A compelling state-of-the art indie pop band with an eclectic New York City sound. Don’t Believe in Ghosts, led by singer/producer and writer Steven Nathan, rose from his home studio in 2017. The band is rounded out by Dan DelVecchio on Guitar, Alex Goumas on Bass, and Ken Yang on Drums.
The bands’ achievements include song features on many TV shows including ‘Ink Master’ and The U.S. OPEN. Don’t Believe In Ghosts teamed up with 8-time Grammy-winning mixer Ken Lewis for their single “Don’t Wake Me Up”. The song’s video featured famed comedic actor Gilbert Gottfried. “Don’t Wake Me Up” earned more than one million retail and radio plays. In 2019 Don’t Believe In Ghosts sold out their first headlining show at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom. In the summer of 2019, the band embarked on their first U.S. tour.
“Don’t give energy to the ghosts of your past.” Says Steven Nathan when describing the meaning behind the bands’ name. “Worrying about what other people may think can be draining and debilitating.” Don’t Believe In Ghosts amplifies this theme throughout their music.
How do you describe your music to people?
We’d classify our music as an eclectic blend of indie and pop with a modern twist. We try not to take ourselves too seriously, and focus on writing songs that we feel really good about and are meaningful to us.
What inspires you to do what you do?
It sounds cliché, but we really love writing and performing music. The four of us have really connected as musicians, but formed a bond that goes deeper than that. Whether it’s practice, recording, or performing, we just really have a great time, and it shows in the music that we put out.
What’s the best and worst thing about playing clubs?
Playing live music in any setting is the best part of being in a band. There’s just something really gratifying about being able to connect with our fans and see their reactions to the music. The worst part is all of the setting up, waiting, and anticipation before we go on stage. We’re just so eager to get out there and do what we love.
when will we see you live again?
We’ve got a big show planned in April at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, so if things have gone back to normal by then, our fans can expect big things from us!
What type of recording process did you use? Who produced your recording?
We produce our own records from top to bottom . Our writing process usually begins with an idea, usually catchy chord progression with a riff on guitar or keyboard . N8 will hum or sing a melody and then later write out some words to the melody. Once we get the arraignment, we bounce the track back and forth to each other to beef the production:
We record both in the box and out of the box combining our instruments And in the box plug ins. Once we get the production as far as we can we pass it along to a mix engineer to mix and master . After that it’s Music Video time . And we produce and film all our own music videos with N8 doing the finish editing.
What are your songs about? (What specific themes do they cover)
Well each song lives in its own universe… but ultimately we try to keep things positive and find ways to inspire ourselves.
Were you influenced by old records & tapes? Which ones?
We have a super-wide range of influences… some on tape and record haha Individually we all draw from some different areas and I think that of course is part of the recipe.
What’s your outlook on the record industry today?
It’s definitely not the industry of yesterday and we’re ok with that.
What image do you think your music conveys?
I think for image we’ll let others decide where we fit… I’m sure that will change as we continue to create and evolve.
Tell us about your new single?
Our new song is called ‘Won’t Say A Word’ – It will be released on Friday Nov 27th… We have never written a breakup song until now. It was kind of a challenge, I think many people will be able to relate.
Don’t Believe in Ghosts Is:
Vocals, Guitar / Steve Nathan
Guitar / Dan DelVecchio
Bass, Keys / Alex Goumas
Drums / Ken Yang
