Interview: Bachyard Ghost talks with HALSUG about his latest single, the story behind his name, and more.
Bachyard Ghost is a Korean-American singer, songwriter, and producer. His unique sound combines elements of upbeat, 2000’s-era alternative nostalgia with a modern Hip-hop edge. He creates music in multiple genres such as Hip-hop, R&B, and Alternative. He likes to focus on relatable, personal experiences with an emphasis on turning somber subjects into hits through playful lyrics and metaphors.
HALSUG had the pleasure of interviewing Bachyard Ghost about his latest single, “THOTAPHOBE”, and about who he is as an artist.
Q: Congratulations on all the love and support for your recent single! It blew up on TikTok and received lots of attention. Please introduce your latest release.
BG: My latest single is called "THOTAPHOBE." It's a Corpse/ $uicideboy$ esque song, very dark, very spooky. Different from my other releases but it's how I've been feeling lately.
Q: The title of your new song, “THOTAPHOBE” is very eye-catching and unique. Can you describe the songwriting process behind it and why you chose that title?
BG: I don’t like getting touched by people I don’t know and especially by people I don’t like, so I decided to make an anthem for it. “Thotaphobe” was one of those songs that was more for shits and giggles. I knew it would do well though because of the energy and the lyrics. Usually my music is more “sadboi” and melody driven, but this one kind of punches you in the face right off the rip.
Q: What is the story behind your stage name?
BG: There’s a backyard guest house at my place and it’s where I got a lot of my best recording done, so that’s where the “backyard” comes from. I changed the spelling to “bach” because Bach is the one composer that stuck with me from my earlier days of taking piano lessons. The “ghost” part is just from feeling invisible/overlooked, which I embrace now. I’ve always thrived being more in the background rather than the center of attention. I like moving lowkey.
Q: What made you want to dive into music? Any experiences that changed your perspective on working on music? How did you get started?
BG: I started rapping in high school because I liked battling and I think the adrenaline from having a crowd cheer me on translated to me wanting people to react to my craft. Nowadays, it's more or less a form of therapy. I've been getting more DM's lately from people saying that my songs have been getting them through hard times so I just try to be more conscious of the effect my music could potentially have.
Q: Your music feels personal and very relatable. How much of your music is based on real-life events? And how does it feel to have your real-life stories laid out so open and honest for the world to hear?
BG: It’s hard for me to write if I don’t relate to the content at least a little bit. I mix experiences together so not all of my music is about one specific moment. I’m pretty fond of using metaphors rather than being too direct about how I’m feeling so that it’s a little less daunting when the world hears it.
Q: What song would you recommend for first-time listeners to listen to and why?
BG: Probably “sick” or “rest your head”. I think those songs are the most relatable and show my personality the most.
Q: What are some of your major influences when it comes to developing your sound?
BG: I really like early GBC stuff, especially Peep and Lil Tracy, that punk/emo trap sound. As of recently, I've been delving more into hyperpop, particularly brakence.
Q: What are some of your strengths as a producer and musician that you have learned through the years working on your music?
BG: My strength is definitely my radar for when something just isn't hitting. I think I know my skill set well enough to differentiate between when I'm making something notable versus something mid and I think it's important to have that level of self-awareness. Also not to brag or anything but my work ethic is pretty crazy. I work at this tirelessly, almost to a fault. I got a bottle of ibuprofen on deck at my desk because I'm so prone to headaches from working long hours.
Q: What are some things that are consistent in your music? Is there anything that each song has to have when you are making it?
BG: The most consistent thing in my music is probably the melodies. I pride myself on coming up with some pretty catchy ones. If not that then probably my lyrics. I really look up to artists who can paint a picture with their words like Frank Ocean or Kendrick Lamar so I try my best to emulate that in my own way.
Q: Since you’ve worked on so many songs and have grown a lot throughout your time as a musician, is there a song that has remained your favorite? Is there a song that you’ve “fallen out of love” with (in terms of no longer relating to that moment and who you were at the time)?
BG: Okay I keep saying “sick” or “rest your head” so I’m going to answer with an underrated gem for this question. There’s a song on my first album, “Last Songs I Made If The World Ended Tomorrow”, called “10 Below.” You could definitely hear my age in that song and I wasn’t fully developed as an artist yet, but I feel like that one has so much heart to it. That whole album, actually. It’s like one of those rare old songs where I don’t cringe when I listen to it a year later. On that note, I fell out of love with this song I did some years back called, “Gwen Stacy” on my first EP. I hadn’t yet figured out my voice and it’s pretty noticeable. Don’t listen to that one.
Q: You’ve performed in some pretty cool venues and have a show coming up on the 30th. Do you have any personal favorites that you like to perform? What are you like on stage as opposed to off-stage?
BG: “Sick” and “rest your head” are always fun, probably because I have the most experience with those songs; I have room to experiment with different harmonies and whatnot. I don’t think I’m too different on-stage compared to off-stage. I try to just be myself. I’m a little more reserved and I don’t try to hide that much when I’m on stage. It kind of adds to my presence because the music is a reflection of my personality anyways.
Q: What do you hope to achieve with your music in three months? Six months? A year?
BG: Every independent artist wants to quit their day job and do music full time so a consistent check from streaming would be nice. A year from now if I'm on a tour that's just the icing on the cake.
Bachyard Ghost’s latest single, “THOTAPHOBE” is available for streaming on various platforms.
