MASTODON RELEASE YOUR GHOST AGAIN
Distilling the intensity of an incredibly difficult year, Mastodon have returned with a sonically massive and richly melodic new single, Your Ghost Again. Written and recorded amidst an unimaginably chaotic and difficult time, the track confronts the untimely death of friend and former bandmate Brent Hinds and the passing of drummer Brann Dailor’s mother. The band reflect on the song’s themes and the losses that informed them in a conversation with journalist J Bennett that they shared on their socials in conjunction with the song’s release.
Your Ghost Again is quintessential Mastodon, with bassist Troy Sanders and Dailor trading vocals over the alternately bombastic and moody guitars of Bill Kelliher and new guitarist Nick Johnston amid atmospheric flourishes from keyboardist João Nogueira. Equal parts crushing and poignant, the band channel profound grief into one of the most emotionally charged compositions of their storied career, weaving intersecting themes of memory, resilience, and raw vulnerability. Produced by Patrik Berger and Kurt Ballou and mixed by Andrew Scheps, Your Ghost Again offers a preview of what’s to come in the group’s next chapter as they put the finishing touches on their forthcoming full length.
Photo Credit: Deathcats
“For me, ‘Your Ghost Again’ is about when you lose somebody that’s close to you that you existed with for most of your life—or your whole life,” Dailor says. “It’s those moments when you’re in those familiar places that you’ve always been with that person, and then, after they’re gone, you see them out of the corner of your eye, and it makes you sad because they’re not there. When we were in the studio recording, I kept seeing Brent. I’d see him on my right holding the guitar because that’s where he’d usually be. It’s the same with my mom: I keep seeing her. And you get a little jolt of excitement because you think you’re actually seeing them, but then you remember they’re not here and it takes you down a notch. So, it’s these big relationships for me that became the subject matter of the song. I was just singing about what I was seeing, and I was seeing ghosts.”
In conjunction with the release, and following on their ongoing run of European festivals and headline dates with Loathe, the band have announced The Poisonous Weapons Tour, a nationwide run of North American dates with support from Deafheaven and Alcest. Kicking off September 16 in Orlando, the trio of bands will cut their way across the full country before closing out October 24 at Sick New World Dallas.
Your Ghost Again is out now on Loma Vista Recordings.
Listen to Your Ghost Again here: https://i.mastodonrocks.com/yourghostagain
