Interview: Ghost Town Cinema talk latest single

After a two year hiatus, Ghost Town Cinema returns with a new single accompanied by a music video to promote their new album scheduled for a late summer release. Waste My Time – an infectious three minutes of guitar and piano driven indie rock with relatable lyrics and unforgettable melodies explores the moment of a relationship where a person realizes that a shift has occurred and their once strong connection with the other (perhaps a friend, family member, or romantic partner) has deteriorated.

The music video – a colorful adventure ripe with dazzling performances and practical special effects follows the story of Marionette Muette – a furry puppet who must escape a life of abuse and oppression suffered at the hands of demented puppeteer Jean Kleche. In the video, Muette crosses path with and finds a companion in Robot Girl – a character who has escaped an oppressive situation of her own. Entirely written, directed, filmed, and edited by singer/guitarist Daniel Joseph – the video serves as a metaphor for events he personally experienced during the time he was writing the song. Check out Waste My Time below!

We managed to catch up with the band as they talk about their latest track and more!

So how has the release of Waste My Time gone down so far with fans?

Honestly, I have no idea. I try to stay off social media as much as possible. I had a weird year where I was on facebook a lot and it wasn’t healthy. We haven’t even put the video on YouTube. There are plans for a ton of new videos coming up. If people want to watch them and get something out of it, cool. Then I’ve done a good thing.

Can you tell us something about the release no one else knows?

That’s a great question. I can. The story revolves around a puppet named Muette who has been under the control of a misunderstood ventriloquist. His name is Jean Kleche and he is French. He wears a top hat and he likes to do things the old fashioned way. In his office, he has all antique furniture. There is a 270 year old pirates chest that he stores Muette in. There is also a rumor that Jean Kleche came from a line of incompetent pirates.

The relationship dynamic between Muette and Kleche is troubled and at times uncomfortable for both of them. See, Muette isn’t just any puppet… he is a magic puppet. He can actually speak. He is alive. He is courageous but humble. He is soft spoken and has a good heart. There is often a twinkle in his eye. But Kleche refuses to give poor Muette the credit for his amazing performances. Kleche insists on a traditional puppet show, where the audience knows the puppet isn’t actually magic – and it is the ventriloquist’s brilliant talent that creates the illusion that an inanimate object can tell jokes. So Muette is forced into an uncomfortable life of silence where whenever Kleche is around (especially during performances) he must remain mute, allowing Kleche to take full credit for the act – which is often corny and misdirected.

Muette knows he must escape the clutches of this madman and his egotistical pride – but he fears Kleche. After all, Kleche is a sociopath and even if Muette were to escape – the man in the top hat would pursue him to the ends of the earth and not stop until he had him under his control once again. The video tells the story of Muette’s daring escape. It is an action packed thrill ride filled with beautiful colors, dazzling performances by an all-star cast, and some of the best practical special effects seen in modern cinema.

Can you tell us something about your upcoming album?

Yes. Morgan and I had taken about 2 years off from the band. Back in the fall, we found out we’d be moving the following year – and as fate would have it, I had just finished a project that had been taking up most of my time during the hiatus – so we re-connected with a few close friends I had played in a band with some years back. The intent was to hang out for a few months playing music together and maybe record something. 5 songs came out of those few sessions (we got together once or twice a month until the end of the year) and those tracks really laid the ground work for what would become this new album. It’s a collection of songs, half brand new written collectively with that group of musicians / half I had written on my own about a year ago – and we couldn’t be happier with how they’ve come together in the studio.

What have you been up to in the past two years?

Last summer I joined a social justice action patrol team. I have never really been one for politics… but the world has become a crazy place and some guys I knew had formed a group that really seemed to show some promise. When they introduced the idea to me I was skeptical at first, but after getting to know them better I was eventually sold on the idea of doing something good for society. I wouldn’t say that I see myself as a hero or even anyone that really knows what’s best for the world… but one thing I’m sure of is that racism, sexism, and hatred are something I am not a fan of. In fact, they are things I think are really quite bad. So when someone tells me, hey we’re going to walk the streets and defend the oppressed individuals of the world… sending a clear message to the racists and womanizers – stop it now! – you bet I can get down with that.

On many levels, the work we did was revolutionary. In the beginning, it was very simple. We’d get together on our days off from work, don superhero dresses, and confidently patrol the streets. It wasn’t until we started coming across real-life situations where we were forced to confront racism and sexism that things started to get out of hand. I became suspicious that my team members may have been secretly affiliated with a particularly extremist sect of Antifa when there behavior during these confrontations showed to be anything but peaceful. The final straw was an interaction we had with Donald Trump on the top of a building. Although I take full responsibility for the role I played in the events that transpired, I knew all along we were treating the guy a little unfairly. The FBI got involved when things got heated, and we were briefly institutionalized. It was then that I had some time to reflect on my life a good bit and came to the realization that I didn’t even know who I was anymore.

If you could work with any band on a new song, who would it be and why?

I’m very lucky to get to work with some of my favorite artists from all over the country. I had the good fortune to spend a year working with Richmond, VA singer/songwriter Aerica Lauren on her debut LP “Summer Forever” which was released this spring. She is a brilliant artist and I’m one of her biggest fans, so to be able to record an album with her provided an onslaught of “someone pinch me” moments. When the production of her album was all wrapped up, we set out to create a heart warming music video of her running around Harrisburg, PA donning a panda head and a ukulele. She would brighten people’s day by magically popping up just when some lighthearted fun was desperately needed.

Also, I got to put together a last minute album with another artist I greatly admire which will surface this June. When Matt Tenny of Tenny & The Headroom heard I was moving away from Harrisburg he reached out to me and we talked about doing a few songs. Matt and I already had a solid relationship from working together on his debut album a few years back, so I jumped at the opportunity. We found some of the best rhythm players in PA to come out and track a collection of Matt’s songs live. The recordings came together lightning fast and are not only some of his best work to date – but the album is probably some of the coolest music I’ve heard out of the area.

An artist I’m a big fan of who I haven’t produced music with yet is Jarrad Briggs. We got to work on a music video for his song “Karma Girl” together and he’s the real deal. I’ve been working with fantastic artists for a long time, and it is rare to find someone who’s soul resonates with yours in the words and melodies that they write so beautifully.

Have you got any tour dates lined up for this year?

We played an amazing farewell show in Harrisburg a few weeks back. Once we are settled into our new home after the move, we will focus on finishing the new album and making two more music videos before hitting the road again.

What do you get up to in your spare time when not working on music?

The concept of spare time is rather foreign to me. There always seems to be a deadline looming. Somehow I’ve managed to create a life where I’m consistently surrounded by greatness – people that are uncompromisingly dedicated to their craft, and that influences me to be the same. To create a successful path in music it takes 100% commitment to the creative process, which can leave very little time for leisure. That being said, I have an athletic tripod cat named Benjamin and a gluttonous quadruped cat named Michael who like to watch movies on Netflix with me before bed from time to time.

What was the first ever gig you attended?

My big sister had tickets to see Sheryl Crow perform in the late 90’s. One of her friends backed out last minute so she invited me to take her friend’s place. Sheryl Crow was amazing, but it was the opening band that left my jaw on the floor. They were called Dishwalla and even though I had never heard any of their music before – I was instantly hooked. I have to give my sister a lot of credit for how her love for music influenced me to do what I do now.