Music As Therapy With JIMMY KYLE From CHASING GHOSTS

Interview by Kris Peters
Chasing Ghosts have traversed a multitude of styles and genres over
the course of their career, ranging from solo material to punk
fuelled anthems to their current blending of indie rock and punk,
but the one thing that has remained consistent with all of their
work is the bands unflinching search for understanding and
resolution, particularly in matters pertaining to Indigenous people
and their culture.
Frontman Jimmy Kyle - a Thungutti man who has emerged as one of
Australia’s most important voices in recent years - openly wears
his heart through his lyrics, verbalizing topics and situations
that are generally shied away from or pushed aside by most bands
and musicians. 
Since the release of Chasing Ghosts' debut album Confessions From A
Phone Booth in 2011, Kyle has successfully and poignantly married
introspection with boldness as his stories confront, deconstruct
and illuminate the challenging realities of being an Indigenous
Australian; while also championing human persistence, the ability
to overcome, and the recognition of beauty in even the most
flawed.
The bands new album, Therapy, which is released on May 16, further
highlights the thoughts and feelings of Chasing Ghosts, tackling
issues from domestic abuse to the mental health crisis in a
confronting yet sensible way which only accentuates the strength of
character and conviction that has strengthened the band and their
music over the years.
HEAVY sat down with Kyle to discuss Therapy in greater
detail.
"I think it's definitely a lot more upbeat," he replied when asked
to describe Therapy musically. "As you know, the Chasing Ghosts
story is, I guess, acoustic punk troubadour leaves hardcore music
and goes solo (laughs). It has come full circle where this is a
heavier record. It's sonically a lot more polished than and bigger
than anything we've done before. And the songs felt like the next
progression coming out of Homeland; the next progression was kind
of like, where can this go?"
"We had done a real lo-fi, very Melbourne sounding mix for
Homelands, and then Therapy is a very produced - very shiny is the
word that I tend to use - kind of polished record. And it was a
real pleasure to do something different because I'd always had a
history in recording the earlier records in the analogue way. So
now have we not only moved into the digital realm, finally, but
we've moved into it sort of with no rules, just leaning right into
a modern process, and so we could give some contrast and
personality difference between the other releases."
In the full interview, Jimmy provided an overview of Therapy,
describing it as a significant evolution in their sound. He
discussed the themes of the album, which stem from his personal
journey through therapy, addressing issues such as insomnia and
domestic violence, and aimed at fostering understanding among
listeners. The conversation also included details about the Therapy
Australia tour, scheduled from June 6 to June 14, featuring a mix
of classic songs and new tracks.
We also discussed the meanings behind some of the songs and their
significance to modern society, whether he feels people are
starting to accept his messages, how Therapy represents the next
chapter for Chasing Ghosts and more.


Become a supporter of this podcast:
https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.