CHASING GHOSTS // A Return of Spirit

Chasing Ghosts is a name that’s catapulted to the forefront of our attention in the past year and a half.

Under the moniker, acclaimed storyteller, Jimmy Kyle, has now released two full length albums, the latest being I Am Jimmy Kyle. Now flanked by brothers in arms, Chasing Ghosts has grown from a solo act to a six piece. In that form, the band has toured their album relentlessly throughout our country. This included a mental 21 day Melbourne residency dubbed No Place Like Home. On Saturday the 29th of July, the band will once again be meeting up for another headline show in Melbourne, at the Northcote Social Club. We talked to the band about the ‘new’ Chasing Ghosts.

Hysteria: The I Am Jimmy Kyle process seemed all encompassing. It seemed exhausting to look back on writing and recording such a deeply personal album. What’s it like to look now, months later?

Jimmy: I remember thinking, regardless of whatever outcome, whatever response, the first record asked a question, and this record needed to answer it.

I went from the first album, basically, then not being a scene to have a solo artist really represented in. And then, going to tour Asia, New Zealand, Europe, and around Australia.

A lot had happened between the first and second record, like the Australian music scene sort of embraced a soloist playing in the sort of punk hard core space. There were prerequisites from overseas, there were precedents from overseas but there wasn’t really a whole lot in Australia.

Then, by the time we get to the second record, I went in the studio with Andrew from Comeback Kid not really knowing what was going to happen. Making no kind of rules except that I wanted to explore the notion of more of a band sound around this record. So, at the time, I remember it being this massive glass ceiling in my head around not knowing what to expect, feeling a lot of pressure too, but also knowing I couldn’t tell the same story twice. It was never going to be another Dead Man’s Bones. It was never going to be another record like the first record. This had to be something that uniquely stood on its own feet. I remember feeling like the outcome is not important. All that’s important is that I feel the same sense of satisfaction and appreciation for the songs that I did on the first record.

This had to be something that uniquely stood on its own feet. I remember feeling like the outcome is not important. All that’s important is that I feel the same sense of satisfaction and appreciation for the songs that I did on the first record.
[JIMMY]

Aaron from your perspective, you didn’t get to play on the album. What’s it like from your perspective now being part of something that started out as just being a fan of?

Aaron: Yeah, it was definitely a fan of Jimmy’s. I’ve been a friend of Jimmy’s for a very long time now. Having known him for number of years. It was always something I wanted to be a part of in some form or another. So yeah, the last year, which is basically how it all got sequined together, has been an amazing. It’s not an ordinary band, it’s something that you know has so much depth, has so much potential and like the lyrical content is so deep that it’s kind of like ready to explode almost. The album itself is such a killer album. There’s no fear on the album.

Now, Josh, I find that you have a cool perspective on this release. Much like Aaron, you guys didn’t necessarily record the album but now you have such a strong ownership of some of the material on it having performed it. Was that an easy thing to get your head around?

Josh: Jimmy wears his heart on his sleeve for everything that he does. Jimmy got in the studio with Andrew Neufeld and, basically, Jimmy talks about everything he does all the time. You really know what Jimmy’s thinking all the time. So, you can really see that in the songs I think. When we first got together it just clicked. It clicked very well, and I think that Jimmy was the main reason because, as I said, he wears his heart on his sleeve, he’s very good at communicating, so you exactly what he’s after as soon as he delivers his message.

How did you find such demanding tour schedule? What it was like performing this new material, and alongside Jimmy Kyle? Your thoughts, Rohan.

Rohan: I mean it’s a start. It’s like a panther walking into your kitchen. It’s just like oh shit what’s he gonna do now? You gotta sit back and everyone’s like “holy shit”. Now, we had to adapt to him and he had to adapt to us in the same way, and by the end of it he ended up being absolutely fucking brilliant.

There was more to it than just simply learning how to work together, as Jimmy explained to us from the get-go, they weren’t even really sure if the whole concept would work in a live capacity.

There’s that old adage. You know, you never forget how to ride a bike… but the reality is turning it from a one man solo show, to a six-piece. And it needed to be a six-piece ’cause the records were like “okay well there’s no rules on the record so I’m just gonna put as many instruments as the song requires. Oh shit, shit, now I need six dudes to do it. So, if I needed seven guys it’ll be seven guys, if I needed eight guys it’ll be eight guys.” There’s no rules, it’s not like the album was written by an established group of artists.

When we toured, we as well were figuring it out as much as anyone else how it was gonna operate, or, again there’s no rules for this, so let’s go find out what happens when we do it. It started to feel very very much like a band, and then halfway through that process, we were like, “we don’t want to lose some the things that really worked as a solo act,” and it became really evident quite quickly that the band process isn’t usually a space where storytelling is as prevalent. Chasing Ghosts is still about telling stories and still about audience connection. It’s not just about rocking out. And so, marrying those two ideas I think is where No Place Like Home really started to shine and say, “actually you can do both.”

What’s in store for fans at the Northcote Social Club this Friday?

Josh: We’re doing some new songs that we haven’t ever played before which is so exciting. Again, they’ve got a whole new different live element to the songs, which is awesome. The supports on the show are good friends. Zac Britt, who I used to live with him for a few years. He is one of my closest friends. It’s gonna be a real, as you said, family type show. It’s gonna be special.

Catch Chasing Ghosts at the Northcote Social Club this Friday, the 28th of June. Tickets and info here.

Also listen to Chasing Ghosts on Hysteria Radio