Seattle – New Zealand’s Ghost Wave describes itself as “somewhere between the Flying Nun bands of the 80s, the British explosion of the 1960s and the wayfaring dubs of Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry” which is simultaneously very comical and surprisingly accurate (although I would probably throw in a twinge of fellow Oceanians Tame Impala to that mix). The Auckland quintet was started in 2009 by frontman Matt Paul and drummer Eammon Logan. They got off to a rocky start when recording their first set of songs in 2010. Already into the recording process, the shared apartment of Paul and Logan was broken into and their gear was stolen. With new equipment, the band got at it again and reworked a lot of the songs resulting in the thoughtful self-titled EP.
In the three years since the band’s first release, the songwriting and group dynamic has only strengthened. With the addition of a tambourine player (an instrument that is admittedly easy to mock, but works with Ghost Wave so well), the band has more fully developed their pop angle. They released a debut full-length (and first US release), Ages, this summer after spending only six days in the studio with it. The album’s speedy recording is in no way indicative, however, of any carelessness or flawed haste. Instead, the album displays mature instincts and natural taste.
Ghost Wave embodies the revitalization of the island’s 1980s Dunedin sound with that distinctive lo-fi jangly pop. Blending in psychedelic riffs and an occasionally cleaner production quality, Ghost Wave has brought the 80s trend up to speed to meet today’s musical demands – and they’ve done it with ease. They’ve created a sound that’s accessible to most ears, but would also make any of the original Flying Nun bands (i.e. The Dead C, The Skeptics) proud. It’s likely this accessibility initially allowed Ghost Wave to travel across the ocean and distinguish themselves from the countless US bands that could squeeze into their genre.
Ghost Wave At CMJ
The Band recently played New York’s CMJ which has only helped garner their US credibility. While it can be a challenge to make your name stand out at such a stacked music marathon, Ghost Wave came out of it as a frontrunner in the guitar-pop scene. There’s something about New Zealand these days that seems to be causing a continuous stream of stand-out bands. Keep it coming!
“Ask” is available on Bandcamp.
