GENRE IS DEAD! Interview With GosT

GID: It feels like horror is having a resurgence at least in the mainstream with movies like Get Out, Midsommar, and The Lighthouse getting major recognition. Why do you think now more people are starting to pay attention to the genre again?

G: I don’t know. I think the new horror movies are doing a little bit of what the old ones did as far as they don’t come off as fully campy or cheesy, but they don’t take themselves too seriously either. There’s plenty of humor in Get Out even though it’s a terrifying movie. I think good art has to play a fine line with being serious but not taking itself too seriously, which a lot of horror movies in recent memory did. They just weren’t fun and the movies we talked about are definitely fun. There’s still a lot of fucked up shit that happens in them, but lately, it feels more genuine.

GID: Even music genres like synthwave, nu-metal, and industrial are getting more attention now. Why do you think these genres are having such a moment?

G: I guess because of the internet. It helps spread so much around. There’s so much being talked about. It’s not just a certain resurgence or a certain genre. There’s so much fucking music in the world right now and lots of good music. I don’t know if I could really pin it down to anything other than that. The internet is just one giant community where you find things you could never find otherwise.

GID: At times, it can be overwhelming too. There’s so much out there, where do you state? Going back to Valediction, you’ve included more vocals in the mix, which I’m a big fan of. What’s it been like for you to perform vocally lately?

G: It’s great! I used to sing a long time ago when I was younger. I tried to anyways. With where the project was before I started, it was the next obvious step for me because I needed to express myself in some other way. I enjoy music that doesn’t have vocals as well, but I don’t enjoy it as much as when music has decent or great vocals.

GID: I’m a big fan of them! I thought you did a great job, especially those moments when you scream like a demon. Along with the changes you made for the album, you’ve also been tweaking the stage show adding in a live bass player and a live drummer. What’s it been like having them join you on stage with you?

G: It’s been awesome. I did it by myself for almost five years. One of the weirdest things going from always playing in bands to going solo is it’s so much more intense. Everybody’s looking at you and there’s nothing else. Even if you have a decent live show or production people are still really focused on you. I’m a bit of a narcissist but not like that, you know? (Laughs) It’s definitely intimidating in a way.

GID: You used to play in a metal band, but you decided to go solo so you wouldn’t have to wait on other people and to have more creative control. Is it more freeing being solo or does it make certain things more difficult?

G: It’s definitely a bit of both. I realized for the most I don’t really enjoy collaborating with other people. It’s not a selfish thing or that I think other people aren’t good enough. It just gives me a certain level of anxiety. It’s not the reason I write music, you know? It’s to escape, so working with other people feels forced to me unless it’s something that comes together naturally.

GID: So would you ever consider joining a band again or are you done with it forever?

G: I don’t know. It would have to be with people I’ve met whose music I really enjoy. That’s probably been my favorite thing with all this is meeting people from different places that I have so much in common with. Some of my best friends are Parisian and I’ve got friends in Lithuania. It’s been amazing traveling around meeting people because the world is pretty horrible looking on the news and the internet and you start to think there’s nobody like us anywhere else. You have your small group of friends at home but [these friends are] everywhere and it’s been really freeing. It makes me happy to experience that with other people.

GID: It’s always great to meet new people you have something in common with, especially during a time where everyone seems miserable because of what’s happening in the world.

G: Yeah. Getting back to the question, I don’t know if I’ll start another band. It would be with people whose music I cherish and just the people they are. I always say that with every project. I’ll say, this is it. I’m done. I’m tired of it. But then something comes up and it just kind of happens organically. I don’t know. Right now, I say no, I’m not ever going to be in another band, but that’s probably a lie.

GID: I’ll check in a few years and see if you stick to that! Valediction found you going in a different direction and even trying out some things you haven’t before. So, what would you say has been the biggest take away from recording the album?

G: I was really freaked out. It’s quite a different release than anything else I’ve done. I was totally worried that it was gonna fail, but it’s cool that people are still willing to take a chance on something changing and being different. Nobody likes when something they like changes. It’s hard for everyone. I can talk shit about people getting mad about it all the time, but I do the same thing like, the new Tool is not as good as the old Tool! But [the takeaway] is that you can still be creative, and some people will not only care, but it touches them genuinely.

GID: It’s great that it’s been getting good feedback. It’s a great album, so congrats on that! You’re currently on a headlining US tour. What does the rest of the year look like for you?

G: We’re just doing the US run and pretty much the same length in Europe. We’re home for like five days after this and then we go straight over there for about three weeks. Then there are a few scattered festivals. We’re playing Dark MoFo in Transylvania; so excited about that because I’ve never been there. That’s all for now. We’re working constantly. If anything new comes up that’s exciting I’ll definitely jump on that as well. We’re probably not gonna tour quite as much this year as we have the last couple of years because I’m kind of getting tired and I gotta start working on new stuff. So, we’ll see how it goes. So far right now, the European tour after this and then we have five or six festivals that we’re doing.

GID: Sounds great! So, you’re already working on new music?

G: Yeah, totally! I’ve already written the next couple of tracks.

GID: Can’t wait to hear it whenever it’s ready.

G: Yeah, it’s probably gonna be close to two years. It’s such a long drawn out, stupid process but I have to get on top of it now or I’ll have to rush, and it won’t be as good.

Valediction is out now. Grab a copy of the album here. Catch GosT on their European tour starting February 25th. Find all their dates here.

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