Though they’ve been on tour since January in support of
their debut full-length record Lovers Requiem, in a lot of
ways Ghost is still getting use to the whole touring aspect
of things. It can be expected when you go from playing
shows in your own backyard to playing bills like Vans
Warped Tour and the 2006 Take Action Tour with
Matchbook Romance, Chiodos, The Early November,
Paramore, Amber Pacific, We Are the Fury, Hit the Lights,
Roses are Red, and Silverstein “Some guys on that tour
gave us shit when they found out it was our first tour.”
Juliano says about the Take Action Tour.
To most, Lovers Requiem is their first introduction to I Am
Ghost and Juliano couldn’t be happier. “I consider that
[Lovers Requiem] to be our first album.” Juliano says.
“When Epitaph signed us, they re-released the demo, as an
EP (We Are Always Searching), but I consider Lovers
Requiem to be our first album.” Lover’s Requiem is vastly
different than We Are Always Searching, which would be
expected considering that Ghost were a band a mere three
weeks and recorded it in less than a week. Not to mention
they mixed and mastered it themselves. “We didn’t even
know what kind of band we were. We were still fucking
around.” Juliano says of I Am Ghost sound during the We
Are Always Searching recordings. “It doesn’t represent us,”
Juliano adds of We Are Always Searching. “Whenever
someone asks me, what’s your first album? I always say
Lovers Requiem.” Juliano says.
It’s a given that when you are still a fairly small band like I
Am Ghost is, you don’t necessarily get to pick who comes
to you watch you play. Your fans will make sure they come
early to catch your set, they are the ones that have been
outside the doors since 3pm even when the doors don’t
open until 8pm, they sport the T-Shirts with your band name
on them, and then a good number of post college kids will
be there nice and early to get their drink on, before their
favorite band comes on. It’s understood that opening bands
don’t know exactly who is going to be checking out their
set, but it’s funny to watch “Frat” boys at an I Am Ghost
show. Standing in the center of the State Theatre’s floor
taking mountain sized swigs of their eight-dollar beers.
Pacing back and forth waiting for a mosh pit to start up,
waiting for their chance to fuck up some 16-year-old girls
and their boyfriends who are sporting more eye liner than a
she-male hooker on Nebraska Avenue. I just have to ask
myself one question, what are they trying to prove? It’s like
a room full of pacifists at a Hatebreed show.
Looking to the stage as I Am Ghost starts their set, it’s no
wonder why Juliano get Gerard Way (the flamboyant front
their debut full-length record Lovers Requiem, in a lot of
ways Ghost is still getting use to the whole touring aspect
of things. It can be expected when you go from playing
shows in your own backyard to playing bills like Vans
Warped Tour and the 2006 Take Action Tour with
Matchbook Romance, Chiodos, The Early November,
Paramore, Amber Pacific, We Are the Fury, Hit the Lights,
Roses are Red, and Silverstein “Some guys on that tour
gave us shit when they found out it was our first tour.”
Juliano says about the Take Action Tour.
To most, Lovers Requiem is their first introduction to I Am
Ghost and Juliano couldn’t be happier. “I consider that
[Lovers Requiem] to be our first album.” Juliano says.
“When Epitaph signed us, they re-released the demo, as an
EP (We Are Always Searching), but I consider Lovers
Requiem to be our first album.” Lover’s Requiem is vastly
different than We Are Always Searching, which would be
expected considering that Ghost were a band a mere three
weeks and recorded it in less than a week. Not to mention
they mixed and mastered it themselves. “We didn’t even
know what kind of band we were. We were still fucking
around.” Juliano says of I Am Ghost sound during the We
Are Always Searching recordings. “It doesn’t represent us,”
Juliano adds of We Are Always Searching. “Whenever
someone asks me, what’s your first album? I always say
Lovers Requiem.” Juliano says.
It’s a given that when you are still a fairly small band like I
Am Ghost is, you don’t necessarily get to pick who comes
to you watch you play. Your fans will make sure they come
early to catch your set, they are the ones that have been
outside the doors since 3pm even when the doors don’t
open until 8pm, they sport the T-Shirts with your band name
on them, and then a good number of post college kids will
be there nice and early to get their drink on, before their
favorite band comes on. It’s understood that opening bands
don’t know exactly who is going to be checking out their
set, but it’s funny to watch “Frat” boys at an I Am Ghost
show. Standing in the center of the State Theatre’s floor
taking mountain sized swigs of their eight-dollar beers.
Pacing back and forth waiting for a mosh pit to start up,
waiting for their chance to fuck up some 16-year-old girls
and their boyfriends who are sporting more eye liner than a
she-male hooker on Nebraska Avenue. I just have to ask
myself one question, what are they trying to prove? It’s like
a room full of pacifists at a Hatebreed show.
Looking to the stage as I Am Ghost starts their set, it’s no
wonder why Juliano get Gerard Way (the flamboyant front
man of My Chemical Romance) comparisons,
with his vocal style of extending his vowels,
and his hand gestures. But then again, Juliano
and Way wouldn’t be the first Italians to be
use their hands while being vocal. “I don’t
think we sound anything like them.” Juliano
says of the My Chemical Romance
comparison. “We both wear black and eye
liner, but that’s where the similarities ends.”
Juliano adds. Juliano and Seaman are fairly
tame when asked about the comparison that
the press often gives them, considering that
one review’s article was titled “I Am Ghost is
joining the ‘Way’”.
“I think that there are a lot of writers out there
that don’t listen to a band’s music. The first
thing that they do is look at the press
package, and they look at the photo and see
that we are all wearing black with black eye
liner and they say ‘oh My Chemical Romance’
and they don’t even listen to the CD, and they
write a review on us.” Juliano explains. The
hardest similarity to ignore is Juliano’s love
for the word “fuck”. “I have the potty mouth
of a fucking sailor, and that’s the way I have
been since I was 14, 15, and that’s the way I’ll
always be.” Juliano says with a smirk. Not
everyone agrees with Juliano’s word usage.
On June 30, 2007 Kerith Telestai, I Am Ghost’s
violinist, released an official statement stating
that she be unable to continue on touring and
would be leaving the band due to health
reasons. I Am Ghost decided to not replace
her on the tour. “I was just so tired of being
referred to as the band with the violin player.
That’s not us, we are I Am Ghost, not the
band with the violin.” Juliano explains. A few
days following Kerith’s announcement, her
husband and bassist Brian Telestai
announced via Myspace that he too was
leaving the band. “It was hard to write with
with his vocal style of extending his vowels,
and his hand gestures. But then again, Juliano
and Way wouldn’t be the first Italians to be
use their hands while being vocal. “I don’t
think we sound anything like them.” Juliano
says of the My Chemical Romance
comparison. “We both wear black and eye
liner, but that’s where the similarities ends.”
Juliano adds. Juliano and Seaman are fairly
tame when asked about the comparison that
the press often gives them, considering that
one review’s article was titled “I Am Ghost is
joining the ‘Way’”.
“I think that there are a lot of writers out there
that don’t listen to a band’s music. The first
thing that they do is look at the press
package, and they look at the photo and see
that we are all wearing black with black eye
liner and they say ‘oh My Chemical Romance’
and they don’t even listen to the CD, and they
write a review on us.” Juliano explains. The
hardest similarity to ignore is Juliano’s love
for the word “fuck”. “I have the potty mouth
of a fucking sailor, and that’s the way I have
been since I was 14, 15, and that’s the way I’ll
always be.” Juliano says with a smirk. Not
everyone agrees with Juliano’s word usage.
On June 30, 2007 Kerith Telestai, I Am Ghost’s
violinist, released an official statement stating
that she be unable to continue on touring and
would be leaving the band due to health
reasons. I Am Ghost decided to not replace
her on the tour. “I was just so tired of being
referred to as the band with the violin player.
That’s not us, we are I Am Ghost, not the
band with the violin.” Juliano explains. A few
days following Kerith’s announcement, her
husband and bassist Brian Telestai
announced via Myspace that he too was
leaving the band. “It was hard to write with
Brian and Kerith in the band. I had a lot things I wanted
to say, but couldn’t. With them being devoted Christians
they wouldn’t let me say this or that, or it was too gory or
too sexual.” Juliano adds. During recording it wasn’t
uncommon for Kerith or Brian or even both at the same
time to enter the vocal booth while Juliano was laying
vocal tracks and tell him he had to change this line or
take that line out because it was too obscene. Not to
mention the time that Juliano used the word fuck while on
Warped Tour, and Kerith had to retire to the tour bus and
cried for half an hour. “All I said was ‘how the fuck are
you guys doing tonight?” Juliano explains. “I just felt
held back. I couldn’t be myself on stage I had to be very
politically correct. Talking to crowd saying ‘how are you
guys doing tonight, are you guys cool?” Juliano says in
a mock whisper voice. “What does it matter? I mean it’s a
word, shit and fuck they’re just fucking words. It boggles
my mind, people who freak out over a word. These kids
hear it every fucking day! It’s a word. Get over it!”
Juliano finishes. “We’re in a rock band not a fucking
Christian band.” Seaman adds.
Juliano and company would like to set the record
straight, I AM GHOST IS NOT A CHRISTIAN BAND! “I
think a lot of people thought we were a Christian band.”
Seaman says. That is understandable considering it wasn’
t unlikely for Kerith and Brian to tell people during
interviews that they were a Christian band. “It’s just not
who we are.” Seaman says. If you had happened to catch
I Am Ghost on tour this year between the months of
January and June more likely than not to didn’t get to see
the true I Am Ghost perform, No I’m not saying that there’
s an imposture I Am Ghost band out there.
“I’d walk off stage feeling like I had given 40 percent of
what I had.” Juliano explains. If you have seen I Am
Ghost recently you will see a completely different side of
them, they have a front man that gives every ounce that
he processes, with every bit of fluid that is left in him on
that stage. “You have to be who you are on stage, don’t
hold fucking back.” Juliano says with a swig from his
Corona.
I Am Ghost is much like a middle offspring, they often are
over looked and slip underneath the radar. As soon as
they do something that may strike us weird or indifferent
we are the first ones to rip into them. “I believe that when
most reviewers get a chance to review a band it’s their
only time to shine and be the tough guy, and they try to
stick it to us.” Juliano says. You can ask a 100 people and
49 of them will hate I Am Ghost and 51 of them will love I
Am Ghost, “It’s never right in the middle for us, either the
love us or hate us.” Juliano confirms. Juliano and
company look forward to recording in the near future
after they finish up their US tour. Seaman and Juliano
won’t tell us too much of what to expect from the next
record, except that it will be “straight ahead and in your
face” and lyrically darker… minus a violin of course. “It’s
going to I Am Ghost, but a step up.” Juliano confesses.
“I think we are only 30 to 40 % of what we can be.”
to say, but couldn’t. With them being devoted Christians
they wouldn’t let me say this or that, or it was too gory or
too sexual.” Juliano adds. During recording it wasn’t
uncommon for Kerith or Brian or even both at the same
time to enter the vocal booth while Juliano was laying
vocal tracks and tell him he had to change this line or
take that line out because it was too obscene. Not to
mention the time that Juliano used the word fuck while on
Warped Tour, and Kerith had to retire to the tour bus and
cried for half an hour. “All I said was ‘how the fuck are
you guys doing tonight?” Juliano explains. “I just felt
held back. I couldn’t be myself on stage I had to be very
politically correct. Talking to crowd saying ‘how are you
guys doing tonight, are you guys cool?” Juliano says in
a mock whisper voice. “What does it matter? I mean it’s a
word, shit and fuck they’re just fucking words. It boggles
my mind, people who freak out over a word. These kids
hear it every fucking day! It’s a word. Get over it!”
Juliano finishes. “We’re in a rock band not a fucking
Christian band.” Seaman adds.
Juliano and company would like to set the record
straight, I AM GHOST IS NOT A CHRISTIAN BAND! “I
think a lot of people thought we were a Christian band.”
Seaman says. That is understandable considering it wasn’
t unlikely for Kerith and Brian to tell people during
interviews that they were a Christian band. “It’s just not
who we are.” Seaman says. If you had happened to catch
I Am Ghost on tour this year between the months of
January and June more likely than not to didn’t get to see
the true I Am Ghost perform, No I’m not saying that there’
s an imposture I Am Ghost band out there.
“I’d walk off stage feeling like I had given 40 percent of
what I had.” Juliano explains. If you have seen I Am
Ghost recently you will see a completely different side of
them, they have a front man that gives every ounce that
he processes, with every bit of fluid that is left in him on
that stage. “You have to be who you are on stage, don’t
hold fucking back.” Juliano says with a swig from his
Corona.
I Am Ghost is much like a middle offspring, they often are
over looked and slip underneath the radar. As soon as
they do something that may strike us weird or indifferent
we are the first ones to rip into them. “I believe that when
most reviewers get a chance to review a band it’s their
only time to shine and be the tough guy, and they try to
stick it to us.” Juliano says. You can ask a 100 people and
49 of them will hate I Am Ghost and 51 of them will love I
Am Ghost, “It’s never right in the middle for us, either the
love us or hate us.” Juliano confirms. Juliano and
company look forward to recording in the near future
after they finish up their US tour. Seaman and Juliano
won’t tell us too much of what to expect from the next
record, except that it will be “straight ahead and in your
face” and lyrically darker… minus a violin of course. “It’s
going to I Am Ghost, but a step up.” Juliano confesses.
“I think we are only 30 to 40 % of what we can be.”
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