Cleveland-based indie rock duo BARBACOA has reemerged with a beautiful tribute to lost loved ones. The moving composition will undoubtedly resonate with many, after a tumultuous past two years of ups and way too many downs
Loss has affected us all these last couple years, whether it be personal, financial or mental. In some form or another, we’ve all experienced it and BARBACOA frontman Kyle Evanchuck is no exception.
“This song is about losing my parents,” says Evanchuck. “My Dad and Mom passed away in 2020 and it hit me pretty hard. It stills hits hard everyday. I was really close with my Dad and I miss that relationship all the time. Losing them both about 10 months apart was rough. Especially since a pandemic and lockdown happened in between them passing.“
As serious as the subject matter is, “Ghosts” doesn’t dwell too much on the negative, but instead embraces the path forward.
“At its core, ‘Ghosts’ is about continuing on with the ones we lose,” Evanchuck continues. “We all have ghosts at some point. We carry them with us. This song was a way or reminding myself that my parents loved me and they always will. That’s a line in the song and I mean that. I needed to remind myself of that. I hurt because they aren’t here, but I am happy because I know they loved me and they still do. This song is selfishly for me but it can be applied to anyone going through a loss or who has gone through one. I hope maybe it helps make someone else feel not so alone. Your loved ones may be gone but their spirits live on in you. It has a bit of a sad hint to it, but a lot of positivity and the music is absolutely amazing.“
His musical counterpart Joel Grant finds the energy in these feelings, blending a lot of tones and attitude to create a ballad that never lingers too long in one spot.
Releasing their first single in 2010, Grant and Evanchuck had an unlikely start for a band. They formed right around the time Evanchuck was leaving for the U.S. Navy. Their first few years writing together was a long distance affair that had Grant sending Evanchuck music before he would head out to sea on a submarine. Evanchuck would write lyrics while on deployment and they would record whenever he got to come home on leave. After a decade of that kind of working relationship Evanchuck transitioned out of the Navy and came back to live and work near Cleveland, OH. When the pandemic hit it wasn’t very hard for Barbacoa to write together from a distance, as they had plenty of practice in that realm. The band enjoys building songs in their own way and has come to value the limited time they get to spend in the same room working together.
Listen to the single “Ghosts” now on Spotify.
