NAS 10 Questions with Geisterhaus

New Artist Spotlight
Nov 20, 2020
3 min read

[Interview Number 38]

This time, we get to know Geisterhaus. Their track "The Garden" is featured in the New Artist Spotlight Family of Playlists.

Link To New Artist Spotlight Playlists:

https://www.newartistspotlight.org/playlists

Okay, let’s get into the Ten questions for Geisterhaus!

𝟭. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗯𝗯𝘆? I was born in Manchester, but I grew up in Newcastle-Under-Lyme. I moved back to Manchester around ten years ago, now.

Outside of listening to and making music, I enjoy sandwiches, reading, video games and holding hands.

𝟮. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰/𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻? I had a cassette of WWF intro themes when I was ten or so that I would listen to on repeat every evening. I'd sit there with my eyes closed, imagining that I was a wrestler strutting up to the ring to the sounds of an adoring crowd. I think I make music because I secretly want to be Stone Cold Steve Austin.

𝟯. 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀?

I think mclusky and The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster are the bands that have had the biggest, most direct influence on me. I've loved them both for years, despite them being long defunct, they've both completely changed the way I think about music and writing songs, and I think you can hear their influence on a lot of my stuff.

𝟰. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰? My first serious attempt at making music was a band I started with a couple of friends from school in my pre-teen years. We were called Dissolution and we had one song called "4Q" (Sound it out. Yeah? Pretty clever! Pretty rude! Does that offend your sensibilities?).

Fortunately, no recordings or physical evidence of this project exists.

𝟱. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆? I'm not really a long term thinker. I just want to write and record lots of songs, play lots of gigs and have a nice time.

𝟲. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲? I'm not too fussed about where I play, really, as long as there's a good vibe, a decent PA, an affordable entrance fee and some eager punters. But for the sake of the question, I will say a lighthouse. I can't really elaborate on that decision, it's a gut thing.

𝟳. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗴? Strangers by The Kinks. I will never tire of it.

𝟴. 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁? The time I shat myself in a Kwik Save car park.

Oh, did you mean in music? There's been plenty of times that things have happened on stage that, at the time, felt very embarrassing. Fluffed notes and technical problems, that kind of thing. But in retrospect, none of it was a big deal. There's no point dwelling on that stuff.

𝟵. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁?

I think it's just the fact that I've taught myself to record and produce my own material and that, after years of trial and error and experimentation, I've found my voice and a way to really express myself.

So, in a way, what I'm saying is that my proudest accomplishment is Geisterhaus. Pretty arrogant of me, really.

𝟭𝟬. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲? I'd love to collaborate with St. Vincent, I think. The way she incorporates guitars, liberal effects and electronics with more traditional elements of songwriting has been a big influence on me. I think I could learn a lot from her, even if I didn't have much to bring to the table, myself.

"The Garden" on Bandcamp