Following the release of their third full-length album 'Angels Leaving' we caught up with Jacob Tucker the frontman of US indie alt-rock band Grey Star Ghost to find out what influences their eclectic sound. If you enjoy Tucker's picks be sure to check out 'Angels Leaving' at the end of the article.
1. Coast to Coast - Elliott Smith
I love this song because I love Elliott Smith's songwriting and musically he's at his most zany here. Coast to Coast starts out so eerie it builds a lot of intrigue before the song even gets going. And when it does get going you notice that the guitars are not only in an alternate tuning but within that alternate tuning they are purposely a little out of tune. There's also all this dialogue under the main vocals that you can't quite make out. As the song keeps going, the double tracked vocals get slightly off from each other. There's this wandering piano part that feels independent from everything else going on. It's like he's breaking every rule in music and it all somehow works so perfectly.
2. Sjamboksa - Gang of Youths
Gang of Youths might be the one band that I most want to elicit with "Angels Leaving" and this song really does it all for me. It starts with this atmospheric sound that you're not sure what it is but it makes you want to see what's coming. Once the guitars kick in it starts a little subdued but you feel something inside might just burst. The vocals feel really close to you and so natural you just want to breathe them in. When the song reaches its peak (at 4 minutes in!) it feels like you're flying. And when you come back down you feel a little more comfort than you did before. What a journey.
3. Salt in the Wound - boygenius
From the opening strum of that distorted electric guitar you feel like this song is going to reach you deep. And for me, it certainly does that. I love the lyrics - they're not too on the nose but you get the message. To me it speaks to going through a fire and coming out burned but also stronger because of it. I love their 3 voices together - Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers. And this song builds and builds and when it reaches its peak at about 3:30 you can't help but shake your head in awe of what they've just done.
4. Casimir Pulaski Day - Sufjan Stevens
The first time I heard this song I was falling asleep listening to music (a habit I have when taking a nap) and this song came on a playlist I was listening to and I had never heard it before. I woke up due to the haunting nature of those opening guitar chords and the haunting only increases from there. I immediately got from the lyrics that this song was born from a very personal tragedy. I don't know that deep, deep sorrow has ever felt so warm as it does in this song. It's like this tragedy will be part of me for the rest of my life but there's a comfort in accepting that, letting it be without resistance. Of any song I've ever heard, I might have the most gratitude for this one.
5. Fade Into You - American Football
This is actually a cover by Mazzy Star. The original is just beautiful but this cover is absolutely, stunningly brilliant. This version made me think that Mike Kinsella might just be a genius. It might be my favorite cover of any song I've ever heard. It's such a departure from the original you almost question whether it's actually a cover if it weren't for the lyrics and the melody. Musically, it's an original work. It's in a different time signature than the original and seems to change time throughout. It's so atmospheric and ethereal you really feel like you're floating and looking at your life from above. The accompanying music video also might be my favorite music video I've ever seen. This song is simply a masterclass in how to make a cover your own.
Listen to Grey Star Ghost 'Angels Leaving'
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