Having known one another since childhood, the members of Ed Ghost Tucker share a bond that most bands don’t, and it absolutely translates in their music. With their new EP Channels out now, Ed Ghost Tucker is wasting no time in working on new material, with a sister EP already in the works. Check out our entire interview with guitarist Rutger Rosenborg and stream the band’s song, “Sofia” below!
Interview by Dom Vigil
For our readers who haven’t had a chance to check you out yet, can you tell us a little bit about Ed Ghost Tucker?
Sure, thanks for tuning in everyone. The four of us are all childhood friends who grew up together in San Diego, CA. We formed Ed Ghost Tucker in 2012 after we all had a chance to graduate college and do a bit of traveling. Growing up as musicians and with musicians for parents, it was a natural desire for us all to make music together. After a few years of releasing demos, we just released our debut EP in November of 2014.
What was the music scene like growing up in San Diego? Do you feel that it has shaped you as musicians?
Yeah, the scene here in SD has been very nice to us. We’ve been lucky to have the support of so many great people, and we’ve played some fun shows in town over the past couple of years. I’d say the biggest thing we’ve learned from the scene here is that sometimes less is more when it comes to playing shows. It’s easy to overbook in a city with a good amount of opportunity and not enough bands or music fans to support them all.
Do you feel that knowing one another from a young age has helped your relationship and chemistry in a band together?
It’s definitely made it interesting! We all love each other like a family, and it would be hard to say that our close relationship hasn’t helped our growth as musicians. We have a unique chemistry together, and it seems to be apparent when writing songs and playing shows.
Your EP, Channels was released late last year, so how do you think the reception of it has been so far?
We’ve definitely been happy with the release so far. It just feels good to finally have a product out there. The reception has been great, but we haven’t yet been able to tour on it because we had to get to work on our next EP immediately after releasing Channels. We’re incredibly grateful for the generous reviews we have received so far, but we try not to get too caught up in that.
Was there anything you really wanted to accomplish with those six songs?
With these songs, I don’t know that we necessarily wanted to accomplish anything in a utilitarian sense, but there is definitely a cohesive arc to this collection that involves a dismantling and “shoring up” of various fragments of musical and personal histories. Multicultural inclusiveness and exploration are also important to the arc of the collection. Now that we have cathartically released ourselves from the jagged difficulty of incorporating so much into our early art, we are free to roam other pastures and play with other forms.
Do you have a favorite track on the album?
None of these songs can really be understood without its place within the collection as a whole. As a result, it’s sort of hard to choose a favorite, and I think that speaks to our diverse approach to our songs on this EP.
When you’re working on new music, what do you do to keep yourself motivated or trying new things?
Sometimes, it’s important to step back from music altogether, to come back to it with a fresh perspective so that it doesn’t get stale. Part of this process involves indulging in other art forms and aesthetics to keep the creative fire lit.
How would you like your music to impact listeners? What would you like them to take away from listening to you or watching a live show?
One of the primary functions of art is to evoke an emotional and/or intellectual response, and we want nothing less from our music. Surprise, innovation, and a sense of intimate inclusiveness are important to us.
What is the rest of 2015 looking like for Ed Ghost Tucker? Any big plans?
Right now, we’re planning on heading into the studio to record a sister EP to Channels. After that, it’s all up in the air.
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