, but you’ve got one comfort snack… what are you choosing and why?
Hmm, honestly I would choose fruit, in particular mango, because I love the sweetness of it and I’m not a big fan of processed foods. They make me feel sick, but if I had to choose a junk food, I guess I do like those red things called Takis; those are really good.
What’s been your favourite stop on the tour so far and why?
I mean going into it, I assumed that I was going to like the big cities like London, Berlin, Vienna, etc — and I did like them a lot, especially in terms of visiting the city, but I really liked going to some of these smaller towns because the crowds are just amazing there, like O’enburg, Bamberg and Moers. Those cities had great energy during the shows and the venues were really kind to us.
What’s your favourite area in London so far?
My favourite area in London has always been Camden. There’s just so much rock ‘n’ roll energy in that city and I love it.
Where are you most looking forward to visiting or revisiting?
There’s so much to visit in London that I almost can’t list it all, but one place I’m looking forward to visiting eventually is the London Art Museum.