Ep. 37: A Conversation with Alec A. Head of Ghostbound (Cinematic, Crooning, Progressive Metal from Brooklyn)

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:46:53 — 244.6MB)

Alec A. Head is the brainchild of the post punk-steeped, cinematic progressive metal outfit, Ghostbound. A project that did not fully take form until about 2012 or 2013, Ghostbound resided in the depths of Alec’s mind several years prior. Growing up beside the white sand shores of the ethereal California city, Carmel, its sleepy, small town vibe and surreal, evocative vistas harbored in Alec a verdant canvas for him to explore. And it was in his later teenage years when the phantasm, the first fleck, of Ghostbound was seeded. Life would trudge ahead for well over a decade until Alec decided to conjure Ghostbound to reality, but during this expanse of time, he maintained a clear semblance of what his project would sound like: majestic riffs, delicate auras formulating each composition, a pared croon, and a neoclassical through line to round out the emotional punch. “The Gallivanter”, the first song on Ghostbound’s debut LP, All is Phantom, has remained almost perfectly intact since Alec imagined it all those years ago in Carmel. But it did not become flesh until a personal event transpired in his life.

In the years preceding this moment, Alec moved from Carmel to Brooklyn, where he honed his craft as a theater actor. Though once Alec reached the crossroads of this passing did he decide to wholly embrace the ghost-like realms he envisioned. As opposed to being in service of play scripts, he became the master of his own destiny by taking the reigns of Ghostbound he so fervently crafted in mind and channeling this energy through voice and guitar.

In this conversation, Alec discusses the themes and lyrics comprising Ghostbound. He articulates the early formulations of his project whilst noting a handful of his influences. He also describes the process of composing All is Phantom, how long it took him to make his project a reality, and how he chiseled out such a unique, evocative sound. Thank you so much for listening.

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You can stream All is Phantom to your heart’s content over at the Ghostbound Bandcamp page. Additionally, you can follow Ghostbound on Facebook and Instagram to stay up-to-date on new developments.

And thank you to Kyle at Ash & Dust Studio for mastering this conversation’s audio.