Photo: Jim Louvau
Love Ghost is an enigmatic indie rock outfit from Los Angeles. The project blends grunge, alternative rock, and post-punk with a dash of Soundcloud-era grit. Founded by Finnegan Bell, the band quickly turned heads with its raw energy, mature lyrics, and fearless approach to collaboration.
Swedish musician and producer Tim Skold—known for his work with KMFDM, Shotgun Messiah, and his solo ventures—has toured with the likes of Front Line Assembly and Motionless in White.
Now, Love Ghost and Skold have joined forces on a sludgy, tragic new single, Nightshade and Cocaine, a follow-up to their debut, Payback. This track crawls along with a dirge-like pace, driven by industrial rock rhythms and layered with the anguish of grunge and dark gothic elements. Heavy guitars and haunting pianos swirl in a heady mix inspired by altered states and witchcraft. It’s a taste of the dark journey awaiting listeners on their debut album, Love Ghost x SKOLD, dropping November 22 via Metropolis Records.
The lyrics explore a cycle of self-destruction and inner torment, driven by a desperate need to feel something, anything, even if it’s pain. The speaker grapples with demons, using substances and reckless behavior to numb their anguish. They confront their darkest urges, torn between wanting to destroy themselves and finding some twisted form of redemption in their suffering.
“We are very excited to share…Nightshade and Cocaine,” says Skold. “It’s not easy picking singles from this album but this one is a favorite of mine because the dynamics, it’s like a musical roller coaster, the highs and lows take you for a ride. This is also something that is reflected in the lyrics with almost lightheartedly dealing with some very heavy subjects.”
“This is a sonic journey that touches on many topics such as personal introspection, losing and finding your soul, witchcraft, death, the afterlife, and even politics and war,” adds Bell. “Nightshade (also known as Belladona) is a flower that is intrinsically linked to witchcraft, particularly for flying, astral projection and as a symbol for death. This song is about altered states of mind and one’s psychology unraveling at the seams. This song is dynamic, unconventional and imaginative and is one of my favorites on the entire album.”
The video, directed by King Zabb, paints a picture of the band members caught in a psychic crossfire—under attack or under protection? That’s the real question. Erin Skold plays a mysterious fortune teller, credited as “The Self.” Maybe she’s a guardian angel, or maybe just the voice inside your head when you’re teetering on the brink, riding that razor’s edge of an altered state and heading straight for the rocks. She could be a warning or a whisper, the guide you need when you’re too far gone to see straight, trapped in a haze of your own making, fighting shadows that might just be your own.
Watch the video for “Nightshade and Cocaine” below:
“I still remember meeting Finn the first time because of his almost electric energy but it was my wife Erin’s idea that he and I should make music together,” says Skold on their collaboration. “I have worked with many different artists by now but this one is still a unique and refreshing experience…we came together with a special chemistry and I really feel that it is well represented in the music. Nightshade and Cocaine shows off an almost schizophrenic diversity that is a thread for the entire album.”
Nightshade and Cocaine is available everywhere digitally You can listen to the song at the link below and order here.
Watch Love Ghost X SKOLD’s previous video, “Payback” below:
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