Locomotive Ghost - Reviews & Articles

Ben Nixon and Locomotive Ghost – Re-visiting Their Nelson Roots by Bill Metcalfe on Friday, September 9th, 2011 at 6:56 am Ben Nixon is the 22-year-old bassist/engineer/poet of formerly Nelson-based band Locomotive Ghost. The folk-rock group will be performing with special guests in Nelson at Cottonwood Market and The Royal on Saturday, September 17th. As our guest blogger today, Ben has written this poignant tribute to Nelson’s arts scene as the birthplace of his adult artistic life. When I first came to Nelson, BC I travelled for love, pure and simple. I was seventeen years old and smitten with a girl I had met at a global issues conference outside of Vancouver. When a friend of mine mentioned a contemporary music school he’d heard of in the area I latched onto it as an excuse for something I was justifiably interested in (sound engineering) to take me to where my heart wanted to be. Once the idea had been planted, tiny suggestions of reinforcement kept popping up everywhere in my life until, after graduating high school, I packed my things and moved East. There in the Kootenays I reveled in the splendor of nature, the freedom of summer, and the wonder of love. I couldn’t believe how beautiful my surroundings were. I would walk down the street, laughing out loud and grinning at the mountains, the trees and the lakes that seemed to shift with every block I walked. Every day I would discover some new perspective that I hadn’t seen before. My experience was the same with the people I met. There was such singularity, freshness and energy on the streets. I was dumbfounded by how a community so small could house so many artists - and such talented ones at that! The longer I lived in Nelson, the more connected to that arts scene I became. Some people look down on small towns as easy conquests in a vicious musical food chain. I never really cared how big of a fish I might become, I was just happy to be swimming in a pond that was teeming with such vibrant life. Nelson gave me more than I could have ever asked for to develop as a young musician and sound engineer. It’s remarkable to think that I lived there for nearly four years and only had to spend three months working a regular day job. When I started Mossy Rock Productions I never really considered that it might not work out. I guess I was one of the few lucky small business owners. I was so fortunate to have opportunities just dropped in my lap, one after another, and be able to make a living doing what I loved immediately out of college. That, to me, is a testament to the monumentally supportive, local-first mindset that is a defining characteristic of the area. When Locomotive Ghost decided to leave Nelson to embrace big city opportunities we discovered it was much easier said then done. We’d all grown so attached to the place and the culture that it really tore us up to say goodbye. Circumstances dictated that the three of us make the move at different times, and, as the second one to leave, I wanted so badly to say “Wait! Stop! Let’s go back!” I volunteered in Lethbridge for six months before completing the move to Calgary, and for the first four months of that I dreaded every day that I had made the wrong decision. I realized very quickly that - even though I’d lived there for less than a quarter of my life - Nelson was much more a home to me than Vancouver had ever been. These days whenever we have a particularly good show it’s because we’re in a city or neighborhood that possesses our favourite qualities of Nelson: discernible community, equality in interaction, and an appreciation for human expression. We love these places that feel like small towns without being “small town”. Locomotive Ghost has been in Calgary for two months now, and we’re very excited by the growing arts scene here, but we still speak of Nelson often. It’s still the place we’d like to raise our kids. It’s still the place I compare every natural beauty to. And when people ask me where I’m from, I proudly truncate seventeen years from my life and say “I’m from Nelson, BC”. In less than two weeks we’ll be revisiting the first venue that ever gave us a shot, sharing a stage with people who taught us invaluable lessons, and breathing in all the fresh mountain air we can get. We can’t wait to be back. See the full article at Arts in the Kootenays
Locomotive Ghost: Boundless Creativity Beatroute Magazine, August 2011 \| Erin A. Burke Folk rock is easily one of the most quickly growing genres in Canada’s music scene. With so many bands claiming to be a part of the same genre, it can be easy to come to expect a certain sound from most of them. While Calgary band Locomotive Ghost does fit into the folk rock genre like a glove, they bring something special to it that many bands don’t. Listening to their latest album, Close Your Eyes and Listen, makes it obvious that the band is approaching their genre in a very different way. They added the tiniest drop of velvety-smoothness to their writing and it seems to have made all the difference. Locomotive Ghost is coming to be known as a band that never rests. With at least one project on the go at any given time, on top of having school, a social life and, in the case of drummer Cortney Osness, a family to take care of, you’d think they would wear themselves thin very quickly. Meeting singer/songwriter Mike Buckley and bassist Ben Nixon, however, confirms that the opposite is true: full of energy and excitement, the two seem like they would never tire of working on their music. If you need any proof of this endless energy, you need look no further than their latest album. Under a serious time crunch to finish the album, the trio would work 14-16 hour days, mixing and layering the music to get the sound they were after. “It definitely adds to our creativity,” says Nixon, “It’s like, ‘What’s coming out? OK, great, now let’s see what goes on top of that.’ The puzzle just sort of grows outwards and expands and you end up with this sort of tapestry of a song that you didn’t really envision before.” The band seems happy with the album and they agree that writing most of it in the studio had the result of a more cohesive sound than their previous album. “Having us all give more input into it, I think, has created a lot more of a grounded and cohesive album,” says Buckley. Close Your Eyes and Listen may also be released on vinyl and was specially mastered for the project. Funds permitting, Locomotive Ghost will be putting special hand-crafted inserts into the sleeves. Keep your fingers crossed for that project! The band’s creativity does not stop at their music: even the album cover for Close Your Eyes and Listen has a story behind it. The photos were taken by Nixon’s grandmother between the ‘40s and ‘80s, and the bursts of colour on the photos are the result of a flood that occurred while the photos were being stored beneath his parents bed. The band is currently touring Alberta and BC in small chunks to allow work and family time, but it is happening. With at least 10 concerts booked for August and September and a lot more in the works, the band's already full plate is steadliy gaining mass.
Tracks Pub to host Locomotive Ghost Tuesday, Jul 05, 2011 06:00 am \| Jared Siemens Three-piece folk-rock band Locomotive Ghost will be showcasing cuts from its new album, Close Your Eyes and Listen, this Saturday at Tracks Pub. The Calgary-based band is comprised of singer/songwriter Mike Buckley, bassist Ben Nixon, and drummer Cortney Osness. “Olds has been one of our favourite towns to play in,” said Buckley. “Tracks Pub is probably one of the best venues we’ve ever played.” “We’re excited to bring our friends up there,” said Nixon. Although Buckley composed and wrote the majority of the songs on their previous, self-titled album, they aimed to take a more collaborative musical approach for Close Your Eyes and Listen. “This time I brought more skeletal forms of songs, less finished, less polished,” said Buckley. This way, Nixon and Osness could incorporate their own creative input into the songs as well, he said. Recently relocating itself to Calgary, the band has only rehearsed once since Ben’s return from his six-month stint in Katimavik, a Canadian youth-service volunteer program. “It’s a big adjustment. We’ve only had one rehearsal so far, but we’re very, very excited.” “That was actually probably the toughest thing overall was the time constraints. We had to get it done before I went to Katimavik,” said Nixon. This meant from the start of the writing process to the mastering of the album, he had less than two months to work on the album. “I was working 14 to 16 hours every day. It was really fun though,” he adds. “Given an unlimited amount of time, I don’t think I’d ever be satisfied with anything,” said Buckley. “But when you have those time constraints, you’re forced to just accept what you’ve created and just move on at some point. I think in a lot of cases, you get a more honest performance or piece out of that.” The band attributes their unique take on the Folk Rock genre to their varying ages and Western B.C. hometowns (Nixon is the youngest at 21 years old, with Buckley at 26 and Osness 32). “We span a decade, and I think we benefit in that sense, from our musical influences,” said Buckley. Locomotive Ghost met at Selkirk College in Nelson, B.C., where they all took the contemporary music program, though naming the band was a process that took more than a year, and a couple of dozen rejected names, said Buckley and Nixon. One day, as Nixon was flipping through a book of 20th-century poetry, he stumbled across a poem by Allen Ginsberg entitled, “Sunflower Sutra” “There’s a line that says something about the ghost of a locomotive. But I figured “Locomotive Ghost” flowed a little better,” said Nixon. Locomotive Ghost is actively involved in charity work, playing numerous volunteer gigs including the West Kootenay Eco Society's Earth Day, Kootenay Co-op Radio's Membership Drive, and the Keep the Beat Warchild Benefit. “It’s such an easy way to volunteer too. We’re just doing what we love in support of whatever cause, so it’s certainly not a difficult decision,” said Buckley. Nixon agrees. “Volunteering is just awesome. It makes you feel great. It’s really something we look for.” The band will be making stops in numerous communities in Alberta this summer, including Edmonton, High River, Waterton, and Lethbridge. For complete tour schedules and music samples, visit www.locomotiveghost.com.
Review – “Close Your Eyes and Listen” – Locomotive Ghost Published on March 28, 2011 \| Laura Stanley of Grayowl Point A lead singer with a smooth and sultry voice paired with a mix of both an alt-country and alt-rock sound, Locomotive Ghost delivers a satisfying EP entitled, Close Your Eyes and Listen. Written primarily on the road, the seven song EP not only shows a mixture of music styles but has a mature and confident sound that stands out from a lot of other Canadian bands right now. Close Your Eyes and Listen showcases the great musicianship of the trio, Mike Buckley, Ben Nixon, and Cortney Osness, with catchy guitar licks and an overall clean and tight sound. Buckley as lead singer, guitarist and songwriter, channels the Americana songwriting spirit of the past, letting influences like Bob Dylan and The Band shine through while the strength of his voice adds another element to the band. The opening song, “Sunsets Golden,” feels like another entity altogether since the rest of the album strays from this type of sound. Still a solid track, “Sunsets Golden” shows their Dire Straits influences, with a more electronic feel to the song. Collectively, all the songs off the EP have strengths whether it be talking about love or heartbreak. The track “Shoegaze Lovesong” for instance, has the clever line, “I wrote for you a letter on a bottle of Nyquil to make you feel better.” “This Old House,” is a perfect example of the country element that Locomotive Ghost adds to their sound. With a similarity to Cuff the Duke, the simplicity of this song illustrates the influence the road has for the band. The tender, “One Night Left” beautifully captures the Carpe Diem – seize the day – notion, with the line, “We have one night left so let’s have no regrets.” The track ends with a piece of poetry, beautifully recited by bassist, Ben Nixon. With a likeness to slam-poet master Shane Koyczan, Nixon adds a stunning ending to the song, making the listener breathless and wanting more. Although just an EP, Close Your Eyes and Listen shows the strength and talent of Locomotive Ghost and is definitely worth the listen. Top Tracks: “This Old House,” “In Her Eyes,” “One Night Left”
Interview with Mike Buckley of Locomotive Ghost Kootenay Quick Shot, March 10, 2011 \| Chad Hansen After a succesful Western Canadian tour, the band took no rest, returning to the studio to record their second album, "Close Your Eyes & Listen". Mike Buckley took time out to chat with Chad Hansen of Kootenay Quick Shot to fill us in on what to expect. Chad: So the new EP was available for free download on March 1, how did that go? Mike: We had 166 free downloads in the 24 hours that it was available. You can now buy it on the website locomotiveghost.com for $9.99 and it will be availabel on iTunes and Amazon shortly. Chad: Was it strange writing music without Tyler Toews? (former co-frontman a & contributor writer) Mike: I have done solo stuff before, a few of the songs on our last record I had written before we had even formed the band so I did have some experience, but it was definitely different. As a threesome we worked a lot more collectively - it was more of a group project. Chad: Will the listener notice a difference pre- and post-Tyler? Mike: Definitely. I think our sound is evolving significantly - though not necessarily as a result of playing with and then without Tyler. I think we have all grown, Tyler included, as musicians in musicians in totally varying directions. It is a very different record - a little slower, more contemplative, hence the name "Close Your Eyes & Listen", but it's a good indication of where we're taking our music. We'll have CDs made this monthand we're getting vinyl made for our tour this summer in Alberta, Eastern BC and hopefully Western BC and Saskatchewan. Chad: You don't live in Nelson anymore, where are you setting up shop? Mike: Cortney, our drummer, is in Nelson, Ben is in Lethbridge, and I am in Calgary. We are on hiatus until June when they finish up some courses. We've come to realize that to really take our music further we need to be in a larger population centre and Calgary seemed like the most logical choice.
“I had Locomotive Ghost in the studio playing live on the air and they were fantastic. I'm a big fan." - Craig Korth, CKUA Radio Host "Locomotive Ghost delivers like a freight train... it's like Bob Dylan, Ry Cooder and Paul Simon, all rolled into one; but with a delicious sidedish of the most original four musicians you'll ever share a banquet with. Ghost kept me completely enthralled during their entire show; from beginning to end. You know that feeling a person gets when they see a musical act destined for greatness? Those are the kind of chills that run up my spine when I see Locomotive Ghost." *- Cheryl Hodge: Editor, songstuff.com; International Jazz/Blues recording artist; Faculty, Selkirk College, April 23, 2010* "Locomotive Ghost played a semi-acoustic live-to-air set with a studio audience for our last membership drive... the music was great, and they did if for free. We really appreciated it!" - Bill Metcalfe, Programming Manager, Kootenay Co-op Radio, Nelson, B.C. Like a shining steam engine leaving the train yard, new band Locomotive Ghost has all pistons firing as they embark on their first regional tour. The fuel for their musical journey is their undeniable musicianship and songwriting chops that defy their young age. Influenced by the classic rock singer/ songwriters before him, Mike Buckley (vocals/ guitar, piano) stands stage right and has a voice like James Taylor with years of road grit on it, which sails over the sound of the band regardless of volume. Keeping the groove in a solid and understated fashion, Ben Nixon (bass) also serves as the band’s “in-house” recording engineer, mixer, & editor. All the production work on their up-coming album was completed by him, available to the public in the summer of 2010. At the rear of the stage, the bands’ rhythms are anchored by the confident and tasty work of Cortney Osness (drums). Working closely with Ben, his work on the kit keeps the songs dynamic and compelling. Still in the early stages of their career, Locomotive Ghost has already carved out a devout following in local cities. They’ll be laying tracks into your town this summer; just listen for that whistle…… *- Nelson from Nelson, March 27th, 2010* "...Locomotive Ghost were a crowd favourite. Somehow, the bulk of the audience knew all the words to their songs, singing almost as hard as vocalist-guitarists Tyler Toews and Mike Buckley, though with somewhat more fierce and frequent fist-pumps. While drummer Cortney Osness kept time with the upright posture and serene expression of a yogi, bassist Ben Nixon wriggled like a two-legged snake playing bass in a Disney flick, feet planted, teeth flashing, heart singing, riffs galore. The beautiful back-ups, harmony, and sweet, sweet repeats of singers Georgia Laloudakis and Shelby Suhan fleshed out the band’s old-time good-time stage-party 1970s feel. " - Kristjanne Vosper, Selkirk Sentinel, March 31st, 2010

Ben Nixon and Locomotive Ghost – Re-visiting Their Nelson Roots by Bill Metcalfe on Friday, September 9th, 2011 at 6:56 am Ben Nixon is the 22-year-old bassist/engineer/poet of formerly Nelson-based band Locomotive Ghost. The folk-rock group will be performing with special guests in Nelson at Cottonwood Market and The Royal on Saturday, September 17th. As our guest blogger today, Ben has written this poignant tribute to Nelson’s arts scene as the birthplace of his adult artistic life. When I first came to Nelson, BC I travelled for love, pure and simple. I was seventeen years old and smitten with a girl I had met at a global issues conference outside of Vancouver. When a friend of mine mentioned a contemporary music school he’d heard of in the area I latched onto it as an excuse for something I was justifiably interested in (sound engineering) to take me to where my heart wanted to be. Once the idea had been planted, tiny suggestions of reinforcement kept popping up everywhere in my life until, after graduating high school, I packed my things and moved East. There in the Kootenays I reveled in the splendor of nature, the freedom of summer, and the wonder of love. I couldn’t believe how beautiful my surroundings were. I would walk down the street, laughing out loud and grinning at the mountains, the trees and the lakes that seemed to shift with every block I walked. Every day I would discover some new perspective that I hadn’t seen before. My experience was the same with the people I met. There was such singularity, freshness and energy on the streets. I was dumbfounded by how a community so small could house so many artists - and such talented ones at that! The longer I lived in Nelson, the more connected to that arts scene I became. Some people look down on small towns as easy conquests in a vicious musical food chain. I never really cared how big of a fish I might become, I was just happy to be swimming in a pond that was teeming with such vibrant life. Nelson gave me more than I could have ever asked for to develop as a young musician and sound engineer. It’s remarkable to think that I lived there for nearly four years and only had to spend three months working a regular day job. When I started Mossy Rock Productions I never really considered that it might not work out. I guess I was one of the few lucky small business owners. I was so fortunate to have opportunities just dropped in my lap, one after another, and be able to make a living doing what I loved immediately out of college. That, to me, is a testament to the monumentally supportive, local-first mindset that is a defining characteristic of the area. When Locomotive Ghost decided to leave Nelson to embrace big city opportunities we discovered it was much easier said then done. We’d all grown so attached to the place and the culture that it really tore us up to say goodbye. Circumstances dictated that the three of us make the move at different times, and, as the second one to leave, I wanted so badly to say “Wait! Stop! Let’s go back!” I volunteered in Lethbridge for six months before completing the move to Calgary, and for the first four months of that I dreaded every day that I had made the wrong decision. I realized very quickly that - even though I’d lived there for less than a quarter of my life - Nelson was much more a home to me than Vancouver had ever been. These days whenever we have a particularly good show it’s because we’re in a city or neighborhood that possesses our favourite qualities of Nelson: discernible community, equality in interaction, and an appreciation for human expression. We love these places that feel like small towns without being “small town”. Locomotive Ghost has been in Calgary for two months now, and we’re very excited by the growing arts scene here, but we still speak of Nelson often. It’s still the place we’d like to raise our kids. It’s still the place I compare every natural beauty to. And when people ask me where I’m from, I proudly truncate seventeen years from my life and say “I’m from Nelson, BC”. In less than two weeks we’ll be revisiting the first venue that ever gave us a shot, sharing a stage with people who taught us invaluable lessons, and breathing in all the fresh mountain air we can get. We can’t wait to be back. See the full article at Arts in the Kootenays
Locomotive Ghost: Boundless Creativity Beatroute Magazine, August 2011 \| Erin A. Burke Folk rock is easily one of the most quickly growing genres in Canada’s music scene. With so many bands claiming to be a part of the same genre, it can be easy to come to expect a certain sound from most of them. While Calgary band Locomotive Ghost does fit into the folk rock genre like a glove, they bring something special to it that many bands don’t. Listening to their latest album, Close Your Eyes and Listen, makes it obvious that the band is approaching their genre in a very different way. They added the tiniest drop of velvety-smoothness to their writing and it seems to have made all the difference. Locomotive Ghost is coming to be known as a band that never rests. With at least one project on the go at any given time, on top of having school, a social life and, in the case of drummer Cortney Osness, a family to take care of, you’d think they would wear themselves thin very quickly. Meeting singer/songwriter Mike Buckley and bassist Ben Nixon, however, confirms that the opposite is true: full of energy and excitement, the two seem like they would never tire of working on their music. If you need any proof of this endless energy, you need look no further than their latest album. Under a serious time crunch to finish the album, the trio would work 14-16 hour days, mixing and layering the music to get the sound they were after. “It definitely adds to our creativity,” says Nixon, “It’s like, ‘What’s coming out? OK, great, now let’s see what goes on top of that.’ The puzzle just sort of grows outwards and expands and you end up with this sort of tapestry of a song that you didn’t really envision before.” The band seems happy with the album and they agree that writing most of it in the studio had the result of a more cohesive sound than their previous album. “Having us all give more input into it, I think, has created a lot more of a grounded and cohesive album,” says Buckley. Close Your Eyes and Listen may also be released on vinyl and was specially mastered for the project. Funds permitting, Locomotive Ghost will be putting special hand-crafted inserts into the sleeves. Keep your fingers crossed for that project! The band’s creativity does not stop at their music: even the album cover for Close Your Eyes and Listen has a story behind it. The photos were taken by Nixon’s grandmother between the ‘40s and ‘80s, and the bursts of colour on the photos are the result of a flood that occurred while the photos were being stored beneath his parents bed. The band is currently touring Alberta and BC in small chunks to allow work and family time, but it is happening. With at least 10 concerts booked for August and September and a lot more in the works, the band's already full plate is steadliy gaining mass.
Tracks Pub to host Locomotive Ghost Tuesday, Jul 05, 2011 06:00 am \| Jared Siemens Three-piece folk-rock band Locomotive Ghost will be showcasing cuts from its new album, Close Your Eyes and Listen, this Saturday at Tracks Pub. The Calgary-based band is comprised of singer/songwriter Mike Buckley, bassist Ben Nixon, and drummer Cortney Osness. “Olds has been one of our favourite towns to play in,” said Buckley. “Tracks Pub is probably one of the best venues we’ve ever played.” “We’re excited to bring our friends up there,” said Nixon. Although Buckley composed and wrote the majority of the songs on their previous, self-titled album, they aimed to take a more collaborative musical approach for Close Your Eyes and Listen. “This time I brought more skeletal forms of songs, less finished, less polished,” said Buckley. This way, Nixon and Osness could incorporate their own creative input into the songs as well, he said. Recently relocating itself to Calgary, the band has only rehearsed once since Ben’s return from his six-month stint in Katimavik, a Canadian youth-service volunteer program. “It’s a big adjustment. We’ve only had one rehearsal so far, but we’re very, very excited.” “That was actually probably the toughest thing overall was the time constraints. We had to get it done before I went to Katimavik,” said Nixon. This meant from the start of the writing process to the mastering of the album, he had less than two months to work on the album. “I was working 14 to 16 hours every day. It was really fun though,” he adds. “Given an unlimited amount of time, I don’t think I’d ever be satisfied with anything,” said Buckley. “But when you have those time constraints, you’re forced to just accept what you’ve created and just move on at some point. I think in a lot of cases, you get a more honest performance or piece out of that.” The band attributes their unique take on the Folk Rock genre to their varying ages and Western B.C. hometowns (Nixon is the youngest at 21 years old, with Buckley at 26 and Osness 32). “We span a decade, and I think we benefit in that sense, from our musical influences,” said Buckley. Locomotive Ghost met at Selkirk College in Nelson, B.C., where they all took the contemporary music program, though naming the band was a process that took more than a year, and a couple of dozen rejected names, said Buckley and Nixon. One day, as Nixon was flipping through a book of 20th-century poetry, he stumbled across a poem by Allen Ginsberg entitled, “Sunflower Sutra” “There’s a line that says something about the ghost of a locomotive. But I figured “Locomotive Ghost” flowed a little better,” said Nixon. Locomotive Ghost is actively involved in charity work, playing numerous volunteer gigs including the West Kootenay Eco Society's Earth Day, Kootenay Co-op Radio's Membership Drive, and the Keep the Beat Warchild Benefit. “It’s such an easy way to volunteer too. We’re just doing what we love in support of whatever cause, so it’s certainly not a difficult decision,” said Buckley. Nixon agrees. “Volunteering is just awesome. It makes you feel great. It’s really something we look for.” The band will be making stops in numerous communities in Alberta this summer, including Edmonton, High River, Waterton, and Lethbridge. For complete tour schedules and music samples, visit www.locomotiveghost.com.
Review – “Close Your Eyes and Listen” – Locomotive Ghost Published on March 28, 2011 \| Laura Stanley of Grayowl Point A lead singer with a smooth and sultry voice paired with a mix of both an alt-country and alt-rock sound, Locomotive Ghost delivers a satisfying EP entitled, Close Your Eyes and Listen. Written primarily on the road, the seven song EP not only shows a mixture of music styles but has a mature and confident sound that stands out from a lot of other Canadian bands right now. Close Your Eyes and Listen showcases the great musicianship of the trio, Mike Buckley, Ben Nixon, and Cortney Osness, with catchy guitar licks and an overall clean and tight sound. Buckley as lead singer, guitarist and songwriter, channels the Americana songwriting spirit of the past, letting influences like Bob Dylan and The Band shine through while the strength of his voice adds another element to the band. The opening song, “Sunsets Golden,” feels like another entity altogether since the rest of the album strays from this type of sound. Still a solid track, “Sunsets Golden” shows their Dire Straits influences, with a more electronic feel to the song. Collectively, all the songs off the EP have strengths whether it be talking about love or heartbreak. The track “Shoegaze Lovesong” for instance, has the clever line, “I wrote for you a letter on a bottle of Nyquil to make you feel better.” “This Old House,” is a perfect example of the country element that Locomotive Ghost adds to their sound. With a similarity to Cuff the Duke, the simplicity of this song illustrates the influence the road has for the band. The tender, “One Night Left” beautifully captures the Carpe Diem – seize the day – notion, with the line, “We have one night left so let’s have no regrets.” The track ends with a piece of poetry, beautifully recited by bassist, Ben Nixon. With a likeness to slam-poet master Shane Koyczan, Nixon adds a stunning ending to the song, making the listener breathless and wanting more. Although just an EP, Close Your Eyes and Listen shows the strength and talent of Locomotive Ghost and is definitely worth the listen. Top Tracks: “This Old House,” “In Her Eyes,” “One Night Left”
Interview with Mike Buckley of Locomotive Ghost Kootenay Quick Shot, March 10, 2011 \| Chad Hansen After a succesful Western Canadian tour, the band took no rest, returning to the studio to record their second album, "Close Your Eyes & Listen". Mike Buckley took time out to chat with Chad Hansen of Kootenay Quick Shot to fill us in on what to expect. Chad: So the new EP was available for free download on March 1, how did that go? Mike: We had 166 free downloads in the 24 hours that it was available. You can now buy it on the website locomotiveghost.com for $9.99 and it will be availabel on iTunes and Amazon shortly. Chad: Was it strange writing music without Tyler Toews? (former co-frontman a & contributor writer) Mike: I have done solo stuff before, a few of the songs on our last record I had written before we had even formed the band so I did have some experience, but it was definitely different. As a threesome we worked a lot more collectively - it was more of a group project. Chad: Will the listener notice a difference pre- and post-Tyler? Mike: Definitely. I think our sound is evolving significantly - though not necessarily as a result of playing with and then without Tyler. I think we have all grown, Tyler included, as musicians in musicians in totally varying directions. It is a very different record - a little slower, more contemplative, hence the name "Close Your Eyes & Listen", but it's a good indication of where we're taking our music. We'll have CDs made this monthand we're getting vinyl made for our tour this summer in Alberta, Eastern BC and hopefully Western BC and Saskatchewan. Chad: You don't live in Nelson anymore, where are you setting up shop? Mike: Cortney, our drummer, is in Nelson, Ben is in Lethbridge, and I am in Calgary. We are on hiatus until June when they finish up some courses. We've come to realize that to really take our music further we need to be in a larger population centre and Calgary seemed like the most logical choice.
“I had Locomotive Ghost in the studio playing live on the air and they were fantastic. I'm a big fan." - Craig Korth, CKUA Radio Host "Locomotive Ghost delivers like a freight train... it's like Bob Dylan, Ry Cooder and Paul Simon, all rolled into one; but with a delicious sidedish of the most original four musicians you'll ever share a banquet with. Ghost kept me completely enthralled during their entire show; from beginning to end. You know that feeling a person gets when they see a musical act destined for greatness? Those are the kind of chills that run up my spine when I see Locomotive Ghost." *- Cheryl Hodge: Editor, songstuff.com; International Jazz/Blues recording artist; Faculty, Selkirk College, April 23, 2010* "Locomotive Ghost played a semi-acoustic live-to-air set with a studio audience for our last membership drive... the music was great, and they did if for free. We really appreciated it!" - Bill Metcalfe, Programming Manager, Kootenay Co-op Radio, Nelson, B.C. Like a shining steam engine leaving the train yard, new band Locomotive Ghost has all pistons firing as they embark on their first regional tour. The fuel for their musical journey is their undeniable musicianship and songwriting chops that defy their young age. Influenced by the classic rock singer/ songwriters before him, Mike Buckley (vocals/ guitar, piano) stands stage right and has a voice like James Taylor with years of road grit on it, which sails over the sound of the band regardless of volume. Keeping the groove in a solid and understated fashion, Ben Nixon (bass) also serves as the band’s “in-house” recording engineer, mixer, & editor. All the production work on their up-coming album was completed by him, available to the public in the summer of 2010. At the rear of the stage, the bands’ rhythms are anchored by the confident and tasty work of Cortney Osness (drums). Working closely with Ben, his work on the kit keeps the songs dynamic and compelling. Still in the early stages of their career, Locomotive Ghost has already carved out a devout following in local cities. They’ll be laying tracks into your town this summer; just listen for that whistle…… *- Nelson from Nelson, March 27th, 2010* "...Locomotive Ghost were a crowd favourite. Somehow, the bulk of the audience knew all the words to their songs, singing almost as hard as vocalist-guitarists Tyler Toews and Mike Buckley, though with somewhat more fierce and frequent fist-pumps. While drummer Cortney Osness kept time with the upright posture and serene expression of a yogi, bassist Ben Nixon wriggled like a two-legged snake playing bass in a Disney flick, feet planted, teeth flashing, heart singing, riffs galore. The beautiful back-ups, harmony, and sweet, sweet repeats of singers Georgia Laloudakis and Shelby Suhan fleshed out the band’s old-time good-time stage-party 1970s feel. " - Kristjanne Vosper, Selkirk Sentinel, March 31st, 2010