Audeze interviews multi-platform drummer GhostFace

GhostFace is a multi-platform drummer who posts covers and demos to over 400K followers on his TikTok, Instagram and YouTube channels.

"My Audeze headphones have completely switched up the way I work and create content. My LCD-2 Closed-backs help me hear even the most subtle notes, so I can really get into the details of what I'm mixing."  - GhostFace

Here's our chat with GhostFace:

How did you get started in music? What kind of music did you listen to while growing up and how has that progressed?

I got started in music largely thanks to my dad. He sat me down in front of a drum kit when I was two years old! Ever since then, I've always had a love for playing the drums, and music in general. It's a way for me to express myself and how I'm feeling. As a child, I was mainly exposed to cultural music coupled with whatever was playing on the radio at the time. However, around the time I was 9 years old, my dad had started to take me to music lessons at a more rock-music oriented school. Ever since then, I've been exposed to music made by the likes of Guns 'N Roses, Black Sabbath, Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and countless others. Over time, I grew to appreciate the technicalities in these bands' music. Since then I've grown to appreciate other music like progressive metal and nu metal that keeps the same level technicality in the music.

Can you name any factors that influenced the course of your musical life? Heroes, role models, moments, interactions, etc?

There's been quite a few moments in my musical life that have influenced me and my style. A few of my role models, strictly for drumming, would be Lars Ulrich, Danny Carey, and Gavin Harrison. Lars got me started off with more thrash-type musical playing, and got me to join the rock-oriented music school at the same time. Danny Carey and Gavin Harrison are both huge inspirations to me, both through their play style and work ethic. I try to take both of their styles of playing and apply it to my own, through rudiments and lots of practice. In terms of significant moments and interactions, though, I'd say my biggest moment in my musical journey was starting my GhostFace YouTube channel which has expanded to Instagram and TikTok as well. Through my channels, I've met so many amazing people and I've had people who inspire me and drive me to perform and actually interact with my content! The smallest interactions like liking a video or sharing a video of mine drives me to keep pushing forward and work harder to improve my playing and my sound.

Can you briefly describe a moment of frustration from your past work, and what you may have done to overcome the obstacles? Would you approach it differently now?

In the realm of content creation, anything could go wrong at any moment. One huge frustration in the time I've created content would probably have to be during the recordings of my Rust in Peace album cover. Not only did I have to record that album on a tight schedule (roughly a week!) I also had a lot of trouble actually figuring out how to play these songs! Nick Menza sounds amazing on the drums on this album, and playing up to his skill was very difficult. Particularly, I vividly remember having to practice "Take no Prisoners" for hours on end, just trying to get myself to line up to what Nick Menza's playing. When mixing and mastering the project, I also had to deal with the headaches of me hitting the microphones with my sticks accidentally. This really tested my dedication to the cover, but I managed to pull through with some long hours of editing and mixing tricks. I'd definitely approach the microphone problem differently today, though. Positioning is key! The trick to not hitting the microphone is simply putting them in a better position for myself, both when playing, and when listening back to my recordings while they're being mixed. Getting a better pair of headphones to really be able to grasp the high and low frequencies of my drum hits would definitely make my job easier, too.

Is there any gear you find yourself turning to most when working on a project? What are some of your favorite tools/instruments recently?

The gear that I find myself turning to the most would be my overhead microphones. They help me get a really wide and varied sound across my drum kit. My favourite instruments (and instrumental accessories) would undoubtedly be my drum kit and drumsticks. I prefer carbon-fibre drumsticks over anything else. Durability matters a lot more when you're playing heavy metal everyday.

Do you have any words of wisdom for people who might aspire toward a similar path for their own careers?

I know that what I'm about to say has probably been said to death, but here it goes anyways. Practice, practice, practice! I can't even begin to describe how important it is. Not to mention having a good mindset, and good work ethic. To try and follow the amount of content creation I'm doing, you need to take the time out of your day and really enjoy what you're doing. If you feel unmotivated, push through it. Of course, it's a good idea to set goals for yourself, but don't make that the main focus of your craft. Make sure that you fall in love with the journey, and not just the results. The results will come on their own if you keep working as hard as you can.

How long have you been working with headphones, and how do you typically use them in your workflow?

I've been working with headphones since I've started content creation, and I use them in virtually every aspect of my workflow. I use headphones to listen to the songs I'm playing along to, for mixing and mastering, and for other general purposes like watching other people's content and listening to my favourite vinyl albums. Headphones have especially become a huge part of my life in the past three years, since my content creation schedule has ramped up, and I find myself turning to music when I'm doing things other than content creation, like university work. Music is a huge help getting me through tough study sessions, and having a solid pair of headphones makes the experience much lighter and more enjoyable.

How have your Audeze headphones affected your work? 

My Audeze headphones have completely switched up the way I work and create content. My LCD-2 Closed-backs help me hear even the most subtle notes, so I can really get into the details of what I'm mixing. On top of that, my headphones have enhanced the way I listen to music in general. The quality of the sound is mind-blowing! I remember trying them out for the first time and being stunned at how many subtle things I could hear in all different genres of music I've explored with the LCD-2's. One final way my headphones have really changed the game, though, is the way they feel. It's hard to explain, but the sheer quality of the headphones makes me want to use them more (not to mention the crystal clear audio!). Content creation has never been more enjoyable for me.

Can you tell us what you've been working on with them recently?

Right after I received my Audeze headphones, I started cycling through all of my favourite metal and rock playlists. While listening, I picked out the songs that felt like they impacted me in a brand new way. For certain tracks, it felt like I was listening to an entirely new song, and it gave me the extra push I needed to cover some songs I've been thinking about covering for a while. My Audeze headphones also give me a really quick way to quality-check all of my short-form content. I produce shorter videos at a much higher volume, and with the LCD-2's, I've been able to get a much faster turn-around and better content production in general! I've been looking more towards how-to videos, so it's especially helpful to have Audeze headphones to make sure I'm playing the beats correctly for my audience.