PREMIERE + Q&A: Christian Cohle shares 'Ghost'

Ahead of the release of his highly anticipated debut album, Holy Trouble, Christian Cohle is back with 'Ghost'.

Already tipped for megastardom by Hot Press, the Dublin-born artist brings his dark synth-pop sound to hypnotic new heights on 'Ghost'. Reflecting on inner-toil while he showcases his haunting James Blake-esque vocals, the track, produced alongside Michael Heffernan (Dermot Kennedy, The Script, Æ MAK) marks Christian Cohle as a compelling original force in Irish music.

'Ghost' follows his debut single, 'Breathe', released earlier this year. You can expect his debut album, Holy Trouble later this year.

Ahead of the release, Christian told us all about the new single and his musical journey...

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You’re a producer and a singer-songwriter – did one come first, or did they grow alongside each other?

The latter came first. However, being a bit of a megalomaniac, my drive to learn how to produce my own music soon followed. I enjoy the solitude of being able to spend as much time as I need carving out an idea. The independence is really important to me – I need to feel like I have put as much of me into the music as possible before I can happily pass it on to be worked on further.

What’s the main inspiration behind your sound?

So much of what inspires me comes and goes, and is often instinctual as opposed to something I'm fully aware of. I'm usually reflecting or regurgitating what I like – whether it's from a film, a book or another music artist – and then communicating it with my own experiences. My entry into electronic music, happened mainly out of necessity. It allowed me to be eclectic, experimentative and able to create sonically something resonant, without relying on a chain of collaborators and other musicians to achieve what I wanted.

Do you think electronic music is in a good place in Ireland right now?

It's easy to see influences of electronic music here at home, whether it's someone using programmed beats or running their live show off of DAW software like Ableton. In saying that, I haven't come across many popular acts here whose roots are firmly grounded in electronic music – Techno, Electronica, Synth-pop and Dance. However , my perspective is pretty limited – I'm slightly embarrassed to admit I barely leave my house! Among the tragic state of affairs many have found themselves in with this current pandemic, one silver lining for me is that it has made me feel momentarily slightly more normal, being a recluse!

‘Ghost’ delves into themes of spiritual turmoil – what influenced that direction?

Close to the date before 'Ghost' was conceived, I relapsed. For me, I have found that being sober, allows me to look after my mental health and to feel everything 100%, which is the only way I can create. When this relapse occurred, it was a huge loss for me. I felt spiritually sick, scared and unsure of myself. 'Ghost' was a reaction to that feeling.

What’s the main concept behind your upcoming debut album, Holy Trouble?

Building on your previous question, the concept of Holy Trouble extrapolates largely on this idea of spiritual turmoil. The album examines and personifies this state of spiritual malady. I tried to express this by looking inwards towards myself as well as outwards to the world around me.

What was it like working alongside Michael Heffernan?

Michael is one of my dearest friends. Apart from being an absolute sweetheart, this album would not have happened without him. From building on developed ideas to swerving me into directions I would not have gone into alone. He really was monumental and he is all over this record. From the track selection, to arrangement ideas, sounds, programming beats , tracking certain parts, getting the big low-end, everything! Aside from being really creative and a great producer to work alongside with, being a sound and mixing engineer gives him all the technical skills that I simply don't have and need to rely on someone to bring to the table.

Obviously everything’s a bit up in the air at the moment – but what’s the plan for the coming months?

Providing the world doesn't end anytime soon, the aim is to stick to the original plan as close as possible. Basically just keep sharing my music to people, and hopefully get back to doing some more live shows sooner than later! The original plan was to drop the full album sometime this year, so I'm really hoping we can keep that plan in place.

Listen to 'Ghost' below: