by John Wisniewski for MK ULTRA Magazine
Love Ghost is a Los Angeles-based quartet that has been making noise with songs like “Let It All Burn” and “Chasin’ Money and Bitches” for a few years now. Led by Finnegan Bell on guitar and lead vocals with Ryan Stevens on bass, Samson Young on drums, Daniel Alcala on guitar and Cory Batchler on keyboards, Love Ghost has built up a growing crowd of fans that are hungry for that flannel driven Grunge sound of 1990s Seattle that included Soundgarden and Nirvana. Finnegan Bell has been playing guitar and singing since the age of eleven, then began playing acoustic shows in 2014 and subsequently founded Love Ghost. Upon meeting Tim Skold, the guitarist and producer, known for his work with KMFDM, Marilyn Manson, SKOLD, Not My God and Front Line Assembly, the duo decided to collaborate as Love Ghost X SKOLD and now offer “Payback,” the first single from their forthcoming album on Metropolis Records. MK Ultra had a brief chat with Finnegan about all things Love Ghost.
John Wisniewski: Please tell us their story as to how Love Ghost originally formed?
Finnegan Bell: I formed Love Ghost when I was 14 because I wanted to have a band to play live shows. I choose the name because I had a fascination with love and death.
JW: Any favorite bands that perhaps influenced you to start Love Ghost?
FB: Definitely bands such as Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins and Radiohead influenced me. Sometimes I call my style of music “SoundCloud Grunge” Because I’d like to imagine that it could be the continuation of that movement.
JW: Who is the songwriter of the group? Where does the inspiration in the writing emanate from?
FB: At this point, I write a lot of the songs, but I still love to co-write and I’m around some super talented people. Each song is a slightly different process.
JW: You combine so many genres to create one sound, is this blend of sounds just a part of who the band is?
FB: Yes it is. We all have different influences and tastes, so when they’re combined they create an array of genres.
JW: How did you meet Tim Skold?
FB: I actually met Tim Skold at the Viper Room on Halloween Night. I already knew who he was and had been a fan so I came up and introduced myself.
JW: What ultimately prompted you to collaborate with Tim Skold and what did you think he could bring to the sound of Love Ghost?
FB: Honestly it felt like a no brainer from the start. I was a big fan of Skold and what he had worked on in the past, so as soon as the opportunity presented itself, I took it. 🙂
JW: Any future plans you’d like to mention? Tours? Are there any plans for Love Ghost side projects?
FB: Me and Skold are working on an album together and I’m super excited about it. We also have special shows lined up and we’ll be touring Mexico at some point..