Basement Ghost is a five-piece grungey-metalcore group based in Long Island. I first heard of them while attending Munoz-Stockin’ Events’ show earlier this year on a very cold and dreary Saturday in Bethpage dive bar, One Eyed Jacks. It had been my first time going to the bar and while I recall the bar being shoebox-sized, that didn’t stop Basement Ghost from absolutely captivating the room with a vice-grip and making the event feel like you were shoving people at a venue as big as The Paramount. The bill had a mix of alternative and ska-punk genres on the schedule, and to hear lead vocalist Brittany open up the show with their riotous timbre accompanied by heavy, powerhouse riffs definitely started the night off with a message that was loud and clear: we are Basement Ghost and we want you to fucking move somebody.
I was hyped to go see them again at a dive-bar that I frequent, Ram’s Pub, but due to the virus things unfortunately got cancelled. However, you can be sure I’ve been bumping their grunge-tastic singles on my Spotify. For fans of Every Time I Die, Mastodon, Jinjer, and Knocked Loose, read on to learn more about their band, their influences, and their favorite snacks!
Band: Basement Ghost
Members: Brittany “Brutality” Gianino, Kyle Tucci, Matt Tucci, Greg Koridis, Scottie Noll
Band Social Media: @BasementGhostLI
Where can we find your music: Spotify, Pandora, YouTube Music, Google Play and Shazam
Established: 2019
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Describe yourself in a few sentences or less: We are a 5 member metalcore band all born and raised on Long Island. We probably smoke too much and we’ll never say no to a taco.
What is your process for music writing?
We usually start with a riff Kyle has come up with, or a lyric I wrote, and we just jam until it comes together. After that we usually spend a couple weeks mulling over details and develop it from there.
What inspirations do you feel most influence you? Musical stylings, genres, tarot cards(which I love the tarot aesthetic of your singles by the way)?
Our music is influenced by the laid back ambience of bands like Tool and Deftones, riff driven like Mastodon and ETID, and melodic like the metalcore bands we all grew up listening to. Glad you were into the artwork! I personally read tarot cards, so there’s my influence. When Kyle suggested the idea of releasing our singles with our own version of the Tarot, the entire band was immediately on board.
Tell me about “Black Sheep”. How is it different from your previous releases and what do you love most about it?
The interesting part of Black Sheep is that I wrote the majority of the lyrics when I was around 13 years old. It targets having a rough relationship with a close family member. I wanted the entire song to portray that sort of violence, pain, and almost vengeance but still feeling the sting of a broken relationship. The music video for this will definitely be a fun one to film.
What has been your most memorable moment performing your music?
Our first official show at Ram’s American Pub in Holbrook. No one heard our music before, it was all different faces, bands we’ve never played with, and the reaction to our set confirmed to us that we’re doing something right.
Favorite thing to snack on before performing or practicing?
We all pretty much thrive on some form of caffeine and cannabis. Although Greg is always offering up his homemade beef jerky haha
What are you most excited to do music wise this year?
Get back into the studio. We recently recorded 3 songs that are now on Spotify through Westfall Recording in Farmingdale. We’re now focusing on getting as much recording time as possible.
Aside from this event, where can people see you for your next show?
We’re setting up shows in May and June all over NYC and the tri-state area, but with the COVID-19 scare going on right now everything is tentative. We did decide however we’re going to do our best to meet up and live stream our “Basement Sessions” so keep your eye out on Instagram and YouTube!