Photo Source: Soleil Konkel
I’ve made few attempts at hiding my love for Gross Ghost. This pop heavy indie rock crew has been making moves around the Triangle for years now, but with the release of Public Housing they’ve begun to reap the benefits of their hard work. On Nov. 1 I was joined by Mike Dillon, the songwriter and vocalist for Gross Ghost to chat about the evolution of the band and the writing process that went on for this new record. While their debut full-length Brer Rabbit displayed much of Gross Ghost’s fundamentals, Public Housing delves into a bit deeper territory for the band. Brer Rabbit on its surface highlighted much of the band’s formative years, but Public Housing, as Dillon says, displays a much more relevant side of the band’s life now.
Throughout the hour Mike spun a slew of his favorite local tunes, which we sadly can’t share with you guys, but we do talk a bit about how he came to know and love the North Carolina music scene. Mike and I chatted a lot about how Gross Ghost has come to solidify their lineup, the process that goes into translating their live energy into studio energy, and who we need to be looking out for in the local scene. Without giving too much away, Dillon gives a fantastic peek into the machinations of Gross Ghost’s songwriting process and how the band comes together to create a cohesive vision that encapsulated every member’s creative voice.
Fans of this swiftly rising local act will have quite a bit to indulge in with this recent conversation, as I for one loved to hear about the origins and future plans for one of my favorite local acts.
Check out our full conversation.