Fatherhood is a life-defining moment, even more so when it happens to you slightly earlier than planned. Ghosts of Our Former Selves frontman Theo Brehony welcomed his first son into the world recently, five weeks before his due date. Feeling a little redundant as his partner was rushed into surgery for an emergency c-section, Theo asked the doctor how he could help… the doctor’s response was to “create a playlist” and that’s exactly what he did.
The EP features tracks “Golden” and “Mother and Child Reunion.” “Mother and Child Reunion” has an infectious framework, minimal but enticing drums allow for funky guitars to ebb and flow in-between, working hand in glove. Theo’s vocals are raw, emotional and well-penned and they provide the signature sound for the EP. A groovy baseline is bound to get you dancing and helps the track nod towards reggae.
Whereas track “Golden”, was a bit of a wild card. The band opted to replace their go-to synth and brass sounds with strings… an unusual choice for Brehony but one that ended up paving the way to something really special. Topped with the addition of Baby Sol’s silky vocals on the harmonies and outro, the end of the track builds to a big gospel-rock groove as it finishes.
“We felt that the addition of strings to the song took it to the ‘70s in a way we had not achieved before”, says Brehony. “This is one of the best songs we’ve written, and the strings add to the emotion. By the time it ends we are somewhere between Massive Attack and Elton John!”
The impact of fatherhood has been a powerful thing for Ghosts of Our Former Selves, and the release of the Golden EP is a reflection of that, so much so that during a recording session, the band deviated from their own music and started playing an impromptu performance of Paul Simon’s “Mother and Child Reunion”. Realising the connection, the band decided that they had to include their own version of this inspirational song on the new EP, and they have also made an exclusive live video to accompany the release.
