Watch The Ghost of Paul Revere Perform Live at Paste Studio
A Maine outfit with folksy, harmony-heavy roots and a darker lyrical approach.
Photo: Matt Cosby / Shore Fire Media
On their new, sophomore album Monarch, Maine-based holler-folk outfit The Ghost of Paul Revere have stayed true to their folksy, harmony-heavy roots while exploring darker topics through metaphors of art, New England winters and entomology. Over its 11-track narrative, Monarch posits that pain and chilling isolation are often necessary in order to achieve metamorphosis. While writing the album in far-flung locales like Portland, Philadelphia, and the Great Smoky Mountains, singer-guitarist Griffin Sherry, bassist-singer Sean McCarthy and banjo player Max Davis knew they wanted to push the sonic envelope. Drums, cello, and piano were incorporated into their sound, and for the first time, the band recorded each song’s parts separately in order to achieve more intricate and grandiose arrangements. Less-than-obvious inspirations like Radiohead and Led Zeppelin became more prominent, enabling a more adventurous process.
“If there’s one takeaway from Monarch, it’s that change is inevitable,” says Sherry. “Lovers, family, friends, instruments, sounds—they all transform with time. The key to thriving and surviving in a challenging world is to embrace those transformations.”
Watch The Ghost of Paul Revere perform LIVE at Paste on Tuesday at 12:45 p.m. EST!