Ghøstkid: No Limits, No Boundaries
This year has seen a plethora of high quality music released and blasted into our ears. One of those records is; Hollywood Suicide by the German outfit; GHØSTKID. It’s a dark and brooding album that is all out assault on your senses. We were very lucky to have a chat with frontman; Sebastien ‘Sushi’ Biesler before their show in Manchester, talking about the making of Hollywood Suicide, how its been received by audiences and what lies ahead in what is sure to be a very exciting future for the band.
When it comes to writing a concept album, the majority of bands have the story of that album set in stone before they’ve even thought about the recording process. For GHØSTKID however, it was a completely different approach. Being the main creative force of the band, Biesler tells us that songwriting for him comes to him in a more subconscious manner. Explaining that he himself is like a “sponge” where he is able to absorb “everything I’m surrounded by, I absorb it. At times I don’t even understand what I’m writing about until two weeks later”. By employing this method, this allowed time to mull over the songs before essentially realising that they all interconnect in a narrative. “It wasn’t planned as a concept album but there was a magical moment where I realised the songs create a timeline where all the tracks fit in perfectly.”
Explaining the key concepts and thematic tones of Hollywood Suicide, we are told that it follows the story of a Hollywood diva, who follows her dream to the bright lights of LA that unfortunately ends in a downward spiral. Biesler further goes on to tell us that the story of the album can mirror the lifestyle of what it’s like to be in the limelight whilst in a band. “Hollywood symbolises all the glamour,” before explaining that the “suicide” part of the title is what you have to do “to become an artist”. With all the fame that comes with it, also comes along many sacrifices.
Biesler informs us that there are no boundaries in this line of work by saying “even if you’re sick, you have to give it your all anyway, there are no limits or boundaries. You have to love that shit, because it would be the worst job in the world if you would just do it for money”. It’s an interesting spin on the rock & roll lifestyle that’s been glamorised in the media for so long but with the way Biesler openly tells us everything, he seems like the real deal and is fully aware of what comes with this particular lifestyle.
Throughout Hollywood Suicide, there’s many different styles of music that are on display. From industrial metal, to metalcore and electronic music. Many bands have often tried to make a blend to change their sound and have sometimes not succeeded. GHØSTKID however manages to pull off the feat seamlessly. When asked about how they achieved this, we get an honest answer from Biesler in which he tells us that “most of the time, I don’t know what I’m doing. I think there are no boundaries, I just experiment and if it fits right for me it’s okay”. Getting further into the conversation, Biesler tells us that with so many musical genres, it’s great to be inspired by them. “As long as it helps to tell your story and people can resonate with it, then you’ve done your job!”
A surprising revelation from Biesler is that the genre he’s listening to the least currently, is metal music itself. “Other genres are so much more interesting, it’s easier to combine rather than straight up use it”. There are comparisons that can be made between GHØSTKID and an act like BRING ME THE HORIZON, there are genres that can lay the foundation for them, but neither can be penned in by just one in particular. With Biesler agreeing, “by using so many genres in both of our music, it keeps it fresh and interesting. It helps us do what we want to do.”
Looking ahead to the future of GHØSTKID, Biesler has zero plans to take a break or slow down. Biesler tells us that GHØSTKID has grown and improved as a band since recording the album and before the interview ends, he informs us that new music is definitely on the way. “I’m not taking a step back, I’ve got up to eight tracks for the new album. I was so hooked, there were lots of situations where I needed music again to overcome bullshit. I don’t know how it’ll sound in the end, but it’s gonna be different!” It’s an exciting time to be a GHØSTKID fan and it’ll be an even more exciting future as GHØSTKID takes everything in their stride, we for one can’t wait for what comes next!
Hollywood Suicide is out now via Century Media Records.
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