The Ghost Iris Interview: M.U.R.K., Almost 10 Years of the Band, Touring and more

We've been interviewing and talking to some bands for the past few months, and we have to say that we've had some killer bands in the house. In terms of deathcore, Signs of the Swarm is a band we interviewed (read it here) that caught our attention with their innovative style while keeping that same old-school vibe. In terms of brutality, Crown Magnetar is one of the bands that caught our attention as well. (read the interview here)

But today, we bring something different. Imagine a metalcore band that is so hard-hitting that you have to stop everything you're doing just to check it out and say, "Who the hell are these guys?" This is the feeling your fellow editor and interviewer here had when first listening to Ghost Iris, a brutal and extremely technical band from Denmark.

Ghost Iris is bringing something new to the table, and that's why these guys are heralded as one of Denmark’s most promising acts, with a live history that includes touring with bands like Attila, Jinjer, Dream Theater, and playing renowned festivals such as Copenhell, Rockstadt Extreme Fest, and Euroblast.

Now you understand how heavyweight these guys are; we are not talking about adventurers here, we are talking about the real deal.

Well, you can make your own conclusions, let's get into it!

A 2023 Recap

CONCERTY: So, guys we are almost halfway through 2024, and we know you guys have done a bunch of cool stuff so far this year, like M.U.R.K., concerts all over Europe, and we’re going to talk about that, but first let’s recap a little bit about 2023. Could you describe the year of 2023 in one word and explain why?

GHOST IRIS: Amazing. It was our most active year yet in terms of playing shows. We toured with all over Europe and UK with Attila in the spring, and Heart of a Coward in the fall. We also headlined two tours in our home country.

10 Years on the Road

CONCERTY: Now, you guys formed the band in 2015, almost 10 years ago, congratulations! How do you guys see this long road? What were some of the main things that changed in the band after this decade?

GHOST IRIS: Thank you. A lot has changed. Ten years is a long time and people change a lot within those years. Our goals have changed, our musical tastes have changed, our personal lives have changed, and so on. This is the sole reason behind the continuous change in the sound of the band with every release. A lot of people seem to think that we’ve gone through several lineup changes because our sound changes a lot with every release, but the truth is that our lineup has remained the same since 2017 and our primary songwriter has been the same since the beginning.

CONCERTY: That's awesome! Talking about live concerts, with all the touring you guys have been doing, mental health is always something important, and we know some bands have issues with it. How do you guys deal with all the pressure of touring and staying healthy at the same time?

GHOST IRIS: We deal with it a couple of ways. First thing is that we don’t drink or get intoxicated of any other kind. Beyond that, we simply know each other and each other’s boundaries really well.

The M.U.R.K. EP

CONCERTY: Let’s discuss M.U.R.K.. It’s a brutal, extremely technical EP. The full EP is about to be released, but how do you see it today? Is it how you expected it to be, or are there things that you would do differently?

GHOST IRIS: The full EP comes out August 9th and we can’t wait to show it to the world. It’s been a long time in the works. It is definitely one of our proudest works, and definitely the most complete and cohesive. It is our first release based on a concept and an underlying storyline. It is our first release where we didn’t try to fit into specific boxes. There was never a “we need to fit in a clean chorus here”-moment for example. We wrote music that we love and would like to hear, and we are very proud of the result.

CONCERTY: The M.U.R.K. EP cover art is gorgeous as well, isn't it? Can you guys talk a little bit about the creation process of that artwork?

GHOST IRIS: It was done by Adrien Conrad. It was not a commissioned piece but was premade by the artist. We found it on his Instagram and we all felt really strongly that it described both the story and the sound of M.U.R.K. perfectly.

Final Thoughts

CONCERTY: Every band that we interview, we are curious about their creation process. Some bands compose while on the road; others prefer to take a break from touring just to focus on writing music. How does that work for you guys?

GHOST IRIS: We only compose at home and everything is written and handled digitally before we even think about rehearsing together.

CONCERTY: Thank you so much for this guys, it was a pleasure talking to you! Lastly, could you share what fans can expect in 2024?

GHOST IRIS: The release of M.U.R.K.! Beyond that, we will have to wait and see.

We wish the band all the best for their 2024 tours and upcoming projects!

SIGNS OF THE SWARM
Facebook: facebook.com/GHOSTIRIS
Instagram: instagram.com/ghostirisdk/

Be prepared for GHOST IRIS's upcoming concerts at the link below!
Ghost Iris's Next Concerts, Setlist Prediction, and more