FNR: so, who exactly is Ghost Mall?
Pierce: Cody “Teenage Grandpa” Torlincasi on geetar box, Alex the Colonel on the keys, Pierce Lightning throat singing, and Jimi Sutherland banging the skins.
FNR: how long have you been playing together? How did you meet?
Pierce: About a year. Alex and Cody have known each other since the womb. Those two and I were randomly placed in the same dorm. Got bored. Wrote a tune called “Johnny Appleseed.” Sent it to our friend Neil of Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt. He dug it so much that he asked us to play at SUNY purchase. So we tricked Jimi into drumming for us and wrote a couple more songs. We tricked Jimi into drumming for us.
FNR: Is this EP is the first official release from the band?
Pierce: Technically yes. But there was a “Demonstrations EP” with two of our demos on it. This EP is called GOONS.
FNR: I’ve listened to both your original demo tracks and the versions you’re preparing to release on the upcoming EP. The newer cuts have a much more dynamic and focused sound to them. You mentioned you were working with NinjaSonik’s DJ teenwolf as a producer, how did he factor into the equation? How did you meet?
Pierce: We played two shows with Ninjasonik and Teenwolf mentioned that he liked us and wanted to produce us. We sent him our demos and then got together with him a few months later. He definitely adds an element to our songs because of his background as a DJ and hip hop producer where as we are used to recording on a single mic taped to a vacuum cleaner. He has a ton of faith in us and our music.
As far as sounding more focused, I think that’s just a product of us playing our songs live as much as possible. The original “Johnny Appleseed” demo was recorded practically as we were writing it. It has since been shortened by over two minutes. Even our new recording of “40 Nugs” has changed a bunch.
FNR: The songs have a lo-fi feel to them, was that something intentional or is it just sort of the way things worked out? Did you record in a home studio or a professional studio?
There’s something inescapably lo-fi about the songs in the sense that they are very honest and true to reality- we have shitty equipment, we fuck up sometimes, and we are just people making sounds in small places. We didn’t do it on purpose, we just hit record and played. We recorded with Teenwolf in a warehouse space in Peekskill. Just a few mics and some borrowed equipment.
FNR: I’m Listening to ’40 Nugs’ right now and I have to ask, is your drummer a fan of Jeremiah green’s early work [the lonesome crowded west, Interstate 8]
Jimi: I like Jeremiah Green, and he is an influence but some of my bigger influences are Chris Enriquez (On the Might of Princes), Josh Baruth (The Appleseed Cast), Aaron Funk (Venetian Snares), Ryan Friedrich (Xanopticon), and Justin Graves (Neil Perry).
FNR: Does the band have a Favorite New album at the moment?
Pierce: Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt! - I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU! AND I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU! HAVE AN AWESOME DAY! HAVE THE BEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE!!
Alex: Lots of dubstep
Cody: Titus Andronicus The Monitor
Jimi: Nothing.
FNR: and an old album?
Pierce and Cody: Born to Run [Bruce Springsteen]
Alex: Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient works
Jimi: Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven by Godspeed You Black Emperor!
FNR: thanks!
GM: You are very welcome!
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Ghost Mall – 40 Nugs (rough mix)
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