“They gave everyone a camera to appreciate the same moon,’” sings Travis Alexander from Ghost Thrower in one of their newest songs, “Apple.”. To all the Instagram and Facebook fiends out there, he’s making fun of us. “Everyone’s trying to take the same picture and get a million people to like it,” he explains. Ghost Thrower, a band for over two years, have grown up with this album. Don’t worry, they’ve retained their punk rock sound and even the occasional teenage angst. But from honest reflections of the drinking and party scenes to commentary on the loneliness of digital popularity contests, the songs now have more depth. With their new self-titled album, Ghost Thrower have redefined themselves.
Ghost Thrower will be playing at Great Scott, Travis’s favorite venue, on November 18, 2013.
Recently, I had the wonderful opportunity to speak with Travis and understand some of the stories, personalities, and meaning that went into the newest album.
Nitesh: How would you describe your music?
Travis: The closest thing I can think of is Experimental Pop.
Nitesh: I have you newest single “Halloween in Brooklyn” stuck in my head. Does it refer to a particular moment? Did you ever crawl the whole way back home again?
Travis: [laughs] It’s actually just about a night I did have a few years ago in Brooklyn but it’s also almost giving the people what they want. I feel like Brooklyn is still full of these pretentious kids who just do a lot of drugs and get fucked up all the time. If you do drink, you’ve had that night. If you don’t drink, that might be the reason you’ve stopped having that night. It’s basically just about having a few too many.
Nitesh: How does Halloween in Brooklyn compare to Halloween in Boston?
Travis: Well you know it’s funny, every Halloween, there’s been something going on. Last Halloween, there was Hurricane Sandy. The year before that, when I wrote the song, there was a freak blizzard. I haven’t experienced a good Halloween in Brooklyn yet. I don’t know if there is one. In that respect, I’ll say Boston kills. I’ve lived in Boston for eight years, so I’d say Boston is my home. Boston is better for all holidays, all sporting events. It’s just a better city. People from Boston love being from Boston. They love coming together. Here [in Brooklyn], it’s just a different story.
Nitesh: Describe your best night in Boston.
Travis: I’ve had so many! They all kind of make me sound like a degenerate, but I’ve been kicked out of the Model more times than I can count. I couldn’t even begin to tell you. My last band, Therefore I Am, did some reunion shows last December. We broke up and got together three years later to just do those shows. Those two nights were probably the best nights I’ve had.
Nitesh: What about with Ghost Thrower? What’s your favorite venue to play in Boston?
Travis: Great Scott. Hands down. It’s got a good location, your friends always come out. You can always count on it to be a good time. The people who work there are super nice. It’s not a very huge place, there aren’t many places to hide.
Nitesh: How’s it feel, as a band, to release your newest album?
Travis: It feels awesome. I think our first release was something I did in the studio myself. I was transitioning between two bands and it was very angsty. I feel like a lot of people thought we were just the angsty pre-teen punk band. And I’m really happy to put this out, to put a new spin on it. Hopefully people get a different vibe from us. It’s kind of like a fresh start.
Nitesh: Is there any sort of theme that runs through all the songs on the album?
Travis: I mean there’s a love song on the album, but it pretty much goes out to all the kids who think they’re too cool to do the things they used to do. I feel like there’s a very big “too cool” thing happening. And these songs let you know that you’re not too cool. And if you’re singing along to this, you’re kind of making fun of that. It’s supposed to be kind of an ironic theme throughout. When I use the word ‘you,’ I’m speaking to the quintessential pretentious hipster. And it’s cool because I am one. I’m not talking down, I just think everyone needs to realize, we’re all the same.
Nitesh: What’s your favorite track on the newest album?
Travis: I think I want to say “Apple.” It’s probably the quintessential piece for poking fun at the current generation of 20-something who are more interested in taking pictures of their food than eating it.
[laughs]
Trying to show people that they are living an awesome life instead of just living it. Everyone’s trying to see who thinks they are cooler than they are. It goes back to what I was saying earlier. We’re all the same. It’s all just a popularity contest amongst people our age now.
Nitesh: What are three things most people don’t know about you?
Travis: I am actually really responsible and hard-working. A lot of people assume I’m a party animal, which I am, but I am very capable of separating the two. I am huge into conspiracy theories. And even though I seem like a bummer through music, I want to live forever.
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Outside of singing, playing guitar, and writing songs for his band Ghost Thrower, Travis Alexander owns and runs three unique small businesses. Using wood that often comes from lumber yards around Boston, he creates custom guitars and sells them through his business Venture Guitars. He re-straps vintage watch faces through his business Throne Watches. And he runs a gift-giving service calling Awesome Boxes, wherein he helps choose the perfect collection of items for a gift-wrapped mystery boxes.