A Quick Chat with A. Swayze & the Ghosts

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW ALBUM LET’S LIVE A LIFE BETTER THAN THIS - IT’S A REAL CHANGE FROM YOUR DEBUT!  WHAT WAS DIFFERENT THIS TIME COMPARED TO 2018’S PAID SALVATION?

Thank you! It’s certainly a progression from our debut, and something we’re extremely proud of. Compounding factors like the pandemic, isolation, reflection, and personal growth changed the way we made Let’s Live a Life Better Than This, along with developments in our own understanding and appreciation for the way music can be made. 

Artists are often in a rush to get the new stuff out, especially with a sophomore album. Factors outside of our control forced us to take the time to write the record, and as the world opened up again, we decided to continue with the methodical approach and have the songs  become what we really wanted them to be.

We recorded and produced the record ourselves, which was a truly awesome creative experience. We learnt a lot about each other, and pushed the trust we have in each other's abilities to a new level. It’s liberating to listen to any song and know that regardless of where it started, it’s a true collaboration, and wouldn’t be what it is without each other’s input.

WHO - OR WHAT - WAS INFLUENCING YOU WHILE CREATING THE ALBUM?

Dance music was a big influence on the production style. Whether it be from a song’s inception, or taking a song to another level, we used dance music as a muse to elevate each track. We wanted the record to sound hi-fi, and glisten a bit more than Paid Salvation, which was quite a dark and aggressive sounding record. We made sure we could feel the groove of each track, and sink into the fundamental elements comfortably and quickly in order to appreciate the extra touches. That’s straight out of the Bowie and DEVO handbook, I think.

Our other influences were each other! We honed in on the groups ethos of “let’s try it” and allowed our ears to guide us past our internal reservations about style, genre, or what AS&TG is meant to sound like. 

WHAT'S THE CREATIVE PROCESS FOR YOU THESE DAYS, FROM WRITING THROUGH TO RECORDING?
We always start from a demo or idea sparked from an individual member. Andrew was on a real writing streak as we developed the tracklist for Let’s Live a Life Better Than This, so a lot of the tracks would start anywhere from a 30 second idea, all the way to a fleshed out arrangement that he has created.  We also did writing sessions during 2020-2021 around Tasmania where we would play around with ideas or “jam”. We would always record these, which gave us the ability to really build tracks, chopping them up, shortening or extending parts, blending two tracks together. We hadn’t really worked like that before, but it allowed us to explore the songs outside of a rehearsal, and then bring our individual ideas together in regular production sessions. 

Once we had the track list for the album semi-confirmed, we started recording at Sunset Pig Studios. Ben and I (Zac) have engineered a lot of records in Tasmania, and applied their experience to our sessions. Due to life commitments, we were working in 5 day stints with weeks in between, which meant the process had to be re-creatable. It was a lesson in organisation, documentation and communication, and the appreciation we have for all of our friends that assisted with gear, advice and patience can’t be properly put into words. 

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT SOME OF THE THEMES YOU EXPLORE ON LET’S LIVE A LIFE BETTER THAN THIS?
Let’s Live a Life Better Than This explores our personal and joint journey’s through gains and losses over the last 4 years. The band’s chemistry changed over that time, both musically and characteristically, and our identity as a raucous, extroverted punk band didn’t represent the people we had developed into. I know everyone did a lot of self reflection over COVID, and releasing an anticipated debut album in the middle of a pandemic was a tricky thing to manage mentally for all of us. We all had big life developments as well, and our natural maturation helped inform the identity we wanted to recreate for the band. 

Thematically, we wanted to let go of expectations, and be comfortable with a listener’s ability to interpret lyrics and motifs themselves, rather than have to stick a message right in their face. This allowed more exploration in our own interpersonal feelings about self acceptance, trust within relationships, and moving past pain and disappointment into new spaces of positive consciousness.

WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES A GREAT ALBUM?
Authenticity. And audible trinkets. I’m interested in a record when I can feel the connection the artist has with their art, regardless of whether I’m  projecting that on to the music or not. I also love to hear the trinkets that represent the process of the making of an album. I can call it production, but from my own experience these trinkets aren’t always planned. Albums that give me something new to discover even after the one hundredth listen generally stick with me for a long time. That’s helped me move past genre capping myself, and discover amazing albums from a variety of avenues.

WHEN NOT WORKING ON MUSIC, TELL US ABOUT ANY OTHER CREATIVE OUTLETS?
We’re all quite creative people, so we’re always doing something!

Ben (von Fürstenburg - guitar/synth) builds guitar pedals under the monicker “Sound of Failure”, and also screen prints all sorts of stuff. Kieran (Daly - guitar) has music entwined throughout almost everything he does. He has a fantastic ear, and a real appreciation for the culture created around music scenes, and I’d say his creativeness is best exemplified in his ability to engage in those scenes so authentically. Andrew Swayze is a pretty fearless creative, and is willing to give anything a go. He and his wife Olivia are incredible photographers, designers and editors. Joe (Berry - bass) is our tools man, and loves building stuff! He’s got a great idea for practicality and detail. He and I (Zac Blain - drums) are both becoming keen gardeners as well.

I’ve been getting back in to painting which has been therapeutic as hell, and a great mental exercise in slowing down. 

WHO ARE SOME LOCAL ARTISTS WE SHOULD CHECK OUT?
Andrew has recently been working on albums with some great bands, Legal Noise and Nice House. Definitely keep your ears out for those as both bands are awesome.

I will always champion r.a.b.b.i.t, one of my favourite acts to come out of Hobart for a long time. 

For hardcore fans, long time friends Threats have released two singles recently which absolutely rip, and the accompanying clip(s) create a hectic and semi horrifying narrative - it’s fantastic. Also want to shoutout Severed, a new hardcore act featuring some old friends of mine who have been hard working and generous members of the local music community here for a long time. It’s so good to see them killing it, but in no way surprising. There are so many talented musicians in Tasmania, it’s hard to encapsulate the appreciation I have for all of them, but if you see bills with dvrkworld, Willow Nischler, Slag Queens, RVNKING, 208L Containers, and/or In Throes then you’re going to have a good time.

WHAT WILL CELEBRATING THE ALBUM RELEASE LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
I expect it’s going to just be a day of glee. The band is split between two states (TAS + VIC), so there will be a lot of congratulatory messages to each other, definitely a listen through of the record either in a group of individually, and inevitably a fair bit of time reflecting on everything that’s been leading up to this date. 

TELL US WHAT WE CAN EXPECT FROM THE LIVE SHOW ON YOUR UPCOMING NATIONAL TOUR?
We’re taking the time to think about the songs and how they’re presented. We want to elevate the live show to a new experience for audiences, but don’t want to compromise on the energy and electricity that the spontaneity of our performances creates. We’re incorporating new sounds, honing in on the skills we already have as musicians, and thinking about the tools that we can use to help us maintain the consistency that touring requires. It’s going to be a lot of fun.

TOUR DATES
Fri 15 Nov - The Curtin - Wurundjeri Country, Naarm/Melb VIC**
Fri 22 Nov - The Grand Poobah - palawa Country, nipaluna/Hobart lutruwita/TAS**
Sun 24 Nov - Crowbar - Gadigal Country, Eora/Syd NSW**
Thu 12 Dec - Beach Hotel - Arakwal Country, Cavanbah/Byron Bay NSW**
Fri 13 Dec - Felon's Barrell Hall - Turrbal Country, Meanjin/Bris QLD**
Sat 14 Dec - Sol Bar - Kabi Kabi Country/Maroochydore QLD**
Thu 6 Feb - Sun 9 Feb - Party In The Paddock - palawa Country, lutruwita/TAS

**official album tour date

+ APPEARING IN-STORE
Sat 26 Oct - Tommy Gun Records - palawa Country, nipaluna/Hobart lutruwita/TAS*
*in-store signing
aswayzeandtheghosts.com