Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
Happily! Ghostbound has existed, in some form, since I was a wee, virginal, pseudo-goth, teenage nerd. I would compose material for the next 12-15 years, off and on, amassing people to share my vision all the while. We recorded our debut record, All is Phantom, from 2015 to 2016. We would flesh out the line-up in an effort to play live, and we would eventually release All is Phantom to an audience of none in June of 2018. Currently, we are comprised of the following individuals:
Alec A. Head (myself) - Voices, Guitars, Anxiety-ridden pedantry
Noah Shaul - Bass and Talking me out of bad decisions
Talha Alvie - Guitars, Keyboards, Moral compass
David E. Richman - Drums and the literal keeping of time
How would you describe your style? Which bands influenced your music?
I feel like I am probably the worst person to describe my own music, BUT if I were to have a go, I daresay that we are an atmospheric, cinematic metal band with nods toward black metal and post punk, among many other genres. I can only speak for myself, but I am a fan of anything that is expansive in atmosphere and honest in execution. This would include artists such as Killing Joke, Devin Townsend/Ocean Machine, Faith No More, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Ulver, Arcturus, In The Woods..., Morbid Angel, Immolation, Gorguts, Agalloch, Alcest, Anathema, Bolt Thrower, Arvo Part, Henryk Gorecki, Breathless, Waterboys, and many, many, shamefully forgotten other bands.
Why should a metalhead buy your demos/albums?
To be as pretentious as possible, I feel like we offer something a little different, and that we do not wear our influences particularly far out onto our collective sleeves. Yes, we are a metal band, but not exclusively so. We can sleep well at night knowing that we have executed an honest and singular vision, and we would like to take our listeners on a journey, should they be open to it.
What have you released so far and how were your releases received by the public/media?
We released a full-length record in June of 2018 which was uniformly well-received, albeit modestly. It was, in essence, my life's work, and I am eternally grateful that it was put out at all.
Throughout 2020, we released a handful of "quarantine covers" where we collaborated remotely in an effort to record a few covers of songs we enjoy. This was more as an exercise for us to be able to record and collaborate in this manner, but they remain part of our history. Now, in 2021, we are releasing the follow-up to All is Phantom, a sort of "expansion pack" entitled Extended Play For My Sweet Mary Thyme.
Do you play live as well? How's your live activity so far?
Before the pandemic, we were known to play live, but not as frequently as we would have liked owing to day jobs and the vagaries of real life. We do not know what the future holds in terms of live music, so we will continue to write and release music in the meantime.
What should labels/zines/promoters know about your band? Why should they be interested in it?
I believe I answered this in question 3, so I can only reiterate that we offer something a little outside the norm. We are eternally a "round peg in a square hole" band, and we wear that badge with honor.
What plans do you have for the near future as a band?
We will continue to promote the new mini-LP in addition to composing music for the next full-length record. If the world situation permits, there may be a live show or two down the road.
Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
You can hear us via our bandcamp page here: www.ghostbound.bandcamp.com
Additionally, you can be apprised of band-related info via our various social media profiles:
www.instagram.com/Ghostbound84
www.twitter.com/Ghostbound_NYC
www.facebook.com/GhostboundThrone
February 2021