A Conversation with Zach Arnold of Bad Ghost

“As long as we like the songs, I’m happy. If other people like the songs too, I’m even happier.”

Bad Ghost make music that makes you feel cool, which if you’re anything like me, is no easy feat.

Still, go for a drive, roll your windows down and put on a song like “Medication” with its call and response guitar intro, or “Rip It” with the jabbing, broken-bottle-sharp vocal cadence of “Never cared what you had to say / You know your words bite back even without a name / I wanna be the one who’s out on the road / I wanna watch you as you go,” and by the chorus you’ll be nodding along with the beat, catching your own eyes in the rearview, feeling yourself a bit.

I think everyone should like feeling that way. I think everyone should like Bad Ghost.

Recently, I was able to catch up with Zach Arnold of Bad Ghost to talk about their upcoming EP, being mean in the studio, and what happens when we die.

Our interview follows.

Q1-Bad Ghost has been around in different incarnations for the last three or four years so will you give a short history of how the band first came together and how you have arrived at your current lineup?

-I can’t remember the exact date, but Bad Ghost was loosely formed at the end of 2016. It was formed because all the members of the first iteration of Bad Ghost were involved in another band at the time that fell apart, but all of us wanted to keep playing at the time minus the singer of that band, so I picked up the mic, and we started goofing off without the intention of playing at any point soon.

The reason Bad Ghost decided to start playing shows was due to the benefit show for Rainbow Cafe in Carbondale that was held in early 2017. Originally our old band was supposed to play before that project fizzled out, but the cause was very important to me and the other members so we wrote a few songs and made it work to help support the Rainbow Cafe however we were able. I think we may have been booked under a different name than Bad Ghost for the first couple shows.

We have had a few lineup changes over that time because we keep having drummers become accountants and move out of state. Original bad ghost crew was John Galik, Gabriel Arnone, and Zach Stokes. Since then Ryan “Ol Wade” Thornton played bass for a bit, until we finally settled on our current lineup, which is Nate Tyler on lead guitar, Seth Bayer on drums, and Sticky Sloan on bass. And, of course, me on guitar and vocals. I’m still friends with all former members, all are great people (except Gabriel, hate that guy).

Q2- You’ve been around the music scene for years now in Bad Ghost and other various projects, still, is this EP going to be the first recorded music you’ve ever released? And if so, did you feel any pressure with that?

-With member changes, we kept getting to the point of recording, and then somebody had to move away or leave for whatever reason, so recording unfortunately kept getting put off. That combined with a couple extended breaks, as well as over a year off in 2020-2021 due to Covid-19 have put us to starting our first EP finally. Better late than not at all I suppose!

As far as release pressure goes, in general I was/am just ready to get these songs that have been around for multiple years released finally. These new first recordings somehow feel like a long beginning chapter closing, which only makes me more excited for future of the group.

Sticky Sloan recording bass for the BANGER EP. Not pictured: Zach being mean about it.

Q3-And now, for this next series of questions, I’d like for you to imagine you’re being aggressively interrogated for a crime you didn’t commit. Like picture a dim, swinging overhead light and pit-stained me smoking a cigarette, towering over you.

WHERE DID YOU RECORD THE EP? WHO PRODUCED IT? WHO ENGINEERED IT?

Zach (caught off guard by my sudden intensity): UNION STREET ARTS IN MARION. REECE SMOOT. REECE SMOOT AGAIN.

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO RECORD?

Zach (wincing as I pound the table): TWENTY FOUR TOTAL HOURS. TWO EIGHT HOUR DAYS FOR THE BULK AND TWO FOUR HOUR DAYS FOR VOCALS AND MISCELLANEOUS CHANGES OR ADDITIONS

WERE THERE ANY PARTS THAT WERE PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT TO RECORD?

Zach (cowering in fear): YES MULTIPLE HOURS OF VOCALS IN A ROW. I DRANK FOUR 20 OZ BOTTLES OF WARMISH SINK WATER TO GET THROUGH IT COMFORTABLY. I AM NOT A TRAINED SINGER, I ONLY STARTED DOING IT BECAUSE NOBODY ELSE WANTED TO.

ANY PARTS THAT YOU WROTE IN THE STUDIO?

Zach (recoiling from my bad breath): YES, I OVERDUBBED SOME VOCAL HARMONIES ON THE FLY, ADDED ONE BRIEF BACKGROUND LEAD IN A TRACK, AND ALTERED A COUPLE LYRIC LINES. THE TITLE TRACK “BANGER” HAS SOME OF MY FAVORITE LYRICS BUT IT ALSO HAD ONE LINE THAT I HATED VERY BADLY, SO IT HAD TO GO. AM I SUPPOSED TO BE YELLING BACK AT YOU HERE???

WERE YOU MEAN TO YOUR BANDMATES IN THE STUDIO? DID ANY FEELINGS GET HURT? OR WAS IT FUN? DID YOU HAVE FUN, ZACH? ANSWER ME!

Zach (actually starting to regain his confidence): I DON’T THINK I WAS MEAN. PARTICULARLY? YES, VERY MUCH SO AT TIMES. I TRIED TO BE AS EASYGOING AS POSSIBLE. I HAVE A BAD TENDENCY TO WANT TO MICROMANAGE FOR NO REASON. I AM POSITIVE NO FEELINGS WERE HURT AND WE HAD SO MUCH GREAT FUN PRETENDING TO BE COOLGUY ROCKDUDES.

(I did ask the others in the band this question, and Nate did answer with, “You were metaphysically abusive and I still haven't recovered.” So, take that however you want.)

Q4-Whew. Okay. The new EP is called Banger, how would you rank the three songs on it and what are your favorite parts on each song?

For the BANGER EP (all caps, very important) we are actually putting out six tracks, just throwing on every OG Bad Ghost track basically. I rank them all first because I wrote the bones of all of them and I am a very cool and brilliant guy.

Q5- Oh. I’m sorry. BANGER EP. Are they really all Bangers though? Really?

-Listen, rock and roll has kind of gotten to a very humble, modest, and positive state of being, which is no fun at all, so to this I say again, of course they are, because we wrote them. One of the songs is called Banger, so it must be true.

Q6- What is the worst compliment you think someone could say to you after hearing the EP for the first time where it seems like they think they’re being nice but really it hurts your feelings?

As far as the EP goes I don’t think I could be upset by anything even if everyone hated it, because I love it and am proud to see the fruition of multiple years of energy finally come to light. I do have a specific general “worst compliment” story though.

Lost Cross had its 35th anniversary show at the end of 2021, and Bad Ghost played the first night of the event. That same night, I also played my very first set with the band Bad Taste right after Ghost finished our set. Yes, two ‘bad’ bands, the irony isn’t lost on me.

Anyway, after the show was over, (REDACTED) told me, “Wow, Bad Taste sounded so great! Everyone sounded good together. You should definitely quit Bad Ghost because it wasn’t good and this was way better”. I may be paraphrasing a bit but that was basically it. After that, I think I can handle anything.

Bad Ghost at the Lost Cross 35th Anniversary in 2021, mere hours before Zach received the best/worst backhand compliment of his young life.

Q7- You have one of the best dads in the history of dad-dum. What does your dad think of the new EP?

-My dad hasn’t heard it yet, at the time of this interview, we are still finalizing mixes pre-release. My dad will love it even if he actually hates it just because he is a great dad and I did it. I am looking forward to him hearing it but also kind of self-conscious, because he is the only person I really care about what they think.

Q8- What does your son think of the new EP?

-My son hated it at first because the unmixed tracks didn’t have vocals yet at the time and he hates music with “no words” evidently. Now that there ARE words over all the tracks he thinks they are pretty cool and I’ve seen him headbang in the back of the car on our way to daycare or grandparents’ in the morning.

Q9- What does playing in the band and recording music mean to you?

-Music is essentially the only hobby or artistic outlet I have. I don’t necessarily have much to say of any importance, and I don’t believe I have the power to change the world by any means, but damn it, it’s all I have and I’m going to keep doing it as long as I find it fulfilling.

At the risk of going super Hot Topic scene-emo on you, before I had a child, the times in my life not filled with music were aggressively depressing and felt out of place. Music in general, and that ability to express feelings in such a primal way is one of only thing that has kept me going. I don’t excessively drink alcohol and I don’t do drugs of any kind, so this is my way of getting general feeling and emotion filtered and out while dealing with the wild highs and wild lows of depression.

Q10- What are your hopes for Bad Ghost? What do you want to do next?

-I want nothing more in the world than to keep playing music with my friends and continue to write songs that I think are super cool. As long as we like the songs, I’m happy. If other people like the songs too, I’m even happier.

Cover art for the Banger EP by Jake Hamilton

Bonus Questions / Top Fives (Bonus Points For Elaborating On Your Ranks):

Who/What are your All Time…

Top 5 Favorite Video Games?

-Last Of Us 1&2. I prefer single player games to online, so this series really checks all the boxes for me. Extremely enjoyable gameplay, incredible story, and thought-provoking themes, all of which are typically contrary to the overdone “zombie apocalypse” genre thing.

-Star Wars Knights Of The Old Republic 1&2

Star Wars is my first love, and I was obsessed as a little kid. I asked for a different game for my birthday when I was pretty young, and my aunt got me Knights Of The Old Republic by accident. I didn’t touch it for 3 years before getting a computer that could handle this 4 disc game (windows 98 to windows XP. BIG JUMP). It quickly became my favorite game, and I have played through it probably 30 times since then

-Nier Automata

This game is extremely thought provoking and also more and more depressing the longer you play it. It is beautiful and the borderline hack and slash gameplay is very fun and rare for newer games these days, yet also unique in its delivery

Top 5 Favorite Movie Characters?

1-Forest Gump, he is pure of heart and also constantly does cool noteworthy stuff his entire life.

2-Rick Deckard from Blade Runner and Han Solo obviously because Harrison Ford is one absolutely suave son of a gun.

3- Ferris Bueller even though realistically he is a complete jackalope and very manipulative (that’s my only problematic answer).

4- Billy Idol in The Wedding Singer because though you would think he is playing a slightly exaggerated and lampooned version of himself in that movie, after seeing him live, he is the exact same.

5- Lastly and as a little bonus, even though I literally just saw this movie at the time of writing this answer, Paul Dano absolutely killed his role as The Riddler in the new Matt Reeves Batman movie.

Top 5 Favorite Albums?

Maybe not favorites of all time, but some greats:

The Gaslight Anthem —The ‘59 Sound

Queens Of The Stone Age— Songs for The Deaf

The Dirty Nil —Master Volume

Soundgarden —Badmotorfinger

Ryuichi Sakamoto —1996

If you haven’t heard of this album you absolutely need to listen to it. Sakamoto is an incredible composer and this album is brilliant and minimalist

Top 5 Favorite Artists?

-The Hives

-Queens Of The Stone Age

-My Chemical Romance

-Death From Above 1979

-The Chariot

This list changes a lot but these are constants at the very least.

Top 5 Least Favorite Artists? (this is not a question I asked, but Zach put it in here anyway)

-Ludo

-Say Anything

-Buckcherry

-Family Force 5

-Blood On The Dancefloor

-The New Dane Johns. I miss the old Dane Johns

Top 5 Favorite Concerts You’ve Ever Attended?

My first few local shows are my absolute favorites because it made me feel like playing music was an achievable goal. Without that, I wouldn’t have started trying to be in bands.

For non-local shows, The Hives live at the pageant was simply the best rock and roll show I’ve ever seen. They tell you they are your favorite band, and they are correct.

What’s the Maddest You’ve Ever Been In Your Whole Life?

Right now answering these questions.

KIDDING but I usually only get angry about unimportant and inconsequential things. Today I felt violently angry because a guy in a movie theater was chewing gum very loudly for 3 straight hours like an absolute troglodyte.

What Do You Think Happens When We Die & Are You Afraid of Death?

I do believe in afterlife. My brain cannot comprehend existence ending entirely, or literal nothingness. To me, I am player one, and everyone else is an NPC, so in my head, if I die, there is no existence, which at the same time just doesn’t make sense to me. The fact that everyone in the world is sentient and experiences their own lives unique to everyone else is actually extremely hard for me to understand and kind of terrifying.

Wonderful. Thanks Zach.

The (all-capped, very important) BANGER EP by Bad Ghost will be available later this week wherever you stream music. I can attest that they are all indeed, bangers (lower-cased for grammar not importance).

Also, be sure to catch Bad Ghost with the forever buds Trophy Shop and Maewyn this Saturday, March 26th at Hangar 9 in Carbondale for the BANGER EP release show.