Features : Exclusive Interview with Voltaire's Ghost

Artist Spotlight: Voltaire's Ghost

The formation of Voltaire’s Ghost was birthed from coincidence, irony and purpose. Once a solo artist, Magnus did some traveling and things just didn’t work out how he wanted with other musicians he met. Upon returning home to Colorado, he learned his niece was getting drum lessons from Josh and the rest is history. 

In a career defined by reinvention and resonance, Voltaire's Ghost takes us through the chapters that made them who they are today.

FreshMusicWorld: What has remained most consistent about your creative identity over time?

Voltaire's Ghost: Our fascination with, and exploration of, love and death — the two great mysteries. 

FreshMusicWorld: How has your relationship with music changed as your career has developed?

Voltaire's Ghost: It hasn’t — yet. The trick is not letting the business of music interfere with your relationship to music. When Ruby, Josh and I step on stage to perform an existing song, or into the studio to craft something new, we try and let all that fall away and let the feeling take over, that ecstatic mix of melancholy and hope that seems to be our country. 

FreshMusicWorld: How do you usually know when an idea is worth developing into a full song or project?

Voltaire's Ghost: I’ve never written or played anything with Josh and Ruby that I didn’t love. If Ruby ever brought in a lyric, I had music for it that fit like a velvet glove, and vice versa. It’s magic, really. We love our songs, and we love sharing them. 

FreshMusicWorld: What part of the writing or recording process challenges you differently now than it did earlier on?

Voltaire's Ghost: Honestly, the hardest part remains keeping up with our writing pace. We have songs in various stages of completion that are absolute gems, that we can’t wait to get back to. But the new stuff keeps coming!

FreshMusicWorld: How do you approach growth creatively without losing what feels authentic to you?

Voltaire's Ghost: Having great partners. If you have the right people around you, you can only be authentic. That’s the secret.

FreshMusicWorld: In what ways has your sound evolved most noticeably over the last few releases?

Voltaire's Ghost: Black Petals Fallen, both the single and album, definitely lean into the gothic more than some of our recent releases. We keep telling people we’re a Goth band, but then my friend hears “Spirit Animal” and he says, “Bullshit! This is straight up Classic Rock.” True, we have some bangers with some glorious pop hooks, but the album is deep and dark…just how we like it.

FreshMusicWorld: What have been some of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned from releasing music so far?

Voltaire's Ghost: Take your time. Prepare the ground, do it right. Work with the right (legit) team. You’ll find a wider audience and be glad you did. 

FreshMusicWorld: How do you balance the creative side of being an artist with the realities of building a sustainable career?

Voltaire's Ghost: It’s tough. We need our own Peter Grant. The Lord willing, one day we’ll find him. 

FreshMusicWorld: What kind of growth feels most meaningful to you at this stage of your journey?

Voltaire's Ghost: Having a fan come up to you after the show and tell you they came to see you because they heard Spirit Animal on the radio and they loved it. Man, there’s no growth like that.

FreshMusicWorld: What do you want this next phase of your work to be defined by?

Voltaire's Ghost: Did we do good work. Do we have the songs. Did we make you feel something. That’s all we want to be judged on.