Ghost Wave Catch A Break And An EP

Nobody has heard Ghost Wave play live in North America, but that is about to change this October. The three-piece (formerly four-piece) band from Aukland, New Zealand, is slated to play Part Time Punks in Los Angeles and the CMJ Fest in New York City.

There isn't much buzz around the band yet, but that stands to change as their fuzzy 60s Brit pop rock sound reaches more people. In advance of their North American appearances, Arch Hill Music put out the band's self-titled 7-track EP a couple of days ago.


Ghost Wave rides jangly like a wall of psychedelic surf rock and shoegaze. 

Taking some cues from 60s Brit pop and Flying Nun bands from the 80s, Ghost Wave is all about giving their garage rock glow. They do. Hippy, for starters, has plenty. Played out in just over two minutes, it's a simple and straightforward surf rock song that begs to be broken down.

"There were like seven songs that could have potentially been picked, but it was Hippy [that caught the label's attention]," said front man Matt Paul. "It was cool to see somebody's personal response to the track. We're just a little bit out of our element because somebody did something because of our jam."

The timing to be signed could not have been better. Paul had just promised his girlfriend he would get a job this month. But now, with Arch Hill Music in the mix, he might be able to hold off while they tour in support of the EP and anticipated full-length next year.

After Hippy, another spotless song to give a listen to is their psychedelic trip track Sunsetter. While the video was released last year with all the feel of a euphoric beach tune, it still sounds fresh under the release of the EP stateside.



Originally, Ghost Wave was nothing more than his one-man electronic noise project in 2009. But even back then, Paul seemed to know what kind of sound he was after (one of his earliest demos set the direction).

The rest of the band came on shortly after he started touring on his own. Playing small venues gave him the chance to meet other musicians who were keen on the idea, beginning with drummer Eammon Logan (Basketball Nightmare) and then Rikki Sutton (Dear Time's Waste), who started on bass before moving to guitar.

They recorded anywhere they could find room, usually Paul's old garage and Sutton's place. It took another year before Ghost Wave was able to shut the revolving door for their bass player spot with the addition of Mike Ellis.

Sure, they are a three-piece again, but it hasn't affected much of the sound. Many of the songs were written with a three-piece in mind. Paul has since picked up more guitar duties to retain the sound.

The balance of the tracks to check out first on the EP.

Other tracks to check out include the drifting, self-reflective ditty Sounds, the acoustic strum and dream pop leanings inside Gold, and the daydream meanderings of Mood Ring. Most of the songs carry a consistent theme that falls somewhere between wasted days and trying to make sense of the world.

That seems to fit Paul, who wants to play effortlessly without taking anything too seriously. He like it to go like that for awhile and keep up it until it gets boring. So far so good. There's no boredom here.

Ghost Wave's Self-Titled EP Swells To 5.8 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

There was an interview where Paul said he likes to play until the music makes his body feel like air. That sounds like the perfect description of how he plays on stage. Check out the Sunsetter session.

You can find the new Ghost Wave self-titled EP on iTunes. You can also listen to Hippy and Sunsetter on the band's Soundcloud page. You can keep up with the band on Facebook. Their next scheduled gig is in Auckland, New Zealand. Otherwise, look forward to seeing them in Los Angeles, New York City, and any other venues they happen to fill in between.