Having spent the last year releasing a rich and diverse array of laid-back offerings, Swedish singer-songwriter A Choir Of Ghosts now returns with his latest soaring swoon ‘Skin & Bones’.
Taking his cues from the humbling sound of Bon Iver, ‘Skin & Bones’ is a beautiful warm and enticing return for the frontman. Using little more than an acoustic guitar and his own sweeping vocals, his new delight will certainly keep you warm in these ever-darkening winter months.
So with the new single available now, we caught up with him to find out more about the single and what he has in store for us next.
Words by Chris Bound
Discovered via http://musosoup.com
Photocred Dorian Vargenss
Chris) Hi, how are you today?
ACOG) I’m pretty good thanks! A spot of the cold, but other than that I can’t complain.
For those that haven’t heard of you yet, how would you best describe your sound and who have been your biggest influences so far?
Well...I guess I would go with some form of Indie/Folk but I don’t feel like I quite fit there. My biggest influences so far I would have to say are artists like Tallest Man on Earth, Iron & Wine, and The Decemberists. I remember hearing “The King is Dead” album by The Decemberists and knowing that it was that kind of thing I wanted to do, maybe one day!
And what would you say has been your biggest inspiration in music so far?
My biggest inspiration has got to be when I picked up the acoustic guitar for the first time in 10 years after just playing punk and finding the beauty of the instrument again.
Do you remember what the first song was that made you want to start a career in music?
When I was a kid my Dad worked in Reading, but we lived on the North Yorkshire coast, so some of the school holidays I’d spend with him whilst he was at work. It was quite a long drive, but I used to love the music he had on in the car. My favourite was a cassette with early Fleetwood Mac on one side and Nirvana: Unplugged on the other. Long Grey Mare from Fleetwood Mac, and Lake of Fire by Nirvana changed my life when it comes to music.
And what about the first instrument you fell in love with?
My first real guitar was a Satellite mini strat, I still have it and it’s actually amazing! After that my parents bought me a Les Paul that I also still have and love!
You have just released your new single ‘Skin & Bones’. Can you tell us how that track came about? Is there a story behind it?
The story behind that song is no matter how much you love someone, sometimes it’s impossible to help them, sometimes they have to figure out a solution by themselves. And that you have to sit and watch whilst all this unfolds.
And was there a particular style you were looking for when you wrote it?
Not really, I was thinking a little along the lines of flora cash, but I wasn’t too happy with the outcome, so we went back to the drawing board with that and we just went in to the studio with out any plan or reference songs. I’m happy the way it turned out!
Can we expect a new EP, or even an album from you in the near future?
I suppose that depends on what you mean by near future...I’m working on something that’s a bit different than my usual style, and I’ve been thinking about releasing 5 tracks of that style as an EP. An album is probably a bit further away...maybe 2022.
The coronavirus outbreak has obviously affected everyone’s plans, but what have you got in store for the next few months?
Not so much really, working, being with my family, writing new music and practicing with my band, so that when everyone is back to some semblance of order, we’re as tight as ever with a full new set!
And finally, what is the best piece of musical advice you have ever been given?
Oh wow, that’s a good question. You know, I think it was from my music teacher from my GCSE years, Phil Smith. We were on an exchange trip to Sweden and we were supposed to create a band half Swedes, half Brits, and perform a song. We did “Paint Your Target” by Fightstar. At the start of the song I apologised for what was about to come in the form of volume. After the concert my teacher came to me and said, “Never, ever apologise for your music. Make yourself happy with your music, and it’ll make other people happy”.