The band’s venue is less than large (it’s actually the lyricist’s garage). A battered but plush couch sits in a corner, and strings of lights are hung across the wall. There’s a candle with the Virgin Mary solemnly praying on the ground and a disco ball spins in the back of the room, scattering light like stars along the walls and floor. One last touch transforms the garage: the glittery sign that wishes you a Merry Christmas in the middle of March. They promised a disco Christmas, and they delivered.
Musicians Eden Bailey (‘14), Rachel Reynolds (‘13), Christian Escalante (‘13), and Grant Loughran (‘13) all come from different backgrounds musically – Rachel is in an A cappella group at FVHS and Grant is in a punk band – but they have come together as Real Ghosts Caught on Film, an electronic rock band with R&B vocals.
Inspired by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Kills, and Radiohead, and with a band name based on a Tumblr URL, you would expect Real Ghosts Caught on Film to be confused. However, their style pulls from indie and alternative genres to create a unified theme.
Loughran explains how their music idols help them develop a unique style, saying, “We don’t want to sound like the bands we listen to, because the reason we like them is they don’t sound like anyone else. So we want to sound like ourselves by melding different bands we like and creating our own sound.”
Real Ghosts refuses to label their genre, stressing the volatile nature of their music.
“We want to change our style. Little by little, we are trying different things,” said Bailey. “We want to avoid doing the same thing over and over again, because that gets boring for everyone, for listeners and for us.”
True to their experimental style, their last release “Skeletons” went in a subtly different direction than any of their earlier tracks.
“We’ve been listening to a lot of the trip-hop genre lately, like Massive Attack, and we might want to head more in that direction,” said Bailey. Loughran added that they were hoping to move into a more “creatively aggressive” sound.
Real Ghosts has a clear idea of where their style is headed, but as far as future concerts are concerned, they seem as charmingly unaware, saying they would enjoy playing in “bigger shows” and at “birthday parties” and even the “occasional Bar Mitzvah.”
The rhythm-heavy melodies, Reynolds’s darkly saccharine vocals, and the continuously spinning disco ball that always accompanies a show – the band’s understated performances have captivated crowds.
Perhaps their lack of direction is what makes them so endearing; they seem to have a “take it or leave it” attitude about their fan base, calling their style of promotion “passive.” But their effortless cool draws in music lovers.
Check out Real Ghosts Caught on Film yourself here: Real Ghosts Caught on Film -Soundcloud
Grant is too sexy!!
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