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By Jessica Kempner, Tuesday 14th July 2009 03.21pm (4104 views)
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The Ghost Of A Thousand guitarist Andy Blyth took time out to have a little chat with Glasswerk...
The new album – it has a completely different sound to the old one – was that a purposeful advance or just a gradual move?
A: it wasn’t a conscious thing, we didn’t sit down and set an agenda for the second album, once Gaz came back, we’d all had a pretty shit year to be honest, like personal relationships ending and Tom’s going through some tough family times, it affected the mood of the band, it was a lot more sombre. It got to the end of writing the album when I realised I hadn’t been out socialising with my friends for so long, I didn’t know how to do it any more! It’s hard, but the mood of the album reflects that, it’s a document of the time. We’ve always been a band to take risks, we’re not really happy writing the same music for the rest of our careers, and we do want careers out of it at the end of the day. We don’t want to be just a hyped fashionable band.
So you’ve mentioned quite a few bands that have influenced you, are there any that you feel have influenced you the whole way through?
A: People who influence our sound is not so big a part of the process now as it was back then, I think now we’re more comfortable with how we play as players rather than trying to emulate someone else. Now it’s got a lot more personality, and lots more ours. It’s our piece of art. Certain bands try and emulate their favourite bands without trying to grow as players, so we’ve had various influences but nothing that we want to be, that’s not what we’re aiming for.
So you’ve had quite an impressive year so far, new album, new single, Gallows dates, what are your next steps for domination?!
A: we love European music fans, we played a festival in Belguim, we had a really great slot, surrounded by loads of punk, hardcore and metal bands, it was great. We’re booked in to do a few more European festivals this year, trying to get into Europe a lot more, and whether it’s festivals or tiny club shows we’re content whatever. We play because we love playing live, whether there are 5 people or 5000 people there.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? What are the future plans?
A: There’s a lot more that hasn’t been said or written, and we’re capable of so much more. It feels like we’re ready to go again, tour loads, write at least one more album and fill a headline tour playing to 500-1000 people a night. It’s ambitious but it’s not unrealistic. It’s not like we want world domination, it would be nice if it did happen but if it didn’t we wouldn’t be upset.
Have you got anything else planned for this year?
A: We’ve got Reading and Leeds festival over here, things like that, but not in terms of recording.
So is there anyone in particular that you’re keen to see at the festivals?
A: I’d love to tour one day with Converge, who are on our new label, Epitaph, and Bad Religion. It’s great just to hang out, particularly with nice people!
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