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OK Go talk ‘Hungry Ghosts’ & creative videos

September 15, 2014
Jon Berrien
Latest posts by Jon Berrien (see all)
OK Go have built themselves quite a career, spanning 15 years, touring the world, releasing critically acclaimed albums and intricate music videos. They are gearing up for their newest album Hungry Ghosts, which comes out in October. GroundSounds caught up with bassist Tim Nordwind to chat about the new album, their creative videos, and much more. Check it out below and pre-order Hungry Ghosts HERE.

 

Hungry Ghosts arrives in October: What inspired the album title? Are there any songs that you’re particularly excited about playing live?
 
The album title Hungry Ghosts is a Buddhist concept.  Hungry Ghosts are beings that live inside us and have an insatiable craving for both peace and desire.  Basically they’re never satisfied, especially in the area of love.  A lot of the songs on this new record are about trying to find a healthy middle ground to love.  Sometimes successful and sometimes not! 
 
“Obsession” is a particularly fun new song to play live.  It’s minimal but groovy.  I even get to play guitar on it instead of bass, which is fun for me.  And the audience, though most haven’t heard the song yet, really seem to get into it on a first listen.
 
You have made a habit of creating visually stunning and intricate music videos and the latest for “The Writing’s On The Wall” is no different. Tell us about the idea for the new video and how it came together?
 
The idea was simple, we wanted to make a video out of anamorphic images and perspective illusions.  We were really taken by the work of artists like Felice Varini.  And we found really great collaborators in a production company from New York called 1st Ave Machine. There were a few weeks of brainstorming and about a month of building in a 30k sq ft warehouse space in Brooklyn.  It was an incredible undertaking and I think we did something like 70 takes to get it right.  
 
How do you approach writing a new album now as opposed to when you started out?
 
These days we like to go into the studio with much less of an idea of what we’re going to do.  We’ve become interested in trying to create more in a moment, instead of predetermining everything in demos.  We do a lot more experimentation with production and sonics now.  And we’ve all become much better music programmers which leads to a lot more songs being written around synth sounds and beats.  We still love guitars and everything, but enjoy exploring different types of instrumentation and arrangements these days.  But it’s still always done in a pop context.
 
OK Go has always been highly involved when it comes to giving back. Are there currently any charities or causes that you’re passionately working for?
 
Net neutrality is an issue that we’re passionate about.  It’s important for innovation and creativity to keep the Internet an even and level playing field. 
 
What bands/artists have inspired you with their new music in the last few years?
 
I really love the band Jungle from the UK.  They’re like a super modern Curtis Mayfield.  Really groovy.  Perfect for night time listening.  I also really like Disclosure, they’re production is incredible.  And it’s been cool for House Music to have made a bit of a come back in the last couple of years.
 
You’ve had your records and videos seen & heard across the world, toured the globe, headlined a fundraiser for Obama’s Presidential campaign, and won a Grammy award (among others). What would you say is the one accomplishment for OK Go that you are most proud of?
 
I’m proud that OK Go turns 15 years old this year.  That is a huge accomplishment.  Most bands just never last past five years, mostly because they don’t get along after a while.  We’ve been friends for nearly 27 years now, and I hope the friendship and the band continues to grow.    
 
Along the same lines, what are you still seeking and striving for as a band (both within your music and your impact/influence)?
 
I hope OK Go continues to find the weird places between music, art, film, fashion, technology where we can create and make new work.  I feel fortunate that we’ve been allowed to chase our best ideas no matter where they lead us.  It’s been a really satisfying way to create.
 
What are your plans for the rest of 2014 after the album comes out?
 
We’ll be out touring the US for the rest of this year and next.  We’re also planning to be in Europe, Russia, and Japan over the winter for shows.  And then we’ll be doing festivals all over the world in the Spring and Summer.  We have a new video for our song I Won’t Let You Down that’s coming out this fall.  And we have a few other video and TV projects we’re developing now to hopefully come out in 2015.

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