Editor’s Note: The beautiful thing about Madness To Creation is that we try to cover a diverse array of recording artists and bands on here. Case in point, we’ve recently interviewed European metal band CyHra, and most recently we’ve interviewed mainstream rockers Red. Now we have conversed with electro-folk band Handsome Ghost. Handsome Ghost recently got off a successful tour providing support for flor and they took some time for us, so special thanks to Handsome Ghost and Tyler of Stunt Company for taking the time for us! Fans can pick up a copy of “Welcome Back” and they are planning on releasing an acoustic EP entitled “Welcome Back: The Acoustic Recordings” in April. Fans can find Handsome Ghost at the following locations:
www.facebook.com/handsomestghost
Madness To Creation: How has the tour with flor been going?
Tim: Honestly, just about a perfect tour. I think the two bands fit well together sonically, and that usually makes for a great bill. Plus, Flor is just about the sweetest group of people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. It’s really been a great experience.
Madness To Creation: What can fans expect from a Handsome Ghost concert?
Tim: Well, we’re going to do our best to make the audience feel something. I think those are the best concerts I’ve been to, when I leave the venue and feel moved in some way or another. That’s our goal at every show.
Madness To Creation: Congrats on the album release for “Welcome Back”, how has the response been for it so far? What was the writing process for the album like?
Tim: Thank you! The response has been good so far, it’s been really encouraging to see. I wrote the songs that would end up making the album in different places over the last couple years, sometimes at home, sometimes on the road, wherever. And then my bandmate Eddie Byun and I recorded and produced the record at our home studio in Massachusetts. I think it took us a little longer than we expected, but I’m glad it did, because it allowed us to be as thoughtful as we could in all the choices we made regarding arrangements and tones and what not.
Madness To Creation: I saw that you all covered “Harvest Moon” by Neil Young? Inspiration behind that cover and give me your top three Neil Young songs.
Tim: We did. One of the best songs of all time, in my opinion. And I guess that was the inspiration: It’s an incredible song and we wanted to offer our own take on it, as best we could. He’s just such a fantastic writer and he has such a wonderfully weird voice. I’ve remained a fan for a long time. It’s super hard to choose my top three without spending a full day pouring through the catalog (which at this point is a million songs), but I’ll go with: 1) Harvest Moon 2) Tell Me Why 3) Cowgirl in the Sand. But do not hold me to that.
Madness To Creation: Congrats on the early success of the “Honest Mistake” music video, can you take us into that song?
Tim & Nick: I’ll pass that along to my brother, Nick. He took that video from start to finish, what a guy. As for the song, I wrote it in New York, and it’s about slowly figuring things out, slowly doing better. I like to think that I’m a different person than I was five years ago, or even last year, and hopefully that shows. It’s all about growing and improving but also recognizing that I’ve made mistakes and that’s part of life and it’s okay.
Madness To Creation: How did Billboard Industry Nights performance turn out?
Tim: Oh it was great. Billboard has been really supportive of our band, for a while now, and that was a great night to be a part of. I heard the band “SYML” for the first time too, excellent songs.
Madness To Creation: What is the next big step for Handsome Ghost?
Tim: We’re going to take a minute (probably a week) after this tour and then it’s back to work. I have more writing to do, which I’m very excited about, I feel like I have a lot I want to get down right now. And then it’s another tour and a new record. Band life, it’s the best.
Madness To Creation: You have to create a song with a rap artist, who do you pick and what is the song title?
Tim: Hmm. I have to think about that. I will say, though, that an old band of mine did an excellent cover of “California Love.” We had to stop playing it though because everyone liked it way, way better than our own songs.
Madness To Creation: Favorite moment of 2018 so far!
Tim: 2018 has been excellent to this point. Last year we were pretty much locked away working on the album, so getting out there for the first time and playing these new songs on stage has been such a thrill. I think this is going to be a good year for us, I’m excited.
Madness To Creation: Anything else you want to cover in regards to Welcome Back and a message to the fans?
Tim: Yes! We’re releasing “Welcome Back: The Acoustic Recordings” in early April. So if you like the album and want to hear the songs stripped back as they were originally written, you have that to look forward to!
And there you have it! Fans can pick up a copy of “Welcome Back” by Handsome Ghost at http://smarturl.it/HG_WelcomeBack
