Brighton-based Falmouth garage rockers Holiday Ghosts’ have a brand-new album ‘Absolute Reality’, released on April 21st, 2023, via FatCat Records.
Arriving hot on the heels of acclaimed 2022 EP ‘Credit Note’, Absolute Reality tackles different themes of social commentary, with fiery lyrics and hard-picked guitars, holding both honest confessions and tall tales, lived stories and movielike landscapes. Bringing the noise and texture that Holiday Ghosts’ love from New York punk and the new wave era, their new single, Vulture cements their status within today’s alt-rock scene.
Holiday Ghosts’ are Katja Rackin (vocals, drums), Samuel Stacpoole (vocals, guitar, synth), Benedict Nightingale (guitar, backing vocals), Morgan Lloyd Matthews (bass) The band have also confirmed an extensive run of UK shows throughout April including a stop at Cardiff’s Clwb Ifor Bach on April 21.
Andy Howells puts questions to Holiday Ghosts’ Samuel Stacpoole about the music that has inspired him.
Can you tell us about Holiday Ghosts’ new single release, Vulture?
This song has had two lives. I remember playing it a lot five or six years ago on acoustic guitar as a kind of spaghetti western instrumental. It was half the speed and atmospherically menacing. I’ve lost interest in musically pretending that I’m in a western movie now. When reimagining this track, I’d been obsessively listening to the first The Cure compilation ‘Boys Don’t Cry‘ and Young Marble Giants/Weekend. That style of production which has so much emphasis on space really got under my skin.
What was the first song that made an impact on you?
Probably Hurricane by Bob Dylan. My folks used to play an Essential Bob Dylan CD a lot. Never heard such a long song before then and it was probably the first narrative within a song, I was aware of. It still hits me the same way each time I hear it – to me it’s like the pinnacle of storytelling song writing.
What was the first single or download you bought?
I’ve still never bought a download single. I think the first single 7″ I bought was Makin’ Love by The Kingsmen. It had a flip side of Down in the Caribbean – me and my friends ended up using it in an art piece at Falmouth Art Foundation. We made our own record player out of a cone and a sewing needle and placed it in the middle of a bunch of trash and then somehow had it playing on repeat in our first week exhibition. I also later made a plectrum out of the middle circle.
What was the first album you owned?
Midnight Vultures by Beck. My mum bought it for me on CD when it came out in 1999.
What’s your constant go to track?
That changes a lot… At the moment I’d say “In the Image of Youth” by Lives Of Angels
What’s your constant go to album?
Again, this changes too much to say – but now, ‘Contact’ by Silver Apples. it’s crazy.
Who’s your latest music discovery?
Water Machine are a current Glasgow band that I really like. We’re playing with them on the 15th of April which is very exciting. I’ve also been getting into Robert Rental a lot recently.
What’s your own track that best defines you as an artist?
I always think Walk for Hours, which is the first single we ever released, is a good mission statement of our band. We’ve never stopped playing that one either.