Holy… Ghost

A recent submission to my Radio Station Website The Very Reverend’s new song ‘”HOLYGHOST” is sure to please your eardrums.

The Very Reverend is a California-based alternative artist, creating his own blend of alt-pop, alt-rock, and electronic music to create gloomy, nocturnal songs about love, substances and the human condition. With a brooding, honest voice and poetic lyrics that rely on metaphor and imagery, The Very Reverend’s music sways with a subdued energy that seduces his audience, before giving way to the snarling chaos lurking just below the surface.

The song start’s off with a very energetic and hyping electro-synth and drum combo and when the vocals make their entrance. It’s gas pedal to the floor after that. The song itself, is very well assembled and mastered, Reminiscent of a NIN type assembly.

I asked The Very Reverend a few questions.

What motivates you? Not just in your music but in your normal life as well.

I’m really motivated other musicians, but also by film and TV, especially horror, drama, crime type stuff. People’s stories, gritty visuals, original scores, it’s all really inspiring to me. I like to use dark things like death, ghosts etc. as metaphors. As far as motivation to keep pushing myself and follow this dream, credit goes to some really supportive friends and family, and the fans I have who listen to my music and hype me up.

Do you create music often? When can we expect another release?

I create in big waves. I sort of stop at a point in my life and look around at what’s happening, what’s just happened. what’s about to happen, what I’m listening to, what I’m watching, etc. and write around all that. I’m always putting down little ideas but I flesh em out all at once. The songs end up feeling cohesive that way.

I grew up in the 90’s, I listened to everyone from Dr. Dre, to Weezer, to Pink Floyd, Metallica, Cypress Hill and back again. I truly believe that the 90’s were one of the greatest era’s for original music. Which era of music is one of your favorites?

There was some great music in the 90’s for sure. I’ve got influences in every era honestly, it’s hard to pick a favorite and my taste is always changing. I do love how simple and iconic songwriting was in the 60’s, I listen to old motown songs a lot to get ideas for song structure. I’m really influenced by 80’s new wave like Gary Numan, and the grit of 90’s/2000’s alternative like NIN and QOTSA, too. I love what’s happening right now in alternative music though, so maybe I’ll say right now is my favorite. Gotta live in the moment.

‘HOLYGHOST,’ the newest release from west-coast alternative artist The Very Reverend, marks his second of 2021, a follow-up to prior single ‘BELLADONNA’. Using dark, vivid imagery and religious symbolism as an ironic statement (a common theme in the artists’ work), ‘HOLYGHOST’ deals with the ways we hide our true selves, “killing” them off to please others or avoid judgement, only to be haunted by who we really are in everything we do; we trap ourselves in patterns or situations as a result, and often self-medicate to cope.

The song is a call to all “imperfect creatures,” urging the listener to forget perfection; to be their honest, raw self; their own god, their own religion, their own judge. The nocturnal altpop landscape established on ‘BELLADONNA’ is just as present here, this time flirting

with upbeat altrock attitude and sneer. The track layers dark synths and lush guitar swells over a driving heartbeat of electronic drum samples and swift, sometimes violent drumkit grooves (performed by Dyl Williams of IRONTOM). Chamberlain’s vocal performance ranges from a close whisper in the dense verses of the song, to a desperate howl over the spacious, pumping choruses; crying out for relief over dense layers of vocal harmonies.

‘HOLYGHOST’ was produced and engineered by Jesse Mancillas at Rosa Mortem Studios in

Sacramento, with Chamberlain performing all vocals and instrumentation on the track (except drums). Mixed by Jonathan Wyman (The Pretty Reckless, The Ghost of Paul Revere) and mastered by Adam Ayan (Father John Misty, Lana Del Rey).

‘HOLYGHOST’ is out NOW on all streaming platforms.