Welcome to our interview with Tribe Of Ghosts, a band redefining the industrial/post-metal scene with their unique blend of electronic and organic sounds. The band's reboot in 2022 marked a pivotal moment, with new members Beccy and Danny bringing fresh energy and direction. Influenced by artists like Cult Of Luna, Charli XCX, and SOPHIE, Tribe Of Ghosts creates "Dystopian Music for a Totalitarian World," aiming to evoke connection and catharsis through their intense and expressive sound. We have the pleasure of working with Tribe Of Ghosts regularly and are thrilled to share their journey.
Their notable achievements, such as the singles 'HIVE' and 'False Gods' gaining recognition from Kerrang! and BBC Introducing, have expanded their community and opened new opportunities. Known for their chaotic and memorable live performances, the band continues to grow and experiment, with exciting projects on the horizon and aspirations to collaborate with artists across genres.
Can you tell us a bit about the origins of TOG? How did the band come together, and what was the inspiration behind its formation?
The origins of the band go back pretty far - But the band rebooted in 2022 and we feel that’s when we became the band we are today.
Essentially, Beccy and Danny joined the band after our previous drummer left and when our previous 2nd guitarist left in late 2021 we decided to try the band as a four-piece and bring in the electronic and industrial elements that we had been dancing around with for a while.
Then over a few months of experimenting with sound design techniques, electronic synthesis and working out how we would do it live - We clicked into a sound that resonated with what had been in our heads for so long, and Tribe Of Ghosts became the band that we had all needed.
Your Instagram bio states, “Dystopian Music for a Totalitarian World” and you’ve described your music as industrial/post-metal. What are some of the key influences that shape the unique sound of the band? And is there a specific message or feeling you hope your listeners take away from your music?
Our influences span far and wide - We’re influenced by heavy bands like Cult Of Luna, Julie Christmas, Code Orange, Author & Punisher, HEALTH and Old Man Gloom but we combine that with musicians like Charli XCX, SOPHIE, Rina Sawayama, Alice Glass, Perturbator, Lorn, Massive Attack… We’re inspired by so many ideas, production techniques and songwriting elements that we feel help create the music that’s nearest and dearest to us.
‘Dystopian Music for a Totalitarian World’ helps us describe our music in a short sentence - but our message is about connection and catharsis. It helps us express the most intense emotions within us and we hope that our listeners can experience that same cathartic expression with us.
How do you navigate the dynamics within the band when it comes to songwriting and making creative decisions? Is there a collaborative approach, or does each member have specific roles in the process?
With songwriting, our guitarist and vocalist Adam writes the vast majority, but the concept of a song can come from any member of the band, which Adam can bring to life as the band siphons. Once the instrumental has been demoed, Beccy and Adam work on the lyrics and vocal melodies together and then Ben and Danny add their individual touches afterwards.
You've had notable performances at events like Bloodstock 2023 and Rabidfest Oxford. How do live performances influence your music, and what’s your most memorable on-stage experience?
Since our re-launch, our live performances have heavily inspired our music. We’ve been growing and finding ourselves, and in that growth, our performances have become heavily chaotic and feral - Mixing in the ugliness with beauty and the electronic with the organic. We’ve often ended sets with Adam’s guitar being thrown around venues and Beccy being in the middle of the crowd and throwing herself on the floor!
We’ve had so many incredible experiences from our performances - From Bloodstock where we played ‘Streets’ by Doja Cat and had the crowd bouncing with us, our first London show supporting the incredible Urne and Mountain Caller on our recent tour together, and our Uprising 2024 set at the 02 in Leicester this year… There’s truly been so many that it’s hard to pick one.
Your single ‘HIVE’ charted on Kerrang in 2023, and your latest single, False Gods, was also very well received, landing a spot on BBC’s Introducing Rock show as Track of the Week. How does it feel to achieve these milestones, and how has it impacted the band’s journey?
It sometimes doesn’t feel real! We’ve worked so hard to find ourselves and create the music that we love, and to see our music connecting with Kerrang! and Alyx Holcombe (BBC Introducing) was mind-blowing.
These milestones have opened some incredible doors for us, but they also helped us connect with so many more people. Our core principles always come back to community and connection and the fact that these two songs touched so many more people through the Kerrang! Team and Alyx, we’ve been able to open the community to so many more people.
Collaboration within the scene is becoming more and more popular, with many bands collaborating with other artists outside of their genre. Who are some of your bucket-list artists you’d love to collaborate with one day?
The likes of Cult Of Luna, Heriot, Bossk, Old Man Gloom, Charli XCX and HEALTH would top the bucket list options for us - but the list just keeps growing!
Beyond the release of new tunes and upcoming performances, what’s next for Tribe Of Ghosts? Are there any long-term goals or projects you’re excited about?
We always have a knack for doing interviews exactly when we can't quite talk about things coming up and this is another one of those moments! What we can say is there has been a body of work we have been promising for a very long time that is almost ready to be unveiled and we will be giving it the launch into the world that it deserves.
