Photo: Daniel Jackson
Post-punk/new wave/industrial outfit Mother Ghost recently released their long player, Radio Fantasma, written during the pandemic and produced by aCr
Mother Ghost shares, “‘Radio Fantasma’ is about the anxieties of everyday life and the things that help us get through to the next day. Most of the lyrics on the album come from our personal life, a news story, or social grievance.”
Houston, Texas-based, Mother Ghost is made up of two brothers, Oscar and Thomas Flores. Originally formed as a conventional punk band, Mother Ghost eventually became a duo after going through a revolving door of drummers over a short period of time.
Utilizing sequencers and drum machines, they started blending the potent rhythms of ‘80s and ‘90s dance music with the pushing riffs and experimental complexion of contemporary post-punk.
Tattoo.com caught up with Mother Ghost to discuss the inspiration for Radio Fantasma, their creative process, and their definition of tone.
What three things can’t you live without?
Family, movies, music.
Can you share the inspiration behind ‘Radio Fantasma,’ and the creative process involved in bringing it to life?
The main inspiration for the album was life and how hard it is. We wrote most of the album during 2020. We had a lot more free time than usual so we would both write music and then get together once a week to jam. The songs didn’t really come to life until we got in the studio and started messing with them.
Did your sound evolve naturally, or did you deliberately push it in a certain direction?
A little bit of both. We went from a five-piece to a duo naturally, but we eventually started pushing our sound into a more electronic direction.
What do you want people to take away from ‘Radio Fantasma?’
Ultimately, we just want people to enjoy the songs. We’d love it if any of the tracks from the album make the listener feel something.
How did you get started in music? What’s the back story there?
Well, we’re brothers. Our parents have always loved to listen to music and at some point, we got a guitar and that’s how we started playing music. Eventually we started a band with some friends, and we’ve been at it since then.
What can you share about your writing process?
Well, we each have drum machines that we make beats on. A few times a month we get together to go over what we’ve written so far or to jam something out. Usually, the lyrics come last depending on the vibe of the song. We don’t write lyrics before the music is done. Usually, we let the words come naturally depending on the vibe of the song.
What is your definition of tone and has your tone changed over time?
Tone can mean multiple things but, in this band, when we talk about tone its almost always about the bass guitar. Thomas has spent years working on his bass tone. He’s gone through countless pedals and amps just to get the right sound. He’s still working on it. I don’t think he’ll ever stop.
What’s been the highlight of your career so far? Maybe touring or who you’ve played with, something that’s really stood out.
Once a long time ago before we used a drum machine, we opened for The Thermals in Houston. After our set the bassist said, in passing, ‘good job.’ That’s a big highlight for me.
Which do you enjoy the most: writing, recording, practicing, or playing live?
All of them equally. We’re currently writing new music, practicing a new set, and playing shows and we have just as much fun at every point. As far as recording, we had a blast recording ‘Radio Fantasma’ at Geodesic.
Knowing what you know now, if you could go back and start your music career all over, what would you do differently?
I guess we would go back in time and teach ourselves all our best songs right from the start.
If you could change anything about the music industry, what would it be?
I would make CDs popular again.
What’s next for Mother Ghost?
We’re working on new music! I have another kid on the way, so we’ll have to take some months off from playing shows early next year but we’re gonna keep working on music and hopefully shoot some more videos for ‘Radio Fantasma.’ We also love remixing our own stuff so maybe we’ll do some of that.
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