Punchdrunk and Very Wise Indeed

Ghost Hand Punch over the course of the last couple years has become a staple of rock in the Fargo-Moorhead area, and now with the release of their second album “Wake Up,” they are only bound to get bigger. This could only be better with some sort of celebration, but wait a second, there is. The band will be having a CD release party January 22 at the Aquarium, with special guests Rock Say Rock, Haley E and the Rydells, and The Babysitters Club.
Ghost Hand Punch actually originated from The Blue Fairy Godmothers. It was a side project of BFG member John Berdahl. Now the band consists of John Berdahl as leader singer/guitar/keyboard; Paul on lead guitars/vocals; Bill on drums; Gavin on guitar; and Justin on bass. The CD release party is Justin’s last show due to impending fatherhood so be sure to congratulate him.

Ghost Hand Punch derives their sound from a variety of influences. Growing up, John was way into music with swirling harmonies including the Beach Boys and a lot of 60’s psychedelic rock. When he met up with Paul he was introduced to more contemporary music especially “The Elms.” GHP’s music seems to be a combination of these sensibilities.

I recently got the chance to talk to the guys about their disc in a brief phone conversation. According to Bill the drummer, work on the new album actually began two years ago, although all but two tracks were scrapped. The album was put on hold for a bit while they did some Blue Fairy Godmother stuff. Then, about a year ago, work on GHP’s album resumed.

When comparing the first GHP album to the new one, Bill said “Since the first album started as John’s project and we were brought in later, they were all his songs. This album is more collaborative.” He continued. “This one is different-sounding. The first album was all in the key of E and it was intended to be one continuous song. This one is still all unified but musically I think it’s more dynamic.”

One of my favorite things to do while listening to music is pick an overall theme. I asked John, the lead singer and principal song writer, if he could put an overall theme to this new album. He told me “I just always try to write songs about individuality. I want to tell people to be themselves, and don’t listen to anybody including me…most of the songs have that sort of message, to be yourself. Like there is a song on the album about how people do stuff because of either political or cultural demands, so they are held back. They should just be their own people.” He then went in depth on the final song of the album “Fall Away.” “That song is trying to say you are not going to be here forever. Death is very permanent, very long whereas life is very short so you should do as much as you can as often as you can.” This sounds very wise indeed.

Paul the guitar player seemed to have firm grasp of where they are right now and where they want to go. In his own words, “We play a lot for the 21-and-up crowd, but the all-ages scene is something we are looking forward to tapping into with this new album. We think it’s more accessible—I think it’s something 14- and 15-year-old kids could dance to.”

Paul went on to talk about their place in the Fargo-Moorhead music scene. “We are just going to be supporting the local scene with what we think is good local music. We are just trying to do our part as a band in this town trying to keep it going.” The band also seems to take great pleasure in playing with and seeing other local musicians.

The last thing I wanted to know about the guys is what they thought the pinnacle of their time as a band has been so far. You would assume it would be some fantastic show they played, but their fondest memory seems to be the time that their van broke down in Montana on the way to their first show on their first tour. They managed to make the best of it and had a drunken bonding experience at a nearby campground. This shows an unwavering sense of making the best out of your situation, which also comes through in their music.

So take their advice and make the best out of your situation living in this tundra that we call home, and have a good time at their CD release party the 22nd.

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If You Go

What: Ghost Hand Punch, Rock Say Rock, Haley E and the Rydells, The Babysitters Club
Where: The Aquarium
When: Fri, Jan 22, 10 pm
How Much: $5, 21+ID