How would you describe your music for people who don’t know you?
Jimmy: I would say that it’s definitely pop, but other than that you’d have to decide for yourself.
Beau: It’s such a mix of so many styles that it’s almost an impossible question to answer. I’m told that one of the first things you’re supposed to learn in this business is to try and find a way to easily describe your music… Well, maybe we’re messing up because I still have no idea. It’s a good kind of pop for sure, but it’s made up of elements of reggae, hip hop, rock, electronica…. We don’t sound like Creed. Does that help?
Jocelyn: Ecclectic, energetic, and honest.
Jimmy: It’s Snap Crackle Pop.
You’ve made your new album Sinking Suspicion available for free for a limited time only – why did you decide to do this?
Beau: We just wanted to say thank you to all of our fans for everything that they’ve helped us achieve in just two short years. At the core, we just want as many people as possible to hear our music. In the grand scheme of things, our band is still in its infancy, so the most important thing is just getting it out there.
Jimmy: Yeah, and I think we all knew that selling it only amounts to so much money and the cost of recording was already taken care of by the time it was done, so we just said ‘let’s just give it all away to get it into as many hands as possible.’
Was the album easy to write and record?
Beau: This was actually the easiest record I’ve ever written. After our last album [White Noise] we really figured out how who we are as a band, or at least who we want to be; we want to be We The Ghost and no one else, so because of that the album ended up being really diverse genre-wise. That’s the best thing about being a “pop” band – we can do whatever we want on any given song. It’s funny though – no matter how we slice it, it just feels like We The Ghost.
What’s your favourite song from the album?
Beau: My favourite song on the record has to be Letters to God, just because of where it came from within me. After my Dad died in 2012 I just couldn’t bring myself to figure out what I needed to say. Really, I didn’t even know what I needed to feel. One day the chorus just came out of my mouth in full form and the rest followed immediately after. I had never really figured out how I felt until I read the words back to myself. It isn’t a eulogy sort of song or anything, nor was it a loss/praise sort of song. It was just what I was feeling in that moment, and since then I’ve found a kind of peace with it all.
Jocelyn: Sinking Suspicion – it’s just so catchy!
Jimmy: Originally it was In Another Life because of the strong hitting synths but recently it’s changed to Go just because it’s such a great song… Also because of the awesome drums, of course.
Beau: Drummers….
You’re about to release the video for your song Sinking Suspicion – what’s the video like?
It’s not like anything out there. I mean, it won’t re-invent the world or anything, but it’s a hybrid of two recently popular music video styles. When we got the idea, we kind of couldn’t believe that nobody had ever done it before.
You’ve just announced a few live dates – what’s the best thing about playing live?
Jimmy: The FANS! Them being there, and being able to connect with them after the show.
Jocelyn: Seeing people sing the words to our songs – people we’ve never seen before, in towns we’ve never played in!
Beau: I can’t speak for anyone else, but as a frontman, since I’ve never really been one before, there is just something so soul-affirming about looking into the crowd and seeing people sing my lyrics back to me. Of course, that’s probably really selfish… My favorite thing is to watch Jocelyn play Violin. Actually, that’s not far from the truth – she’s kind of amazing.
What’s your favourite song to play live?
Beau: From the songs on the last album White Noise, it’s got to be Notice Me. Those lyrics just mean a lot to me. The power of the band on the new album’s title track Sinking Suspicion turns me into a fan every time.
Jocelyn: Come Down or Sinking Suspicion. There’s always tons of energy and people freak out and dance and sing along.
Jimmy: Go, like I said, because of the drums, but Sinking Suspicion is right after because of the energy of the song. We all really lock in together and go nuts on that song.
Do you prefer playing huge festival sets or smaller headline shows?
Beau: They’re both really great. One is incredibly intimate and the other is a RUSH! Like sex, but better; both ways are great. I try to stay in the moment instead of always looking too far ahead or getting caught in dream land, so I can see that we are at a fortunate point in this band where we aren’t huge, so we get to constantly experience both.
Jimmy: Something in between. I really like the huge festival stages but I also like being able to hang out after the show and meet the fans that I could see form the stage.
Going right back to the beginning – what made you get into music?
Beau: MmmmmBobshibityybopop! I’m not going to say whether I’m kidding or not.
Jocelyn: I was 3 years old, and my parents were non-traditional college students. My dad is a musician/composer and, me being the youngest of three girls, they could tell that I had a natural inclination to music. With some financial help from my aunt I got a 1/16 size violin and started playing via the Suzuki Method that was being offered at my parents’ college in Joplin, Missouri.
Jimmy: Mmbop a dooby dow bow doo wop!
What do you hope to do in the next year?
Beau: We always have our ‘band’ goals, which we’ve been fortunate enough to stay on top of so far. Right now it’s all just kind of turning into a ride, so I’m just going to look forward to continuing taking it all in. My ultimate goal will always be fueled by the question, how do I get to play with these musicians and friends for as long as I possibly can? We’re lucky to all have the relationships with one another that we have. We’ve all been in a lot of bands, and sometimes the whole ‘We love each other so much thing’ is just such an image. It’s been a dream to have these connections. The secrets we share. The mutual adventure that only we can understand as a family. The human experience of that should always be the most important thing.
Which song do you wish you had written?
Beau: Motorcycle Drive By by Third Eye Blind or Purple Rain by Prince, just because I would LOVE to be able to sing those songs every night.
Jimmy: I was raised without a dad, so for me Letters to God is something I wish I could have had or could eventually have written but I’ll never know what it was like to grow up with a father figure.
Beau: Well, that was freaking depressing.
Jimmy: Is that what she said?
Jocelyn: Yes.
Who’s your ultimate musical icon and how have they influenced you?
Jocelyn: Tchaikovsky. Never has there been a more honest or passionate composer. His work is unparalleled. His music has always motivated me to practice.
Beau: Michael Jackson. Not because of the performance aspect, but because of the ARTIST aspect. He had such a responsibility to his music. He knew every note, beat, melody, harmony, minor contribution, and nuance so deeply in his soul that he was able to lead his fellow musicians without question or fear. He’s my inspiration for musical leadership and accountability to the music.
Have you started writing for the next album yet?
Beau: Not yet. We’re still trying to figure out just what we’ve just done on this monster of an album. It’s undeniably us. But we’re still learning exactly ‘what’ it is that we’ve created.
Jimmy: I have some melodies and chord changes that I plan on showing to Beau and a few sets of lyrics. Whether it makes ANY album… We’ll have to wait and see.
Describe yourself in three words?
Jimmy: Curious, caring, passionate.
Jocelyn: Eccentric, tenacious, flamboyant.
Beau: Jimmy Dean Adams.