What if Debbie Harry joined AC/DC?
That’s what a lot of people think when they hear Voltaire's Ghost — the gorgeous female vocals buoyed by bruising rock riffs. Throw a Dark Pop sheen on there and you have a uniquely blended musical alchemy consisting of Ruby Juhl on lead vocals, Josh Eggstaff on drums and guitarist/producer Magnus guiding the whole thing. Collaboration is one of several pillars that makes Voltaire’s Ghost stand strong. “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. “It was hard at first but once I got used to it, it was easy. I had a lot of fun doing it.” said Josh.
The lyrics of the song came from a poem Magnus had written years ago. Ruby built on them and created the chorus and lyrical melody for the track. As Magnus explained, the petals in the track represent death and the song is built on the fact that death stalks us no matter what setting we find ourselves in.
The members of Voltaire’s Ghost are all horror movie fans and this is a large influence on their music, but things never get overtly dark. In fact, the words Magnus used to describe it were "beautiful, bittersweet, melancholy.” The cinematically immersive aspects stand out, especially in the hauntingly beautiful arrangement of “Black Petals Fallen” with Ruby’s vocals swaying around the eerily gritty guitar from Magnus.
Everyone contributes equally in Voltaire’s Ghost which leaves room for all ideas, concepts and thoughts to be shared and heard fairly. Each member supports the other's ideas and works together to make something everyone can be proud of. However, everyone has their favorite parts too.
“I love writing and the creative collaborations we get to do. I also love being on stage.” said Ruby.
“As a drummer, I approach things rhythmically. So I’m always thinking about what would go well with what Ruby is singing or what Magnus is playing on the guitar. It’s kind of a challenge but I love it.” said Josh.
For Magnus, the joy of songwriting and constant creative cohesion is a blessing and a curse. In multiple cases, the band has been rehearsing and someone will have a creative idea in the midst of that moment. Another song will be born instantaneously as the rest of the band follows along. This has made the catalog of the band grow organically.
“We have more material than we know what to do with. We could release a new song every month for the next two years easily.” said Magnus.
The formation of Voltaire’s Ghost was birthed from coincidence, irony and purpose. Once a solo artist, Magnus did some traveling and things just didn’t work out how he wanted with other musicians he met. Upon returning home to Colorado, he learned his niece was getting drum lessons from Josh and the rest is history.
Voltaire’s Ghost and their fans have a lot to look forward to in the near future as they are set to perform at LunaFest, their biggest festival yet in June, release their album Black Petals Fallen on vinyl and rerelease their first EP with new material and surprises.
“Black Petals Fallen” by Voltaire’s Ghost is available on streaming services now.
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The Starlight PR Team thanks Voltaire's Ghost for taking the time to speak with us.
