Bringing a dose of Absolute Reality

Since their start in Falmouth in 2017 The Holiday Ghosts have revolved around the core of Samuel Stacpoole and Katja Racking. They relocated to Brighton a year later, and have been busy putting out a steady stream of punk and new wave-influenced alt-rock ever since.

As they prepare to release album four, Absolute Reality, they are about to make their longawaited debut in Portsmouth.

With Samuel on vocals, guitar and synth and Katja on vocals and drums, they are joined by Benedict Nightingale (guitar, backing vocals) and Morgan Lloyd Matthews (bass). Describing their current lineup, Samuel says: ‘The band we have now and on this new album is quite strong – we all have a say in it and we all did some writing for it. It's more of a band than it has been for a while. It's always good to surrender to the process of whatever you're doing whenever making any kind of art. You can get stuck in one idea and one way of doing things.

‘We've had a few lineup changes and each time it's brought in new flavours which we're happy to pursue. Having other people songwriting and bringing in their ideas, especially if it's all clicking, it's really refreshing. And it means we can write really quickly as well.

‘There's three or four of us writing songs at the same time, so there's never a shortage of fresh vibes.’

Absolute Reality is an album rooted in the here and now, and as Samuel says: ‘A lot of it was written while in a lockdown situation, but it's not a lockdown record. Some of it is about reaching for something outside of where you're at.

‘Another third was written in this flat we used to have in Brighton which was a real people watching spot – it was like we were living in this windowsill. We had this huge window and outside there were three pubs, two off-licenses, a strip club, a venue. It was where everyone went to fight each other or scream in the middle of the night. There's a fair bit of citybased commentary, and songs from my experience of talking to people at various jobs I had. It's a range of things – I don't think there's a central motif.’

The album is officially released on April 21, but they will have copies available at their gig – a neu waves club night at The Loft in Southsea on Thursday, April 20. Support is from Making Eyes and Park View Estate. Tickets £8. Go to skiddle.com.