Photo by Michael D. Spencer
“Classic Rock for the new millennium” reads the banner on Ghosts of Jupiter’s Twitter page. I, however, did not notice that it said that until several months after I described them exactly like that in my review of their performance at the 2012 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble. Or maybe bands read their press after all.
In addition to the Rumble, GOJ have done plenty to stake their rightful claim in New England’s musical galaxy. They released an eponymous debut album in 2011, lent their music to a show at the Charles Hayden Planetarium at the Museum of Science in 2012, released an EP titled Green Is Gold Vol I in 2013, and did a month-long Thursday residency at Lizard Lounge in February and March of this year.
The quintet will soar into Brighton Music Hall this Saturday, where they put on a frightfully stellar show along with Bow Thayer and Perfect Trainwreck last April.
Lead singer, keyboardist, and founder Nate Wilson kindly fielded some queries via email in advance of his band’s upcoming gig.
To what extent do you draw on your training at the New England Conservatory when composing music?
I always draw on my musical training, although the stuff I studied in school is fairly different from what the band sounds like. But studying music in an academic setting I think just broadens your awareness of sound in general. You don’t always use everything you learned in classical music or jazz within the setting of a rock band, but that awareness helps your creative process.
Did transitioning from the Nate Wilson Group to Ghosts of Jupiter consist of anything other than a change in name (e.g., line-up changes, relocation)?
We had a few different bassists when we were Nate Wilson Group, and when we solidified the line-up and added our second guitarist I think we figured it was time to have a proper name. I did move to Worcester, but that’s incidental.
How long did the Museum of Science show run, and how did it come about in the first place?
It ran for over a year, which was pretty amazing. The idea came from our friend Phil Stepanian, who has helped us with a bunch of management stuff over the years. He just beat some doors down for us over there and they thought it was an interesting enough idea to give us a shot at it.
Was Homer Simpson correct when he said, “Everyone knows rock attained perfection in 1974. It’s a scientific fact”?
I’d say it was probably closer to 1972 but yeah, I think he was on the right track. At the same time I think it’s kind of closed-minded to be one of those people who always says “I don’t listen to anything that was recorded after 1972…..blah blah blah.” I like a lot of contemporary bands and I’m always searching around for new shit to get into. It just so happens that all the new stuff I’m into SOUNDS like it was recorded in the 70′s. So to clarify, I don’t listen to anything that SOUNDS like it was recorded after 1972.
Which albums, artists, and songs contributed to the molding of said perfection?
There are a ton. Big ones for me are Jethro Tull‘s Thick as a Brick, [Yes’s] The Yes Album, Captain Beyond [self-titled debut], Meddle [Pink Floyd], [Traffic’s] Low Spark of High Heeled Boys….
When did it reach its nadir, or are we still awaiting it?
I have to admit that I had to Google nadir. I thought it was a Spanish verb.
But it’s really tough to pick out some low point in music. Again, it’s easy to complain that there’s no good music and everything was better way back when. But there’s always been some good music out there, and there’s always been a ton of garbage, too. I remember that time period just before the Internet changed everything as being particularly shitty. It just seemed like major labels and MTV had so much power and control over the pipeline and it was basically musical fast food. Now, at least as a music fan, there’s a whole new universe available to discover things you never would have heard of in the past.
Fill in the blank: “I wish that I were half the singer/songwriter that _______ is?”
Gustav Ejstes (Dungen)
What is your favorite rock ‘n’ roll documentary?
Off the top of my head probably Dig!, about the Brian Jonestown Massacre. I like their music but I love the trainwreck even more! Honorable mentions are Last Days Here and that newish one about Ginger Baker [Beware of Mr. Baker]. OK—those are all trainwreck movies I guess!
Ghosts of Jupiter: Johnny Trama (guitar), Nate Wilson, Tommy Lada (bass guitar), Adam Terrell (guitar), Thomas Arey (drums) [Photo by Michael D. Spencer]
Man, that’s a tough one. I’d love to cover a bunch of Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, but I don’t know if recording it would make much sense. My take on it would be to re-create it EXACTLY the way it sounded on those records ‘cause its fucking awesome. So what would be the point of that really, I guess.
How widely has the band toured and what is the largest audience for which you have performed?
We’ve stayed pretty close to the Northeast for the most part. We did a tour out to the Midwest with our friends the Buffalo Killers a few years back, and we did a few tours in the US Virgin Islands, but those were really just glorified vacations. The biggest crowd we’ve played for was probably at the Hatch Shell in Boston where we opened for Blue Oyster Cult.
What is the plan for the next Ghosts of Jupiter recording?
We’re already recording it. We’ve cobbled together our own little recording rig and lately have been of the mind to forego recording in studios. It’s freed us up financially to experiment a whole lot more. We recently rented a house in Vermont and did some tracking there. We recorded most of the keyboards at my home. I don’t know if we’ll do the entire project on our own, but so far it’s been a lot more fruitful to be off the clock.
Will it be an EP called Green Is Gold Vol II?
We’re working on a full-length record which most likely won’t be titled Green is Gold Vol 2. We had most of what would have been that second EP, but I kinda sandbagged it for a bunch of new material that I wrote over the last few months. It’s a more interesting direction so that’s what we’re chasing right now.
GHOSTS OF JUPITER, w/DWIGHT RICHTER TRIO, TIM GEARAN BAND. BRIGHTON MUSIC HALL, 158 BRIGHTON AVE, ALLSTON. SAT. 5.3.14 Doors 8PM, Show 9PM/18+/$13.
