
Interview – Ghostpoet
With his third record, Shedding Skin, having just been released and ahead of his forthcoming UK tour, which includes a stop at the Hare and Hounds in Kings Heath, Birmingham Live caught up with Obaro Ejimiwe, otherwise know as Coventry rapper and MC, Ghostpoet.
So, album number three has just been released and it seems to have been well received.
Yeah. It’s been alright so far, it’s been getting good reviews. It’s funny as it’s probably the quickest album I’ve ever made and one of the cheapest ones, so it’s a bit weird like that really.
I’m surprised its one of the quickest and cheapest as it sounds like you perhaps had more people getting involved in the recording process, as its got a few more guest vocalists on it and its got more of a live band sound to it too.
Well I wanted to make a band style record, and I just had a great touring band to call upon to play for me. It was partly that I wanted to do it for the direction that I wanted to go down with this record in general and also, circumstances meant that I had to just think outside the box a bit more with this one and it just made sense to do it. I’ve always like working with voices and writing for other voices so it was nice to feature some great artists that appear on the record as well, both up and coming ones and more established people.
You have quite a distinctive sound, in terms of your voice and how you come across on records and I love the fact that your records are always very lyrically engaging. But for the people that kind of don’t listen that hard, I guess there is the danger of having records that sound very similar so I like the fact that you have have changed it up with a different sound, but you’ve stayed true to the style of music that you have made since day one.
Yeah, thanks man and I take your point. It’s definitely a case of trying to appeal to more people without the dreaded “selling out”. I just know that I want to play to more people and I want more people to hear my music, but at the same time, I don’t want to become a bonafide popstar, do you know what I mean? It’s finding that happy equilibrium between those two worlds, that’s what I’m trying to achieve.
And the record title “Shedding Skin”. Is that in reference to the changing sound from your previous two records?
It’s weird because I didn’t really think of it like that really. It was more about identity and how we are all the same once you get under the surfaces, and it’s our experiences that make us what we are. But at the same time, I guess sub-consciously, it’s about, in essence, the whole kind of shedding of a former musical self and becoming something else. I mean I don’t feel that I have changed dramatically, I’m not wearing eyeliner and glam rock gear but I’m aware that I’ve changed musically although I still feel the same.
You were due to support TV on the Radio recently in Birmingham, but I understand that tour was cancelled. I know that you don’t tour all the time so its nice to see you heading to Brum.
I haven’t been in Birmingham for a while really, I visit quite a lot but I haven’t played there in a while. To be fair, I gig quite a lot but it’s a case of I’m always in and out of the UK really, I gigged a lot with the first record but didn’t gig as much with the second. I’m hoping to gig a lot more with this one though. It’s not from me not wanting to play, its just the flow of the buzz, the more buzz you have, the more gigs you can play at, so we’ll see.
So you are at the Hare & Hounds next month which should be a nice little intimate gig, what sort of setup are we likely to see for this tour?
I know the Hare & Hounds (laughs), I’ve played there before and its a great little venue. Well it’s still a band, just a bigger one. I’ve got a four piece this time with guitar, bass, drums, keys and a backing vocalist. This new record was definitely made with one ear on the live arena, I wanted to make a record that could translate quicker and better in the live circuit situation.
Give me the heads up then, what are you listening to at the moment and what is on your radar musically?
At the moment I’m listening to a lot of TV on the Radio, I’m a massive fan of them so I’ve been listening to their last record and their older stuff. I’ve been listening to a lot of The Cure too, i’ve been really into them again. I really like Sleaford Mods from Nottingham so i’ve been listening to them a lot, and I’ve also been listening to this guy called Romare, he has a debut record out called Projections and he’s really cool, kind of like experimental Detroit soul dance type sound. I really want to hear the new Jamie Lidell track as well, thats gone out today and I haven listened to it yet, I’m a massive fan of him and he has some new music coming out.
So looking forward, what’s next for you?
We’ve got the April tour here and the European tour in May and then festivals in the summer, and then its a case of seeing what this album has. If its got legs then I’ll tour it for a bit and in the meantime I’ll just try and be creative. I want to do other things and other stuff to work myself away from the main musical output. Not necessarily away from music, but rather than just the Ghostpoet thing, to keep me interested because if all I do is the Ghostpoet thing then it becomes boring, and more of a chore, and I don’t want it to be a chore, I want it to be a joy so thats kind of what I’m trying to do and I’m trying to push myself to do that. I think you should try and spread yourself as much as possible, but without allowing the quality of the music to drop. Try and do as many things as you can and see what happens.
Ok, well thanks for taking the time out to talk to Brumlive.com, I look forward to seeing you in April at the Hare & Hounds.
Yeah, no worries man, we’ll have a drink.
I’ll grab you a pint.
Oh, no no no, we’ll buy each other one, that’s a fair trade.
Ghostpoet will be at the Hare & Hounds on the 8th of April.
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Ghostpoet photograph courtesy of PR.