The Metal Experience
Jul 18, 20206 min
I was thrilled when metal band Ghost In The Atlantic reached out to us for an interview. It has been a while since The Metal Experience has actually been able to record an in-person interview for our podcast since COVID put us on hold, so being able to do this interview was refreshing and I was excited to get back into the game again.
The band recently released this debut EP "Lost In Transmission" on June 19th, 2020, and let me tell you, it is a phenomenal debut. I asked them some questions about the history of the band, the making of the album, what they have been doing in quarantine, and more!
Wyatt Corsair (WC) – Vocals
Jared Hayden (JH) – Guitars, Programming
Alan Adel (AA) – Guitars
Jarrett Luker (JL) – Bass
Shae Woods (SW) - Drums
Ghost In The Atlantic, What a cool name for starters. How did you decide on that name?
(JH) At the time, It was just myself (Jared) and Wyatt. We spent what seemed like forever trying to come up with a name. Ghost in the Atlantic was actually kind of a placeholder name at the time, and we figured we could go back and change it, but we kind of forgot to so it stuck!
Do you remember the first metal band that you heard that got you into this genre?
(JH) I’d say the earliest I remember, was listening to Metallica on the radio and thinking it was the best thing ever.
(JL) My dad got me into metal when I was young. We jammed a lot of Metallica, Iron Maiden, and Megadeth.
(SW) Lamb of God and Mudvayne
(AA) Devildriver was definitely the first metal bands I started rocking with.
(WC) The Devil Wears Prada, Blessthefall, and Of Mice and Men.
How did you guys keep busy during CVOID-19, 2020 quarantine?
(JH) Mostly just make sure we are all practiced up on our own time. Being prepared for when we can start to play live again is the biggest thing.
Your Debut EP "Lost in Transmission" out now as of June 19th, 2020. Super exciting! Congratulations! I bet there was so much anticipation leading up to it… how does it feel now that it has been unleashed into the world?
(JH) It feels super good! The whole process had us super anxious to show everyone what we have been up to!
Where did you record at?
(JH) We recorded all the instrumentals at my home studio, and vocals were recorded at Ravensong Studios. Ravensong also handled the mixing and mastering.
How does your band’s writing process work?
(JH) I will usually start off laying down some drums based on how I want the song to feel. Then once I get something going I will send it off to the guys to have their input on it.
What you do find to be the most challenging when making this EP?
(JH) We pretty much scrapped 80% of the album when Jarrett, Shae, and Alan joined. It kind of felt like a hassle to start pretty much all over again, but we think it was worth it. That was definitely challenging for sure.
What song do you feel stands out most on the EP and why?
(JH) I personally think Sonder stands out the most. It covers a lot of different emotions at once and ends in a beautiful orchestral piece.
(JL) Rebirth. It has a totally different feel from the rest of the album and covers a range of emotions from soft to crowd killing rage.
(SW) Sonder. The intensity of the song as well as the change of flow at the end of the track.
(AA) I think Feeling Hunted stands out most because of the way it blends the heavy and melodic parts.
(WC) Sonder stands out to me with it’s driven technical guitar parts mashed with the synth and the big open melodic lines.
What was the most difficult song to write?
(JH) Actually probably our shortest song on the album, A Warning. Wyatt, Alan, and I spent 6 hours on it the first night we started writing. We were pumped on how it was coming after working on it forever. So we hit play to listen back what we had created so far, and we were a whopping 30 seconds in. Lol. We swore up and down we HAD to have been farther than that.
Any plans for an upcoming tour once things are back up and running again in the world?
(JH) No plans for tour at the moment. With how unpredictable COVID has been, we would rather wait until everything is in the clear before we make any plans.
How is the music scene out in Oklahoma?
(JH) The music scene is awesome! Tons of great talent, and great people!
With how the world is changing now due to COVID-19, how do you think the music industry will change for you personally as a band? What do you hope to see happen and what do you think may happen for venues, concerts that you play etc..
(JH) It’s hard to say. I think COVID will have an everlasting impact on live shows. While we are brand new, it caught us at a horrible time. It is very hard for us to showcase what we have made. COVID happened right as we started to get out and play live. As a band, I think we will have to rely on playing through live streaming. As much as we hope to play in a live venue again, everyone’s health and safety comes first. We just hope that after this is all said and done, that we will still have some venues around to play at. I know they’re taking a terrible hit with what all is going on, sadly.
What venue has been your favorite place to play?
(JH) The Vanguard in Tulsa is always fun to play at. Amazing stage, amazing lights, and amazing sound.
(JL) Rudy’s House in Broken Arrow, OK, is always an absolute banger. A 10x10 concrete block room, no AC, and 50 people at all times crammed in there going HAM.
(WC) Any venue that offers a warm welcome and a good atmosphere is my favorite place to book.
Any bands that you would wish to share the stage with one day?
(JH) I’d love to be able to play my personal heroes, After the Burial, Erra, Born of Osiris, and Spite.
(JL) Every Time I Die, Harm’s Way, Body Count.
(SW) In Heart’s Wake, August Burns Red, Currents.
(AA) I’d love to play with Fit for a King, After the Burial, Knocked Loose, or Harm’s Way.
(WC) It would be a dream come true to play with After the Burial, Born of Osiris, Spite, and Emmure. (The list could go on forever lol)
If you could play any place in the world, where would you want to play and why?
(JH) Australia. There are so many AMAZING metal bands that come out of Australia. And it’s beautiful there!
(JL) Red Rocks… Because Red Rocks.
(SW) Definitely Red Rocks
(AA) Any venue that people show up to and participate!
(WC) I’d love to play in Australia or somewhere in the UK. It seems like they have a very receptive metal scene.
What bands would you recommend someone who has never listened to a heavy metal band before, what album and why?
(JH) For someone just getting into metal, Tesseract has some amazing grooves and amazing clean vocals.
(JL) I’d say End of a Heartache by Killswitch Engage. It’s a great mix of styles and isn’t going to scare people away from the first death growl chug they hear.
(SW) The Word Alive – Life Cycles. Just love the sound of the album and how the vocals transition throughout.
(AA) I’d recommend any album by Periphery. Spencer’s vocals are amazing, clean, and harsh.
(WC) After the Burial is a great band to start with for a new metal listener. The album I’d recommend is “Wolves Within”. It’s packed with super technical and driven strings and drums with powerful vocals. Not to mention some of the tastiest breakdowns around.
Any last words for our readers?
We appreciate anyone who has given us a chance. It means so much to us! If you would like to support us, look us up on Facebook. We would love to hear from you! Support your local music scene. There are a ton of great bands out there grinding every day and they deserve every bit of love they can get!
Huge thank you again to all the guys for taking the time to respond to my questions. It was an honor to talk with these guys. I really hope that they have a chance to visit the Chicago area in the near future so that we can see them in person. Their music is super catchy and fueled with a ton of energy. I am excited to continue to jam this album and look super forward to hearing what their next album will bring.
For fans of: After the Burial, Erra, Hollow Front, As I Lay Dying, Architects and Acaedia