An Interview with John Merchant of Ghosts of Sunset
By Andrew Daly
Considering John Merchant harbors influences deeply rooted in the ’70s and ’80s, it should come as a surprise to no one that the sound of Ghosts of Sunset follows suit.
Still, that hasn’t stopped the group’s music from leaving listeners awe-inspired and with a smile cracked across their faces. And why shouldn’t that be the case? Rock music, at its core, is supposed to be fun, right? It’s with that in mind, as I cracked open the CD containing Ghosts of Sunset’s third record, Breathe, that I embarked on my journey with a free and easy mindset.
No, Ghosts of Sunset aren’t treading new ground, and they aren’t breaking any, either. But that’s the point – the template has already been set. All John Merchant and Todd Long needed to do was put their spin on it, aka reminding listeners what they came here for. And what they came here for is good times and good music. To that end, as they always have, Ghosts of Sunset delivers the goods.
As he prepares to support Ghosts of Sunset’s latest LP, Breathe, John Merchant beamed in with ClassicRockHistory.com to dig into his history with rock music, the formation of Ghosts of Sunset, the making of Breathe, and his outlook on today’s music scene.
Who were your primary influences? Who influences you most today?
Growing up, it was the Beatles. The Beatles were the blueprint. Being young and not knowing all the “back story,” they just represented what I thought a band should be. I imagined they were best friends, sharing the adventure together, collaborating, and being Beatles. From there, it was everything from 1970s radio and singer/songwriters, classic country music, and Motown from my mother.
In the1980s, hair metal and hard rock hit me right as I became a teenager. It all seemed like so much fun and so far away from my middle-American, lower-middle-class life. Today, it’s always bands that distill the music I’ve loved and give it their own stamp. Tuk Smith and the Restless Hearts, Dirty Honey, the Great Affairs. I also love the “Americana” genre, where an emphasis is put on melody and storytelling. Jason Isbell, Lucero, Justin Townes Earle, etc…
Take me through the origins of Ghosts of Sunset.
Todd Long and I have made music together across several genres for well over 30 years. Our first connection was over 1980s hair metal. We did our first EP, Headed West, as a nod to that influence, and following that, we opened up the door to all our influences from late 70s punk rock, new wave, and straight-up rock ‘n’ roll. We always want the music we love to shine through everything we do. We’re just continuing it and passing it along.
What new music are you working on? How has your approach changed since your earlier years?
We’re working on our third full-length album as we speak. I can’t say much other than we always defer to the song. We let it guide us where it wants to go. Today, it’s back-and-forth file sharing and video chatting. In the early days, we hammered it out in a room. After 30 years, we’ve developed a musical language that allows us to cut to the chase pretty quickly. When we’re “on” a song, it’ll tell us exactly what it needs. We try and get out of the way.
What makes this new record your most district and best work yet? Which songs mean the most?
I think the new album, Breathe, continues to build on our “sound” from the EP and the full-length album—no Saints in the City. But again, allows for all our influences to shine through. We’ve been blessed to find an audience and respect them enough to know that their depths of taste allow for growth and progression without us becoming so self-centered that we abandoned what they enjoyed about Ghosts of Sunset in the first place.
There’s nothing more heartbreaking than being alienated by your favorite band! It’s like a betrayal. We strive for growth and balance. All the songs mean something to us, and we treat each one with that level of attention and care. For me, personally, I’ve been very fond of the first single, “Afterthought,” because it harkens back to one of Todd’s former bands that I really was a fan of. I also like “Two Tickets to Tokyo” because it’s a spy thriller set to music.
How about the production side of things? What can you tell me?
We both have pretty solid, working recording rigs in our homes. Both Todd and I grew up recording, going back to analog tape and 4 track machines. What modern technology does, is allows us to be able to include whatever is going to move the song along. Of course, the pitfall is including gratuitous parts that serve no purpose other than to stroke your ego or use the latest effect you heard on the hit of the day. Every single part of the recording process is reviewed under the microscope of “is it good for the song.” If it needs to be lush, we know how to orchestrate parts to accomplish that; if it needs to be stripped down and raw, we know what to leave out.
Do current trends alter your style and technique at all?
For me, personally, current trends are usually either an extension of something that came before or are truly, just “trends.” I will say if I hear something current that moves me, I instantly start searching for the “why.” Why does it move me, and how is it doing that? Then, we ask if that “why” can serve our song in some way. As far as staying inspired, we’re music fans first. So be it a new song by Tuk Smith or Butch Walker or the Great Affairs, or one of our songs, I get as excited as I did when I heard “Please Please Me” or “Too Fast for Love” or “Tiny Dancer” or “Tangled Up in Blue.” I love songs and continue to be moved to my very core by them.
What are some challenges of making new music for a world with such a low attention span?
I think not pandering to anyone. We have a very music-savvy audience with deep tastes and strong connections to music. These people love music like we do; it doesn’t take work for them to give songs attention. Music is such a part of their existence (like it is ours) that when we hear something that touches us, it’s actually hard to focus on anything else.
Some say rock is dead. Do you agree?
As long as there are young people who hear “Whole Lotta Love” or “Back in Black” or whatever for the first time and feel that feeling in their soul, rock (or any other kind of art) will never die. It is reborn over and over again. Music gives to and connects people. It joins people together, and for those of us that love it, it makes us feel less alone in an often-lonely world.
It’s the glance from the car next to you when you realize you’re both nodding your head to that Black Sabbath song blaring from one of your cars. It’s the smile and nod when the person in the checkout line has an Iron Maiden shirt on. It’s saying, “You and I share this, so we’re connected.”
What are you most excited about moving forward?
The next song. The next riff. The next person who says, “I heard this or that in your song.” These things connect me to other people, and that makes me less lonely, too. I’m always excited about that. Right now, the next greatest rock ‘n’ roll band in the world is gathered in a basement, trying to get through a verse of their favorite song together. When they finally hit it, that excites me to no end.
John Merchant of Ghosts of Sunset: The ClassicRockHistory.com Interview article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2023
Classicrockhistory.com claims ownership of all its original content and Intellectual property under United States Copyright laws and those of all other foreign countries. No one person, business, or organization is allowed to re-publish any of our original content anywhere on the web or in print without our permission. All photos used are either public domain creative commons photos or licensed officially from Shutterstock under license with ClassicRockHistory.com. All photo credits have been placed at the end of the article. Album Cover Photos are affiliate links and the property of Amazon and are stored on the Amazon server. Any theft of our content will be met with swift legal action against the infringing websites.