Are you bored of all the music on your playlists and are looking for something new? Well look no further – No Such Thing As Ghost’s self-proclaimed pop punk stylings are sure to cure the musical-blues! Sports fans may already be familiar with singer Mike Wilson as the audience member brought onstage to play with the Arkells at the Eskimos game on Sept. 9. But he’s much more than a one-hit-wonder, as his band goes to show, with their Sept. 29 gig at Bohemia in Edmonton.
The Sherwood Park band is comprised of four best friends – Mike Wilson on bass and vocals, Alex Hominiuk on guitar, bass, synth and vocals, Kyle Blacher on guitar and Taylor Gowdy on drums. They describe themselves as “your mom’s favourite band, but like … your mom’s really cool.” Three quarters of the band met through playing hockey, and they had all been best friends forever before deciding to form a band. Mike, Kyle and Taylor already had experience playing instruments before this point, with Alex learning guitar for the band. Their first show was in a garage with an audience of 40 supportive friends, and now they’ve progressed to playing gigs around Edmonton. They had their first out of town gig in Calgary – which Mike described as the highlight of their careers so far.
They draw a large amount of their inspiration from blink-182’s sound, but also credit Rural Alberta Advantage, Death Cab For Cutie, Tokyo Police Club and Rise Against as their influences. They are also huge fans of the ’90s punk scene, and pay homage to it in some of their music. The guys are students and have jobs, while still balancing practice and gigs. When asked how they manage to do it all, Mike replied “very carefully.” They try to book their gigs far enough in advance so they can schedule their jobs around them, practise whenever their schedules align, and squeeze in schoolwork whenever they can. They make sure that they are flexible and understanding with each other’s schedules and busy lives. They’re currently working on finishing their latest EP, and are taking their time in the studio, making sure it’s even better than the last.
Their music is currently available on nosuchthingasghost.bandcamp.com, with their new EP, Dizzy, to be released soon. They also have a band page on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Keep an eye on their social media pages for information on their next shows, and the release of Dizzy. If you get a chance, be sure to ask Mike about the time he sent Jello through the mail. So be sure to check out their music, you may even find your new favourite band!
– Nikita Eleniak
