Ghost Pavilion

Paste Magazine premieres Ghost Pavilion’s new single, “Fooling Myself”

James Higgs’ solo project, Ghost Pavilion, takes his new wave sensibilities and puts a fresh coat of paint on synth-laden dream pop. Ghost Pavilion’s latest EP, Oblivion, engineered by Higgs himself and mastered by Nashville legend John Baldwin (Neil Young, Jesus Lizard, Sly Stone), arrives tomorrow, August 25th.
Today, Paste is excited to premiere “Fooling Myself,” a dancey, synth-laced track that incorporates effect-heavy guitars and dreamy soundscapes to elicit a visceral sense of melancholia. Navigating the listener through a realm of psychedelia, the track infuses electronic and live drums, along with punchy horns, to aid Higgs’ hazy and forlorn vocal aesthetic.

Channeling the influence of artists like Washed Out and Beach House, Higgs’ new EP Oblivion is a lush and hazy bedroom pop record that effortlessly weaves and welds dreamy textures with dancey percussion to create a unique style that bucks at genre definitions. Thematically, the record focuses primarily on mortality and nostalgia, looking fondly back at lost loved ones while holding onto the only thing that’s left—the memories.

Higgs tracked Oblivion at home and at The Seaside Lounge Recording Studios in Brooklyn where he worked as an engineer, allowing him to utilize the benefits of a studio and develop a methodical songwriting approach.

“It was an environment where experimentation flourished,” says Higgs. “Some ideas bloomed immediately, others came slowly over the years, the rest were destroyed or put off into the distance only to return later as a small dot over the horizon. Many songs were rebuilt over and over again in an effort to discover their ideal form. Progress was slow. It came in waves of creativity, along with accommodating the unexpected twists and turns of life.”

Oblivion is out tomorrow, August 25th. READ MORE

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by Baby Robot Media

The 405 premieres Ghost Pavilion’s new single, “Crucified”

James Higgs has been in and about the Brooklyn indie scene for a while now, working alongside bands in the renowned The Seaside Lounge Recording Studios and gigging in bands like Spanish Prisoners. Now he comes works under his solo guise as Ghost Pavilion, and has created his own brand of dream-pop that seems to have sucked up the spirits of all those artists with whom he’s come into contact over the years.

‘Crucified’, which we bring to you today, is taken from his upcoming second EP as Ghost Pavilion, Oblivion. It does exactly what any good piece of bedroom-produced music should do; makes it sound effortless while simultaneously showing off just how cultured and deft his writing and recording skills are. At its core ‘Crucified’ is built upon a subtle thump and cascading keys flitting about; onto this comes Higgs’ airy voice shimmying about amidst the rhythms he’s built up. When it comes to the chorus the song magically sprouts another dimension, as guitars crunch into the mix and Higgs’ voice teleports around, keeping you guessing and hooked to the interwoven melodies. Listen to ‘Crucified’ below.

Ghost Pavilion is certainly an act you’ll want to follow, through the release of Oblivion and beyond. You can do that at his multiple online presences:

Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Soundcloud
Bandcamp
Youtube

by Baby Robot Media

PopMatters premieres Ghost Pavilion’s new single, “Vacant Stories”

Described as “bedroom pop”, James Higgs’ upcoming new record, Oblivion, is as ethereal as the Ghost Pavilion moniker he’s given his solo project might imply. With the intent to bend genre influences ranging from golden era disco to intricate jazz ensembles, Higgs develops a lush, multi-layered soundscape for listeners to get lost in on his newest single, “Vacant Stories”.

“‘Vacant Stories’ started with me playing a cheap thrift shop keyboard on a couch,” says Higgs. “I was living in Echo Park at the time and had just moved back to LA from NY. A lot of things were on my mind, having left behind a job, friends, and an ex.”

He continues, “The song has evolved greatly since then, and has been roughly two years in the making. The concept of the song was undoubtedly influenced by my own sense of mortality. Upon returning to LA, I found my grandfather and childhood dog were reaching the end of their lives. Time seemed like a blur. A few memories came to mind during this time: Walking on a beach with my dog. Counting quarters with my grandfather. They happened and now this was happening.”

Oblivion releases on August 25, 2017.

Mass Appeal premieres Ghost Pavilion’s new single, “No Reason Why”

“I incorporated samples, electronic drums, and dry synths to provide a mechanically cold take on a mostly organic and soulful EP,” says L.A.–based artist James Higgs, a former member of the band Spanish Prisoners who also records under the name Ghost Pavilion. “For me, the song conjures up themes of nostalgia and fleeting moments with dreamy soundscapes.”

Today MASS APPEAL premieres “No Reason Why” off the forthcoming EP, Oblivion. The recording was mastered by Nashville legend, John Baldwin, whose tweaked the knobs on releases by the likes of Neil Young, Jesus Lizard, and Sly Stone. “Though ‘No Reason Why’ is a unique production within the Ghost Pavilion repertoire, I think the track shows where the band might be heading to next,” Higgs says.

Where GP’s 2014 project Traces was slightly more upbeat, shortly after its completion Higgs learned that his grandfather and childhood dog were both reaching the ends of their lives. Grappling with his own mortality through the deaths of these loved ones, Higgs found that memories of them both were still fresh in his mind when he began work on Oblivion.

If you fux with Washed Out and Beach House, give Ghost Pavilion’s poignant bedroom pop a try. READ MORE