Artist Spotlight: Voltaire's Ghost
“Black Petals Fallen” began as a demo done by Magnus and after presenting it to the band, everyone contributed to it in their own way. There was already a drum loop on the demo, which gave Josh the chance to play along with it which was something he had never done before.
We caught up with Voltaire's Ghost to explore the moments that defined their sound — and the vision that drives their next chapter.
StarlightPR: How has your relationship with music changed as your career has developed?
Voltaire's Ghost: Moving from being primarily a consumer of music to being primarily a producer of music definitely changes your relationship to the whole thing. I’m a lot less patient as a consumer now. I have to absolutely love it or….pass.
StarlightPR: How do you typically move from an early idea to something that feels complete?
Voltaire's Ghost: Some ideas come fully formed. Those are my favorite, the ones that seem to just arrive. “Spirit Animal” is one of those. Others come in pieces, and require a lot of screwdriver work to patch together. “Death Becomes You” was one of those…I had the main riff and basic lyric forever, but we tried a bunch of things to make it a whole piece. Everyone contributed ideas that made it into the final, a real group effort.
StarlightPR: How do you know when a song has reached the point where it no longer needs anything added?
Voltaire's Ghost: That’s never been an issue for us. We don’t over think it — if it sounds done, it’s done.
StarlightPR: Have there been any recent shifts in the way you think about your sound or style?
Voltaire's Ghost: After the cinematic goth of “Black Petals,” we’ve been writing a lot of absolute rockers lately. Our hardest rocking songs yet. This next album is gonna go straight upside your head.
StarlightPR: How intentional are you about the emotional or sonic atmosphere of a release?
Voltaire's Ghost: That’s the only intention.
StarlightPR: What felt most important for you to express through your latest release?
Voltaire's Ghost: With “Black Petals” we felt our songs had taken a darker turn, felt like we were going into deeper and more complex emotional territory. Just trying to do justice to that from a sonic point of view was the most important thing.
StarlightPR: How did the process behind this project differ from your earlier work?
Voltaire's Ghost: We took our time! Our first EP, NEMESIS (expanded re-release coming later this year) was recorded in a whirlwind couple of days in Nashville during a blizzard. With “Black Petals” the album we spent a lot of time sculpting the sound, and a looooot of time getting the mix right. This album has been two years in the making, all told.
StarlightPR: Is there a particular song on the project that feels especially significant to you?
Voltaire's Ghost: “MakeBelieve Man.” That’s another song that just arrived during a rehearsal one day. And Ruby’s lyrics...God, they get me every time. Absolutely haunting. She’s a genius.
StarlightPR: What do you hope listeners notice or connect with most on this release?
Voltaire's Ghost: We hope the music reminds the listener of someone. The best songs are a bit of necromancy, conjuring spirits of the loved and lost.
StarlightPR: What are you most interested in exploring next, creatively or sonically?
Voltaire's Ghost: That ecstatic mix of melancholy and hope that seems to be our Country. We’ve only just landed onshore…there’s a vast territory ahead of us.
