The music that influenced Ghost Fan Club’s Ghost Fan Club EP
After a 3 year hiatus, Tyler Costolo has returned with his Ghost Fan Club project, releasing a deeply emotive self-titled EP through Knifepunch Records. This new project marks a continuation of his exploration into the slowcore and bedroom pop genres, following a period of creative flux that saw him revisit harsher, metal-inspired sounds under his Two Meters moniker. Ghost Fan Club’s latest work delves into themes of depression, grief, instability, and lost time, adding a new edge and urgency to Costolo’s signature sound.
The following songs are the records that influenced this latest project.
“I wrote these songs during a point of major turmoil in my life. I was mostly drifting along, trying to make peace with so much of my existence being out of my control and time slipping by while I was trying to catch up. I started working on a lot of the songs all the way back in 2021 but wasn’t in a situation where I could comfortably record. I felt desperate to get the tracks finished but was bouncing around unable to find any footing, which I think you can feel in the songs themselves.”
— Tyler Costolo
Modest Mouse – ‘Dramamine’
I can’t say I love what they sound like now, but early Modest Mouse is so special. Really all of This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About could be here. A lot of what I would call my guitar style comes from this. Little touches with harmonics and bends. I think this can be heard the most on my song ‘Shoulders.’
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Mount Eerie – ‘Moon Sequel’
It would be impossible for me to talk about musical influences without bringing up The Microphones or Mount Eerie. A lot can be said about having music convey meaning through obscurity, but tracks like this that openly lay bare the feelings of the songwriter can be just as powerful if not more. Phil is saying – this is how I feel, maybe you can relate, maybe not.
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Duster – ‘The Twins / Romantica’
Duster is having quite the moment right now, as is slowcore as a whole. For a band I found on accident (my friend in college recommended Guster and I mixed it up when searching later) they have had a lasting effect on how I look at recording and songwriting. Lyrics and vocals as more of a part of the overall piece, non traditional song structure, tape recording itself as an instrument.
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Attic Abasement – ‘Australia’
I find myself asking “How do I know I’m alive” constantly thanks to this song. One of my favorites ever, also directly inspired me to add in some ebow on the song ‘Now and Then.’
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Isn’t Everything Amazing? – ‘Lonely Tree’
A pretty obscure one, I found this band on a message board a few years ago. I feel like this is a perfect lofi bedroom pop song. It really had me thinking about my own music – I was coming up with guitar parts the other day and noticing that even though all my songs have a sad vibe to them, basically everything is in a major key. This track is upbeat but has such a sad nostalgic yearning sound to it. That is a sound I’m always chasing.
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