MAR 20
BEHIND THE SOUND: A SORRY GHOST INTERVIEW
BY LUNA CARDOSO
Sorry Ghost is a band that thrives in duality: optimism and frustration, loud and soft edges, encouragement and rejection.
Matt and Dan, childhood best friends from Louisiana, moved to Los Angeles to pursue their dreams, eventually bringing on Tate Silver and Sean Duong to complete their dynamic sound. With a blend of alt-rock, pop-punk, indie vibes, and jazz-infused grooves, the group creates music that speaks to the feelings of growing up, changing, and stumbling through life's many twists and turns.
Sorry Ghost spoke with us exclusively about their journey, creative process, and what's next for them.
The Beginning of Sorry Ghost's Journey
Every great band name has a story, and Sorry Ghost is no exception. Originally going by "Sorry," the group quickly found that looking for their name online was nearly impossible. The final name was decided at the last minute, only 10 minutes before an announcement during a show.
“We were originally just ‘Sorry,’ but that name is very hard to find every time you Google it,” Daniel explains. “So we thought, this isn’t going to work. We had to announce a new name at a show, and we still didn’t have one. We picked ‘Sorry Ghost’ because we had toyed with ‘Special Ghost’—as a joke on ‘Special Guest’—but ended up keeping just half of that name.”
It was a fittingly spontaneous choice for a band that embraces structure and unpredictability in their creative process.
Shaping Their Sound
Although pop-punk is still a significant influence in Sorry Ghost's music, it has grown considerably. The band's original objective was straightforward: skate-punk that was fast, loud, and confrontational.
“All we wanted to do was be like a skate-punk band,” Matthew recalls. “We were heavily inspired by this band from New Orleans called NOFX, on a label called Fat Wreck. Their music is fast and loud, and we thought, ‘This is our goal.’”
However, their sound changed as they developed both musically and personally. Pop-punk's young exhilaration gave way to indie rock's more subtle approach, which combined their diverse backgrounds to create something more intricate.
“Daniel and Matthew are big on Green Day and Blink-182, but Sean and I, being younger, were more into newer pop-punk—like Paramore, Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco," says Tate, who combines Midwestern charm with Juilliard theater experience to explain their varied influences. "Paramore is a huge influence for me, especially as a drummer. And I was also listening to a lot of punk, groove, and alt-rock.”
This progression is shown in their most recent single, "To the Creatures," which combines dynamic changes in volume and energy with alternative rock textures. Matthew explains, “We were listening to a lot of Cage the Elephant at the time; I wanted a soft-loud dynamic throughout. The whole idea behind the song is that everyone is living a life just as complex as yours, with their struggles and dreams. We’re all just creatures existing.”
The Writing Process
Sorry Ghost takes a unique approach to songwriting that sets them apart from other bands. Their songs begin as melodic fragments that progressively take shape, such as chord progressions, riffs, or even incoherent melodies.
Matthew states, “We start with music, then melody, then lyrics; someone, usually Dan or Sean, will bring in an idea—maybe just a riff or a chord progression—and then we build on it. A lot of times, a gibberish melody will come first before any words. Then, sometimes a single word or phrase will stick, becoming the lyrical anchor.”
As the band's first song written as a four-piece, "Robin" has a special place in their history. “It was like a first date,” Matthew recalls. “Is there going to be chemistry? Is this going to be awkward? And then we wrote Robin, and it felt like, ‘Okay, this is working. We can do this together.’”
Building a Community
Sorry Ghost is about more than just making music. They are dedicated to creating a real community and interacting with their listeners on a personal level, making each fan feel valued.
“It’s great to have a million followers, but if only a thousand of them actually like you, what’s the point?” Tate says. “If you have twelve hundred followers and a thousand of them will show up anywhere, that’s a real connection.”
Their dedication to fan involvement was evident when they crowdsourced their music video for "Nosedive" during quarantine, allowing fans to participate directly in the creative process.
“I put out an open invitation on our story,” Matthew recalls. “We were overwhelmed by the response. We thought, ‘I hope we have enough song for all these clips!’ It was amazing to see how excited people were to be part of something during such a strange time.”
Their emphasis on establishing a personal connection with their audience during live performances is another example of their inclusive worldview. “People will come up and say, ‘Hey, you don’t know me, but my username is this,’ and immediately, one of us will recognize them from comments or messages,” Tate says. “It’s those moments that make it worth it.”
Hitting the Road
In anticipation of their next tour in April, Sorry Ghost is preparing for a new chapter in their career as musicians.
Daniel remarks, “This feels like the start of Sorry Ghost’s touring history; we’ve done brief runs before, but never as the four of us together. We’re excited to meet people, put faces to names, and bring this music to life on stage.”
One thing is evident as they enter this next stage: Sorry Ghost is more than simply a band; it's a thriving community. A place where skate-punk intensity meets midwestern charm, pop-punk nostalgia meets indie growth, and every fan is more than simply a listener—they are an integral part of the narrative.
