Interview with the Band Ghastly Murder (UK)
By Mick Michaels
The Cosmick View: Hello, and welcome to The Cosmick View/MBM Ten Pounder! Thanks for taking some time to chat with us!
CV: Describe your definition of the band’s sound and style and how does that definition uniquely describe the music?
Ghastly Murder: I would like to think that the music produced from GHASTLY MURDER is powerful, thought provoking and somewhat unique. It has the elements of big guitars and big drums which create a wall of sound which wrap around dark lyrics and haunting melodies. Within the heart of the music there is a darkness and a frenzied sound which I hope grabs folk within the first listen. Although the subject matter of the lyrics maybe at times dark, it is never gloomy musically.
I
always like the look of any band I am in to match the sound and to create a
world for the band to exist within. Ghastly Murder come from a post apocalyptic
world that has roots within folk horror and punk, gothic rock.
CV: Today, everyone talks about artist and audience connection. Is such a level of connection actually achievable for an artist and if so, how have you made the connection to your fans?
Ghastly Murder: GHASTLY MURDER are really in their embryo stages as a band and we are reaching out and searching for our audience. I do already have a fan base of which I am very close with within my role as singer/songwriter and guitarist with the band The FILTHY SPECTACULA. I feel that the Vibe of GHASTLY MURDER is a different animal, darker in nature and perhaps moodier, however, I think my personable nature always seeps through in everything I do and I think a gallows humor will come through.
CV: Today, everyone talks about artist and audience connection. Is such a level of connection actually achievable for an artist and if so, how have you made the connection to your fans?
Ghastly Murder: GHASTLY MURDER are really in their embryo stages as a band and we are reaching out and searching for our audience. I do already have a fan base of which I am very close with within my role as singer/songwriter and guitarist with the band The FILTHY SPECTACULA. I feel that the Vibe of GHASTLY MURDER is a different animal, darker in nature and perhaps moodier, however, I think my personable nature always seeps through in everything I do and I think a gallows humor will come through.
I
feel communication towards an audience who is giving up their time and effort
for what I do is key – the audience
collective of fans are affectionately known as Ghastlies and they are an
essential element and at the heart of why I do what I do
CV: Is fan interaction an important part of the band’s inner culture?
Ghastly Murder: Yes of course, but the tail won’t wag the dog. I believe in taking musical risks and never complacently follow a well trodden path. If an audience is willing to come along on the adventure then that is amazing.
CV: Is fan interaction an important part of the band’s inner culture?
Ghastly Murder: Yes of course, but the tail won’t wag the dog. I believe in taking musical risks and never complacently follow a well trodden path. If an audience is willing to come along on the adventure then that is amazing.
As
a performer I do feed off an audiences’ energy and they are an integral part of
what I do and for them to feel a part of the GHASTLY MURDER world and
experience
CV:
Can a band truly interact with its fans and still maintain a level of personal
privacy without crossing the line and giving up their “personal space” in your
opinion?
Ghastly Murder: Yes I think more than 2 worlds or personae’s can coexist. The version of me who writes, sings and performs is a different version of me who pops down the super market- not to say everything I do is ‘fake’ or an ‘act,’ it is all an amplified version of me that performs on stage. I have personal space but as I have previously said I do cherish and respect anyone who is interested in anything I produce musically and I hope I offer them the mutual respect that they show me. But in all honesty, I have always been known as the goth in the village- not a phase, not an act, just me that is for real
CV: Is music, and its value, viewed differently around the world in your opinion? If so, what do you see as the biggest difference in such multiple views among various cultures?
Ghastly Murder: I am sure my music is perceived slightly differently in various corners of the planet. I would think what I produce comes from a oft kilter British perspective, I write about various characters and various situations that are, I hope, somewhat universal but who knows how what we do is experienced from a different cultures – but we are a wide church, all are welcome if they should dare. Thank God for the internet…it has opened so many doors.
CV: Do you feel that a band that has an international appeal, will tend to connect more so to American audiences? Would they be more enticed or intrigued to see the band over indigenous acts because of the foreign flavor?
Ghastly Murder: I think the key is be yourself, it may not be for everyone but be true to who you are. I have little interest in bands that attempt to be like everyone else or take the step of trying to fit into a targeted market. My music is followed by people all over the planet and for that I am grateful. I don’t need to understand what they get from it or how they relate or experience it. If they ‘get it’ then who am I to say otherwise, but as I have previously said, we are a broad church.
CV: Has modern-day digital technology made everyone an artist on some level in
your opinion? Have the actual lines of what really is an artist been blurred?
Ghastly Murder: It has given everyone a voice and with the invention of the camera, we have all become photo journalists - we are documenting our time for us and generations yet unborn.
Ghastly Murder: Yes I think more than 2 worlds or personae’s can coexist. The version of me who writes, sings and performs is a different version of me who pops down the super market- not to say everything I do is ‘fake’ or an ‘act,’ it is all an amplified version of me that performs on stage. I have personal space but as I have previously said I do cherish and respect anyone who is interested in anything I produce musically and I hope I offer them the mutual respect that they show me. But in all honesty, I have always been known as the goth in the village- not a phase, not an act, just me that is for real
CV: Is music, and its value, viewed differently around the world in your opinion? If so, what do you see as the biggest difference in such multiple views among various cultures?
Ghastly Murder: I am sure my music is perceived slightly differently in various corners of the planet. I would think what I produce comes from a oft kilter British perspective, I write about various characters and various situations that are, I hope, somewhat universal but who knows how what we do is experienced from a different cultures – but we are a wide church, all are welcome if they should dare. Thank God for the internet…it has opened so many doors.
CV: Do you feel that a band that has an international appeal, will tend to connect more so to American audiences? Would they be more enticed or intrigued to see the band over indigenous acts because of the foreign flavor?
Ghastly Murder: I think the key is be yourself, it may not be for everyone but be true to who you are. I have little interest in bands that attempt to be like everyone else or take the step of trying to fit into a targeted market. My music is followed by people all over the planet and for that I am grateful. I don’t need to understand what they get from it or how they relate or experience it. If they ‘get it’ then who am I to say otherwise, but as I have previously said, we are a broad church.
Ghastly Murder: It has given everyone a voice and with the invention of the camera, we have all become photo journalists - we are documenting our time for us and generations yet unborn.
I
find technology very ‘punk rock’ in as much that anyone can have a go, everyone
has the opportunity - not everyone will like it
but so what?!
CV:
How would you describe the difference between an artist who follows trends and
one who sets them?
Ghastly Murder: One is an artist and the other is a tribute band – a carbon copy of an artist…so one who hangs on the coat tails and talents of the pioneers of any genre does not really gain my respect
CV: Has music overall been splintered into too many sub-genres in an effort to appease fan tastes in your opinion? And has such fan appeasements, in actuality, weakened music’s impact as a whole by dividing audiences?
Ghastly Murder: As someone who has quite an eclectic taste I will search for ‘the new’ or the ‘different.’ I don’t like to be put into a box musically with ‘rules’ etc., where is the freedom in that? I know the shit I don’t like and I will swerve that like the plague but I could not bear to just make music to a formula in order to please a targeted audience type. Like us or loathe us, but we are a band who will define all expectation and will attempt to push our art rather than churn out the ‘expected’
CV: What can fans except to see coming next from you?
Ghastly Murder: I would really like to expand on the current EP ‘The Rise and Demise of Gory Eminence’- which is a 6 song EP.
Ghastly Murder: One is an artist and the other is a tribute band – a carbon copy of an artist…so one who hangs on the coat tails and talents of the pioneers of any genre does not really gain my respect
CV: Has music overall been splintered into too many sub-genres in an effort to appease fan tastes in your opinion? And has such fan appeasements, in actuality, weakened music’s impact as a whole by dividing audiences?
Ghastly Murder: As someone who has quite an eclectic taste I will search for ‘the new’ or the ‘different.’ I don’t like to be put into a box musically with ‘rules’ etc., where is the freedom in that? I know the shit I don’t like and I will swerve that like the plague but I could not bear to just make music to a formula in order to please a targeted audience type. Like us or loathe us, but we are a band who will define all expectation and will attempt to push our art rather than churn out the ‘expected’
CV: What can fans except to see coming next from you?
Ghastly Murder: I would really like to expand on the current EP ‘The Rise and Demise of Gory Eminence’- which is a 6 song EP.
And
I would love to expand that into an album or 2’s worth of albums of material. I
also do need to expand this band into a working live line up who could bring to
life the world of GHASTLY MURDER on a stage. I have the whole look and concept
in mind and I would love to bring that to life…but I need the ‘right’ musicians
for that…it needs to be a visual as well as a sonic experience
CV:
Thanks again for taking some time and talking. It is greatly appreciated.
Check out Ghastly Murder at:
Bandcamp: https://ghastlymurder.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MrEsGHASTLYREDRUM.UK
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garyemmins/
Bandcamp: https://ghastlymurder.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MrEsGHASTLYREDRUM.UK
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garyemmins/
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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, show host, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word. Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.
Spiritual Counseling and Sessions Available
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