Haddowfest Special – The Holy Ghosts talking all things Rock n f**kin Roll

Our second of our Haddowfest specials is an interview with rebellious Rock n’ Rollers The Holy Ghosts. We discuss the relevance of X-Factor, the merits of using SatNav’s on tour and what the future holds for Rock n’ Roll. Lock up your daughters, The Holy Ghosts have well and truly arrived!

For a long number of years, Scotland’s capital has been a bit of a hub for producing bands and solo artists of differing styles and genres. From metal to dance, from indie to jazz and blues you can guarantee that every genre has been covered. Although Edinburgh may sometimes lie in the shadows of its west coast cousin, there are plenty of bands in Edinburgh that sets itself apart from the rest.

One of these bands is The Holy Ghosts.

The Holy Ghosts are an amalgamation of hard core blues riffs, country and western twang and a good whack of rock n roll swagger that when mixed together creates something akin to the lovechild of Brian Jones and every one of the Flying Burrito Brothers. In essence, The Holy Ghosts are a confident, no holds barred, swaggering, “fuck you” blues machine. As a live band they create a feel-good and raucous atmosphere that is becoming increasingly rarer, due in part to the surge in popularity of electronic music. The good news for bands like The Holy Ghosts is that shows like theirs (and I mean shows of great quality) are becoming more unique.

It is this which has propelled them to being one of the most talked about bands in Scotland right now. With a SAMA award for Best Newcomer in their back pocket, they are worthy of being one of the top billed acts for this years Haddowfest.

We had a chat with lead singer Jack Sandison which turned out to be an in depth, reflective and sometimes light-hearted discussion. Jack talks about the journey his band has been on so far, the music business in general and what is next in store for The Holy Ghosts.

The Buzz Stop: Hello Jack! How on earth are you?

Jack Sandison: Great! Feeling strangely fine.

TBS. Your latest EP Voodoo Shakedown is a feel good, Rhythm & Blues/Rock n’ Roll record that has connotations with the likes of The Byrds, early Rolling Stones and Gram Parsons mixed with the American honkey tonk style of the late 50’s. Was it a challenge to create music in this guise while still making it accessible to a modern audience? In your view how have the band put its own stamp on the genre?

JS: The rhythm and blues / country genre is something that we are all influenced by from an early age so it has not been a challenge to write. Making it accessible to a modern audience is a different story. We write music we like to play, and if other people get it then great! If not, we continue doing what we love anyway. I wouldn’t say we are particularly trying to push the boat out with our first album. (It’s) not like we are trying to cross ‘Dub Step’ with Country music or anything but we definitely do apply a modern twist. The lyrical content, our production and stage show is not something that would have come from the Midwest in the 1970’s. With exception to Ryan Adams and possibly The Felice Brothers, no young band in the past 10 past years have used country music, usually deeming it too cheesy or ‘Dad Rock’.

I believe there are two kinds of music – good music and bad music. Played well, country music is extremely soulful and spiritual. We also have the Scottish edge to our music which I’m not sure has been done before. The main influence of “Ride Them Down” (the bands debut album due to be released March 2014) comes from the 1980’s record called ‘The Legend Of Jessie James’ (featuring Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, Levon Helm and Charlie Daniels). We wanted to make our own Scottish version of this; something independent, rebellious and something heartfelt.

TBS. Voodoo Shakedown and your first EP, Devil On Your Side, are remarkably similar but also distinctly different in that DOYS is slightly more guitar driven, while Voodoo Shakedown leans more towards country influences. How do you think the band has evolved since the release of these two records?

JS: We definitely made a conscious decision to make the second EP more of a country vibe. We wanted the album as a whole to be a combination of our country influences and rhythm and blues influences. The band has evolved dramatically over the last year with the introduction of brass, strings and a pedal steel guitar. One night we will pull out a rock n roll set and another we “Don the Stetson” and do full out country depending on how we feel.

TBS. Do you feel that your approach to songwriting and the output of songs in itself is continually changing the more you come together as a group?

JS: We have a hit an extremely creative patch at present. Jon and I are writing more than ever! Pretty much every practice we have something new to try out. We hope to go straight back into the studio once the album is finished to work on a third and fourth EP.

TBS. You have been working closely with producers Owen Morris (Oasis, Ash, The Fratellis) on Devil On Your Side and also Garry Boyle (Stanley Odd, Broken Records) on Voodoo Shakedown. How pivotal were they in helping you to shape your sound on record, given the varied background of them both?

JS: Both have very different approaches and both are very talented. From what I have experienced, they both believe in an old school mentality regarding recording which we have applied to the album. Get tight in rehearsal, know the song inside and out and nail the take live. A good live take in the studio is the key to making a good record. Anything rock n roll needs to feel alive and not over-produced. The mistakes are what make it human.

Charismatic frontman Jack “Tightlips” Sandison strutting his stuff at Haddowfest.

TBS. The Holy Ghosts have really stepped up a league in the past year or so with the band touring relentlessly all over the country. Does the hard work really pay off or does luck come into the equation too?

JS: I don’t believe in luck, or if it exists it’s had nothing to do with this band. We have fought tooth and nail to gain ground with the Holy Ghosts, given our difficult genre choice. We have all worked extremely hard to make this work and have all sacrificed our own personal goals to make this machine tick over. We wouldn’t trade it for anything and long may it continue.

TBS. In an age where some people are saying that guitar bands are wilting, what contemporary groups are exciting you? Do you think it is difficult for guitar bands to make the step up into a wider public domain these days?

JS: Mostly up and coming unsigned Scottish acts to be honest. The Temperance Movement seem to be making great headway. The River 68s, William Douglas and The Wheel, Selective Service – all very influential and relatively unknown. The sooner X Factor dies it’s deserved death the sooner we can turn the kids back to the blues and well written, albeit pop, music. The music industry is currently a dying machine but will hopefully begin to turn itself around again, it always does.

TBS. The Holy Ghosts have played a number of dates this year all over Britain. In terms of your live performances, what have you learned from touring?

JS: Know your limits, always carry a spare tyre and never ever trust a Sat Nav!

TBS. The Holy Ghosts are headlining on the Friday night as part of this year’s Haddowfest. Is it fair to say that this is one of the bands biggest shows so far?

JS: We have played quite a few big events now but I’m sure capacity wise it will be up there. We have some new material to air and we are gonna pull out all the stops. Can’t fucking wait.

TBS. What can we expect from The Holy Ghosts in the future?

JS: Two more music videos, an album release and a European tour. Then repeat till death do us part.