Music for Those on the Outside with Love Ghost

(Photo Credit: King Zahn)

We had the opportunity to interview Finnegan Bell, frontman of Love Ghost! Love Ghost's latest LP 'Thirteen' drops this week! Check out what Finnegan had to say!

I love the blend between acoustic and electric melodies used on ‘Thirteen’! How did you come to some of the sonic textures you achieved on the record?

Finnegan - “I think that one thing about Thirteen is that it was produced by Mike Summers, and he had a huge role in what the sonic textures would be. I engineered my vocals and acoustic parts myself. One thing about it is that it has this sort of raw texture to it, because it wasn't recorded in a huge studio. It's more intimate. When I was recording it there were no barriers and no rules. There can be too many cooks in the kitchen sometimes. This album is really raw and it was “this is what I'm feeling in this moment”. I felt like, “these are the presets that work with my voice”. It's just genuine attempt.”

Related to the previous question, Love Ghost as a project blends elements of grunge, emo, and hip-hop in a way that is unconventional, fresh, and also familiar (in all the right ways). How did you take a bit of these genres to make something new and altogether different?

"Sometimes I will joke around and say Love Ghost is a purist nightmare. If you're someone that listens to only metal, you'll be surprised because we can be heavy, but then have reggaeton beats on another track. There may be one day where I'm angry and want to write a heavy metal song, then another day I’ll want to write an acoustic track. I see it in the comments sometimes. There is a lot of myself, which is what lends it to be genre bending. It may confuse a few people, but there a lot of people that are into it. I have a lot going on inside of me and as a fan I just listen to a lot of different kind of music. You put it in a blender and that's what comes out.”

You worked with Mike Summers as a producer on Thirteen who is known for his work with Kendrick Lamar, Mac Miller, and Lil Wayne to name a few. What was that experience like collaborating with such an accomplished producer who is also known so much in the hip-hop genre?

“It was a pleasure, he works really hard and is extremely talented. We have a previous relationship. The management I was working with in 2021 knew him. We worked on a song called Angelic, which was the catalyst for thirteen. It was just me and an acoustic guitar and Angelic, came from that. I noticed people really took that track especially on tour. I called him and asked what if we made an entire record like "Angelic". Before we even hit a note had a roadmap.”

I really enjoy that Love Ghost and by extension Thirteen is an album for those on the outside. You have an incredible story to go with it, that I think most would find inspiring. Can you share some of the background about your expulsion from school at the age of thirteen and to the rise Love Ghost and where you are now?

"I grew up in LA, you could say for lack of a better term, I was a troubled youth. From fifth to ninth grade I was in a different school every year. I had behavioral issues, I had drug issues, I was in drug counseling. The one thing that would keep my head on straight was music. Listening to music and my favorite artists saved my life. At a certain point, I decided I wanted to give that experience to someone else. I decided to write about my experience and my mental health. That was inspiration for Love Ghost and Thirteen by extension.

What are you most looking forward to about sharing the tracks from Thirteen in the live setting?

"That's going to be interesting. Music that is this emotional to perform live. But honestly, I love connecting with my supporters and that show Love Ghost love. If I look out and see someone getting emotional in the crowd, I think that will be an opportunity to share emotional bond with the people out there.

We normally ask guests on our podcast this question, but I have to ask you because of your diverse palate of music taste. You’re stuck on a deserted island but can bring three albums (no greatest hits), what makes the cut?

Golden Age of Grotesque by Marilyn Manson, Smashing Pumpkins’ Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness, Lil Peep’s Come Over When Sober Pt. 1