CB Ghost

'All Good Things Take Time' has an uplifting surface, but there’s quite a confronting message underneath it. What were you trying to hold up a mirror to when you wrote it?

Yes, that's a good way to put it. I certainly have. Some stern words with myself. And in it touch on mental health, which I often do. In a way that is hopefully. Resolving in some way. And other people can. Get something out of it for themselves. But it's about the payoff as well, and I'm a positive person, so I don't wanna, drown in misery, just talk about the downside without moping. Get on with it and get up and sing the house down beers in the air.

The song seems to embrace patience while also coming from someone who has spent a lot of time chasing things creatively. Has your relationship with success and ambition changed since releasing your debut album?

Patience is important because success is a funny thing. I don’t think I’ve achieved success in the music industry, but I’ve realised it’s really about the journey and the incremental growth — people streaming your songs, coming to shows, buying your records. Those are the things you should enjoy.

We came from nothing. We’re a new band, and travelling and playing music with my mates Gem, Glenn, Halen and Archie is something I absolutely love. Even the tough parts — driving 10 hours, listening to music, meeting people — are part of the fun.

Selling 40 tickets to a show and having everyone on the dance floor feels amazing. If you don’t enjoy those little moments, you’re just waiting for some big payoff that may never come. There’s no magical day when you sell 1,000 records or hit a million streams and suddenly become more valuable. I know that now, and I have to remind myself of it.

I love being the underdog. Of course I’d like more success, bigger shows and all of that, but I want to keep the same ethos: be kind to people, be kind to yourself, have a great time and enjoy the little things.

If I can keep writing and recording songs, tour Australia and the world, make enough money to live and go surfing when it’s pumping — that’s success to me. And I reckon that would be pretty good for my mental health too.

Your music pulls together surf, folk, rock and pop without feeling particularly tied to one scene. Where do you think that blend comes from, and how has your sound evolved since Mayhemic?

I’ve always loved a lot of different kinds of music. I’m still a bit of a metalhead, for example, even though I don’t play metal. I think that’s why CB Ghost can appeal to people from different musical worlds — there are elements of surf, folk, rock, pop and everything in between.

Mayhemic was largely me and my guitar. It was stripped back, DIY and recorded without a producer, but my vision was always for the sound to grow — more layers, more musicians and better songwriting.

That’s really happening with the new material. Working with a producer for the first time has opened me up creatively. I’m much more willing to tear something apart and rewrite it if someone I trust thinks it can be better. On one of the new songs, Stuart actually got rid of my original chorus and pushed me towards another part he thought was the hook. We rebuilt the song around it, and I loved the process.

I think that’s where the evolution has happened — not trying to become a different genre, but becoming better at what CB Ghost already is. We’re not one genre, but that blend of sounds, rhythms, songwriting and lyrics has become our own sound. That’s CB Ghost.

There’s a strong sense of place in the CB Ghost identity, from the coastline through to the imagery and the way you describe the music. How important is that Australian coastal influence to your songwriting?

It’s massive. The coastline gives me my bearing — wherever I am, I need to know where the ocean is. Surfing has been a huge part of my life for a long time, and it’s probably the greatest teacher I’ve ever had.

There’s something incredibly healing and humbling about surfing. Nothing makes you feel smaller than getting caught inside by a big wave and being held underwater, completely at its mercy. I think that feeling naturally finds its way into my songwriting.

That’s partly where the idea of “Surf Country” came from. I think surfers have a natural connection with country music — we both love wide-open spaces, whether that’s the ocean or the land.

I love being Australian, I love being a surfing Australian, and I love writing songs from that perspective. I couldn’t really have one without the other. Ultimately, I’d love to take that distinctly Australian coastal sound to the rest of the world.

You’ve built the project independently through touring, releases and direct connections with audiences. What has that grassroots journey taught you about being an artist today?

It started with a guy in his room with a guitar, but there was always a mission behind it. I started doing open mics, which terrified me, but they taught me how to get up, play my songs and connect with people. I was able to rough out ideas in front of an audience and slowly build from there.

Being independent has taught me that you have to create your own momentum. One of my biggest goals was simply to write enough songs to make a vinyl record. I achieved that, and it was a huge moment for me. I wasn’t satisfied for long, but I did stop and appreciate what I’d achieved.

I think artists need something to chase — a new song, a gig, a tour, a surf trip, whatever it is. I’m just wired that way. I need something to look forward to.

The music industry today is complicated. There’s more opportunity to reach people around the world, but there’s also plenty of rubbish, dodgy operators and challenges for venues. I try not to get too caught up in the things I can’t control.

If venues will have me, people keep coming to the shows and I can keep writing and playing music, I’m stoked. Ultimately, I’d love to have a great booking agent and a team around me so I can spend less time worrying about social media and admin — and more time doing what I actually love: writing and playing songs.

Easy Come is the first half of a two-part EP project, with Either Way to follow. Why did you choose to split the material into two releases, and what bigger story do you see unfolding across them?

I split it into two EPs because it felt like a more immediate and exciting way to approach the music. Recording Mayhemic as a full album was a big undertaking, and I didn’t want to make the next mountain too big.

I’d actually written enough material for probably two albums, so splitting it into Easy Come and Either Way gives the songs more room to breathe and gives people something to look forward to. Eventually, I’d love to put both EPs together on vinyl — one on each side — with the artwork and imagery tying everything together.

There’s also a song called “Either Way” that will close the second EP. It’s got a Queens of the Stone Age kind of rock feel and connects the two releases.

Ultimately, I’m trying to open the door to a wider audience. Hopefully people come in for one song they connect with, then discover the rest of the CB Ghost world.