New York crew Ghostwreck hone a diverse array of backgrounds and musical inspirations. A collection of songwriters, Ghostwreck marries post-rock influence with contemporary metalcore; riveting guitar solos, thunderous breakdowns and soaring injections of melody.

Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.

James – lead Vocals, Al – drums, Billy – bass and Mike / Joe / Steve – guitar.

For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Ghostwreck? How long has the band been around?

James was the lead vocalist / guitarist in a band Coerce. Steve and Billy were previously in the band Cristalix. Mike and Joe were in the band Thera together and Al was in Endwell, Without Reason and Southside Panic. We’ve been a band for about 3 years, but the current line-up has been together for a year.

What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?

We went through a lot of possible names to try and find something that fit us, but the term Ghostwreck is a combo of Thrice farewell tour poster and the song Burn the Fleet. We considered “Rose” for a while, but decided against it. We instead use a rose as our logo.

Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?

For the music, anyone of us will come up with an idea and we’ll work on it together until we’re happy. With each member coming up with song ideas, every track really has its own unique character and that’s something we’re proud of. We try and avoid personal experience for themes / topics, but once in a while the occasional personal experience will fit the vibe of a song and we’ll roll with it. We love to choose topics ranging from fictional characters to inspirational individuals and tell the story from their perspectives.

What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?

Good question since we all have very unique and distinct tastes in music, but we can agree that Metallica, Killswitch Engage, Dance Gavin Dance, Bring Me The Horizon, Jinjer, Thrice, Rammstein, Skid Row and Gojira have all had their part at inspiring us as a band. There are so many other bands to list, but those are the ones that stick out the most.

Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?

Shows like Metallica S&M live at Madison Square Garden, Pantera / Slayer co-headlining on the Extreme Steel Tour and even watching footage of Queen play Live Aid all have had a huge part in peaking our interest for us to pursue making music with others.

What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, etc …

For us, live shows come down to practice and brainstorming. We’ll try to tailor the setlist to showcase our versatility, but still fit the bill that night. Physically, simple stretches for the hands are fantastic and if there is room at a venue, warm up exercises on the guitar or bass are a bonus. Finally, nothing wrong with reading over the setlist one last time before going on.

What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?

I think the biggest highlight(s) for us so far would definitely be having the chance to work with well-known producers for both our EPs. Working with Grant McFarland & Carson Slovak at Atrium Audio on our 1954 E.P. and Kris Crummett on The City is Gone E.P. was huge for us because they’ve had their hand in making so many records we love - truly inspiring.

If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?

Opening for bands like Periphery, Parkway Drive, Killswitch Engage, Gojira and even on a broader spectrum, playing a festival that has so many good bands would be an absolute honour!

Is there anything else you would like to add?

We’re excited to keep seeing the positive response to our music. Both our lighter and heavier tracks get the same amount of positive feedback from our fans and we’re beyond stoked at the support – thank you!

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