Carrboro’s Gross Ghost‘s debut EP Wicked Game is a deviously catchy swell of garage rock scruff and pop hooks. With another record on the make, these boys are set to haunt your stereo, but can they handle five silly questions along the way? Find out after the jump.
1. If your band were a breakfast cereal, what would it be?
MIKE : Cocoa Puffs, for sure.
TRE: Golden Grahams, or maybe Smacks.
2. When did you decide it was time to share this music? (How’d you begin playing together?)
MIKE: A few years ago, I had moved away from the Triangle for a bit to the sticks and was really restless. Tre and I had started hanging out and playing some before I left, so I sent him demos to touch up. When I returned, we both moved into a party house and started recording a ton and were proud of the results. We posted those songs online and then went through various band incarnations to get to where we are today.
TRE: Mike’s a liar. I wrote all these songs and asked him to join the band like, a week ago. He barely even plays on the record that’s coming out. He can’t even string a guitar, really. And he’s always hitting me up for money.
3. Describe the pressures/pleasures of making a record.
MIKE: The upside of making a record is freeing yourself of the “radio” in your brain, where songs form and play on repeat until you get them out onto tape. It can drive you crazy! Also, just feeling like you are sharing something personal with the world and hoping someone, anywhere, enjoys it. The downside is paying for studio time, trying to get the perfect tones, doubting your mixing process constantly, etc. etc
TRE: The great thing about the studio and recording process in general are the endless possibilities of overdubbing; listening back to everything and coming up with ideas on the fly and being able to go in and do whatever you want on top without worrying about the logistics of how to pull off something like three guitar leads when you only have two guitarists. And that’s also the frustrating thing about recording (“How are we gonna pull off this part live?”).
4.Who/what might be a few inspirations or influences that would really surprise people?
MIKE: Psychic TV, Kool Keith, Stevie Nicks
TRE: The French, Freddie Mercury, Drag Queens, Back to the Future (trilogy), Lindsey Buckingham
5. What did you dream of being when you were a kid? (How ’d that turn out?)
MIKE: A high school graduate. I MADE IT!
TRE: I’ve always dreamed of playing in a band or multiple bands or just surrounding myself with as many like minded musicians to play with as possible, and I feel like that dream is starting to come true. But I should’ve wished to make money doing it.
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Keep tabs on where Gross Ghost will play next here. And by all means, give Mike and Tre a high five when you see them!