Articles by "Still Phantoms"
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Having had released two LP’s “Translucent Hymns” (2009), and “Let Now The Dead Come Alive” (2010) and now an EP “Moth In The Mirror”, California locals Still Phantoms guitarist James Greenwood says that this EP differs from their previous releases for several reason, one is due to them getting new members a drummer and a frontwomen and the other is because their sound has been solidified by their genre known as “cinematic rock” having a very dynamic but theatrical approach. Guitarist James Greenwood goes into detail about the band’s EP and what else they have lined up for the remainder of this year leading right into the next.

1. So tell me about the new EP, how does it differ from your previous releases?

James: Our EP is called “Moth In The Mirror”. It’s a 7 track CD that contains material that we wrote in late 2010. The EP differs from previous releases because there are new members in the band now and we have solidified our sound as a band. We call our genre “cinematic rock” because our music is very dynamic and theatrical, like a movie score.

2. Speaking of releases how many releases does Still Phantoms currently have?

James: We currently have three releases. “Translucent Hymns” (2009), “Let Now The Dead Come Alive” (2010) and “Moth In The Mirror” (2011). All of these releases are available for download on major online retailers such as iTunes and Amazon MP3.

3. You mentioned you have some new members so who are the newbies and how are they adjusting to the group?

James: Tiffany Milling is our vocalist and Randy Howard is our drummer. They’ve adjusted to the band very well. We all love to create music together and our chemistry with them is fluid. The original members still in the group are James Greenwood on guitar, Matt Scully on keyboard and Frank Ruiz on bass guitar.

4. Do you think that with these new members that this is it or do you think something will pop up?

James: This is our lineup and we want it to remain the same.


5. How would you describe the overall sound of the new EP?

James: The sound of “Moth In The Mirror” is very theatric, dramatic, dark, edgy, big, powerful and epic. Tiffany’s vocals are reminiscent of Evanescence’s Amy Lee.

6. Did the band have any definitive goals they were shooting for before the recording process began for this EP?

James: Our goals were to put out the record online in 2011, which we have done.

7. Are you using any new instrumentation you've never used in the recording process before?

James: Our instrumentation is the same on this record as it has been on the last two. Vocals, guitar, bass, keyboard and drums are the instrumentation.

8. When did you start writing for this EP? How was the songwriting process different/similar to previous Still Phantoms releases?

James: We began writing for this EP in late 2010. Since getting 2 new members in late 2010, we were all very excited to record our new material. We meshed so well with Tiffany and Randy and the material just flowed so cohesively.

9. Can you go into one or two tracks on the new EP? If so, can you give us the track title and brief description of how the track sounds and how it came about?

James: One track on the EP is called “The Red”. This song is a hip hop beat for the verses then turns into a huge rock beat for the choruses. This song has powerful guitar, screaming strings from the keyboard and rumbling bass lines. The vocals soar over the music. Listen to the lyrics and make an interpretation. We don’t want to tell our fans what to think of a song, we want them to think for themselves and come up with their own definitions.

10. How was the vibe in the studio?

James: We made demos in our home studio in Garden Grove, California before entering the studio to track drums and vocals. After we finished at our home studio, we went in and recorded drums and vocals with Eugene Pererras (Home Grown, New Years Day, Sound Of Animals Fighting). Eugene also mixed the EP.

11. Have you been road testing any of the new material? If so, how have audiences reacted to the new material?

James: We’ve played these songs since we wrote them back in late 2010 and the response has been great so far. We’re proud of these songs and we hope that people will enjoy listening to them.

12. Are you worried about how the new tracks will translate live?

James: Our material has always translated very well live. When we play a live show, our songs sound very big and definitely capture what we’re trying to convey.

13. What about the upcoming holiday season do you all plan on celebrating? How about New Years, do you have any New Year's resolutions?

James: For New Years, we plan to bring in the New Year by being productive. This isn’t really a “resolution”, but we want to keep going forward and make music.

14. What can we expect from Still Phantoms between now and the New Year?

James: We’re promoting our album that was just released, play shows and make some strong connections within the music industry.

15. Is there anything else you'd like to say?

James: We’d like to say thank you to all of the people who are reading this interview and support our band. We make music for you and we love to be connected to you. Please check out our new record “Moth In The Mirror” on iTunes, Amazon MP3 and many more online retailers. Please visit our Facebook at www.listn.to/stillphantoms
10:20 AM
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Californian's Still Phantom's have released 2 LP's and a recent EP “Moth In The Mirror” which guitarist James Greenwood says "It’s a 7 track CD that contains material that we wrote in late 2010. The EP differs from previous releases because there are new members in the band now and we have solidified our sound as a band. We call our genre “cinematic rock” because our music is very dynamic and theatrical, like a movie score." I couldn't agree more, some of the tunes that really stuck out were "Her Vampire", "No Fate", and "Fallen Angels". These tunes alone present the band's uqiue style that Greenwood was talking about it is very dynamic and dramatic to say the least making it very easy going and rather easy listening. Their style brings to mind Evanescence meets I Am Ghost crosses Requiem for the Dead. Still Phantom’s style and band has grown since their first release and it looks like this arrangement is going to be a keeper.
10:06 AM
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Still Phantoms


Orange County based goth dark act Still Phantoms have unleashed not just one but two full-lengths and don't plan on stopping anytime soon! Still Phantoms' previous releases "Translucent Hymns" and "Let Now The Dead Come Alive" were debuted to showcase the "gothic/mythical" style of what Orange County, California has hidden within. Now that the past is behind them- Still Phantoms have gone in several ways to move forward in a whole new direction. Tiffany Milling is their new vocalist and Max Cabler is their new drummer. While the past is dead and gone, Still Phantoms plan to release a brand new EP, “Moth In The Mirror” (Oct. 2010) and will gladly continue to arouse the darkness as much as possible. So be warned and be ready!

Guitarist James Greenwood caught up with me to discuss the band’s newest additions and what the band has planned for the upcoming New Year.

1. Who are you and your band members? Tell your story, for those who may not have heard of you.

James: Tiffany Milling- Vocals, James Greenwood- Guitar, Matt Scully- Keys, Frank Ruiz- Bass, Max Cabler- Drums. Still Phantoms started in May 2009 and we have been writing/recording/playing music relentlessly ever since. We have 2 full length albums available for download on iTunes, Napster, Amazon, etc. We’re currently recording a new EP called “Moth In The Mirror” with engineer/producer Eugene Pererras (Sound Of Animals Fighting, Home Grown) that is due out October 2010.

2. "Translucent Hymns", is your first album and now you've written newer material for the follow-up "Let Now The Dead Come Alive", how do the 2 differ?

James: We recorded “Translucent Hymns” before we had a live drummer or a bassist, so it was mainly electronic sounding. Once we got a bassist and drummer to perform live shows with us, we started working on our follow-up full length album called “Let Now The Dead Come Alive”. That cd was recorded with live bass, drums, guitar, and keys. “LNTDCA” was more of a “rock” sound than “Translucent Hymns”, which was darker, slower with more hip-hop sounding drum beats. “LNTDCA” sounded just like we did playing at a live show, so it was more true to who we were at the time. However, we’ve kept our formula of hip-hop/rock beats, symphonic orchestral string ensembles, spacey/delayed lead guitar sounds, powerful chords and rumbling bass lines.



3. Besides "Let Now The Dead Come Alive", you have another source of brand new material underway with the release of your EP "Moth In The Mirror", with the added additions of new members as well?

James:  “Moth In The Mirror” will be a 7 song EP debuting our new singer and drummer. The record is due out in late October 2010.

4. So can you give a brief summary as to what happened and why you had to swap and get brand new members, Tiffany Milling and Max Cabler?

James: Ashley Martin (our original singer) wasn’t going down the same path we were musically and decided to do a solo project. Aaron Kramer (our original drummer) ended up pursuing another project that was more of his pop/punk style and is currently playing with a new band.

5. How are the new members settling in? Do you think this will be a solid ground and no need for anymore replacements?

James: Tiffany and Max are doing amazing with these new songs. This new record is much more upbeat and faster than our last 2 albums. This member change is a big step for us and these are some of the most talented and down-to-earth musicians that we’ve ever played with. We are honored to have them in the band.

6. What inspired the lyrics for "Let Now The Dead Come Alive" and "Moth In The Mirror"?

James: For “LNTDCA”, Ashley Martin wrote about love, loss, heartbreak, zombies, and darkness. Ashley was lyrically inspired by a video game called “Silent Hill” for the majority of the songs. The lyrics wrote by Tiffany Milling for “Moth In The Mirror” are dark, edgy, and use a lot of metaphors (such as the lyrics in the title track of the album). This record is a lot more “epic” sounding than our last 2 albums.

7. Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs?

James: Tiffany Milling (vocals) writes all of the lyrics. James Greenwood (guitar) and Matt Scully (keys) write, compose, and produce the drum beats, melodies and structure of the songs. Frank Ruiz (bass) and Max Cabler (drums) base their parts off of what has already been written and add their own style to the songs. We have a pretty solidified way of writing and recording our music. We write and record at our home studio for demo versions of the songs. These versions have electronic drums and bass. We present these demo songs to the band to start working on everyone’s parts individually. Once everyone has their parts down, then we record the final version in a professional studio.



8. What genre of music do you consider your work to be? Who are your major influences?

James: Our music is many genres put together. We like to call it “cinematic rock”. We have elements of orchestral string ensembles, hip-hop and rock beats, ambient lead guitar, powerful chords and rumbling bass lines. Our major influences are Eye Alaska, Circa Survive and Thrice.

9. Wright Records is in discussion of releasing your EP “Moth In The Mirror”. How did you get in touch with them have you sealed a deal as of yet?

James: An intern of Wright Records messaged us on Myspace asking us if we wanted to meet up with the owners because they were highly interested in our music. We had a meeting with them shortly after and we liked what they had to offer, so we are considering signing with them to distribute “Moth In The Mirror” online through iTunes, Amazon, Napster and all the major online distributors. They also have a great studio and we plan to have them mix and master our new EP before it’s released.

10. What can be expected from this EP that wasn't on your previous works?

James: This EP is more intense and just bigger sounding than our previous records. We have matured, grown and evolved as a band over the last few years. Our newer songs are more intricate in the drum beats, vocal melodies and overall instrumentation on the album. We’re going for that epic, big, orchestral sound with an arena rock vibe for this record.



11. So 2010 for Still Phantoms is pretty much wrapped up? How about 2011 what will be on the horizon?

James: 2010 has been a great year for us. We’ve had some member changes and a hit a few speed bumps, but it has all been for the better. We have grown and are moving much faster now with our current line-up. Our plans for 2011 are to play tons of shows in support of our new EP, make new friends/fans and just keep persevering with playing music. We didn’t let anything stop us before and we sure as hell aren’t going to now.

12. Do you have anything else you'd like to say?

James: Be sure to download our first 2 albums “Translucent Hymns” and “Let Now The Dead Come Alive” on iTunes, Amazon, Napster and all the major online music distributors! Keep on the lookout for our new EP “Moth In The Mirror”, due out late October 2010. Check out www.myspace.com/stillphantoms for updates, blogs, bulletins, pictures, show dates, etc. Be sure to add us on Facebook as well. Thank you to all our families, friends and fans. We love you! This is only the beginning.
3:21 PM
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Four out of the five members of the gothic dark rock act Still Phantoms of Orange County, California, spoke to me hours before their headlining appearance that same night out at the Whisky A GO-GO in Hollywood. James, Aaron, Frank, and Matt talked to me abruptly about how the band came to be, what lyrical concept was hidden behind their latest album “Translucent Hymns” and soon to be released follow-up with everything else thrown in between. It was a spooktacular setting of absolute darkness.


1. How did the band pick the name Still Phantoms?

James: Basically what happened was that Matt and I had wanted to start a band. With I Am Ghost being that dark type of band we looked up to, we knew that with our singer having that Evanescence style with those systematic beats. That these dark styles of music that our message was simply that, Phantoms aren’t in motion they stand still.

2. Where are you guys from?

James: Orange County, California.

3. How long has the band been together?

James: What happened was we recorded the album just Matt and I and when it was done and we recruited Ashley, Frank and Aaron and the band has been a full band for what about 4 months.

Aaron: It’s been like 4 months our first show as back in August.

James: Since September we’ve played like over 15-20 shows. So our next album should be out next year.

4. What genre would you classify your music as?

James: It’s kind of hard it’s a little bit of everything. Aaron is the rock drummer and Frank comes from a metal background and Matt and I grew up playing and listening to indie bands. The genre would have to be systemic rock. So it has a different vibe.

5. Who are some of your influences?

James: It’s all different but for this band in particular it’d be Eye Alaska, Evanescence, Thrice, Blink 182, and I Am Ghost.

6. The band has a new album out called 'Translucent Hymns' what are your thoughts on the album?

James: It’s doing well it’s on iTunes and websites, we’re just out promoting it and I Am Ghost has been really good to us along with other friends so everything is running smoothly.

Matt: It was just me and you and Ashley sitting in a room for days on end was cool.

James: We recorded the album backwards doing everything backwards since then we just played shows and everything went well after that.

7. What inspired your lyrics for this CD?

James: For the lyrics it was mainly based off this video game, Silent Hill. Kind of dark writing about love and lost stuff like that.

Matt: Taking a scene from Silent Hill and format it into a song. “A Ghost of the Past”, is based off of Silent Hill.

8. Do you have any personal favorites off the album?

James: I would say “A Man That Wasn’t There”, “Gather Around”, and “Sound of the Shadows”.

Aaron: I love “He Walks Amongst Us” that marching snare beat and I love “Gather Around”, very catchy and upbeat and I agree with James on “A Man That Wasn’t There”. I like that one especially that was the first song when I first came into the band. That was really fun to write and perform as well.

Frank: I’d say “Apperception, it’s one of those hard hitting songs.

Matt: I have to agree with Frank on “Apperception”, probably “Gather Around”, and “Her Walks Amongst Us” and “Illusions” is amazing.

9. Do you have any plans for a video?

James: Right now we’re finishing up the new album once that’s done we’re going to work on creating a video.

Aaron: I’m a film major and our manager has worked on movie sets and other music videos so that works out pretty well when the time comes.

10. What venues do you like in LA to play?

James: We’ve played the Trouble, Airliner, Viper Room, Slidebar, Chain Reaction, and this is our first time playing here at the Whisky so it’s cool to be able to finally play here.

11. What about plans for the second album what can we expect from that?

Matt: Right now we finished guitar, keyboard, still tracking bass and planning on going into the studio with Eugene Perez whose worked with producers of Incubus, Coldplay, Sound of Animal Fights Home Grown, probably be doing vocals by next week and finishing the bass and likely see it by January late March. We plan on doing a CD Release Show for it along with just playing, playing, playing.

12. What does the future hold for Still Phantoms?

Band: A lot we’ve planned a tour and have started talking to labels and A & R people, we don’t want to sound cocky but we’re friends with Aaron’s mom’s Boyfriend so he’s become our manager and he’s a self-made millionaire and he believes in us. The future plans for the band is just to keep playing and get on a label.

13. Finally, what would you like to say to all of your fans?

Band: Thank you!

Aaron: For the fans from other states we will be there soon!

James: Texas, New York, Washington, is all the big “music states” so don’t worry you guys out there we’re coming!

Aaron: Keep a look-out for us check out our MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/stillphantoms) and our website (http:www.stillphantoms.net)
3:13 PM
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It was the week before Christmas and not a single person was stirring except perhaps some ghosts? On December 18, 2009 a handful of loyal followers gathered at the world famous Whisky A GO-GO In Hollywood, to oversee the mischief misfits I Am Ghost with their counter partners Still Phantoms.

The night itself was slowly unfolding itself as a line formed outside the doors of that cold but crisp chilly winter night the sea of black flocking into the club taking their positions as they sat in awe of the first arrangement of performances. But after the clock had struck 11 the real fun was about to begin and for a loyal fan base to follow them Long Beach go getters I Am Ghost were ready to please.



Playing tribute to the timeless classic Tim Burton film The Nightmare Before Christmas, I Am Ghost’s introduction was a crowd pleaser for everybody awaiting the band’s arrival to the stage. After the intro had ended the band came abruptly to the stage and did they did for the night, throwing together as always the old meets the new, with hits that included "Bone Garden", "Killer Likes Candy", "Burn The Bodies TO The Ground", "Saddest Story Never Told", "Those We Leave Behind", "We Are Always Searching", "Don't Wake Up", and "Our Friend Lazarus Sleeps".



I Am Ghost interacted with the crowd of on-lookers from throwing their fists in the air to jumping up and down in energetic proportions keeping the momentum constantly flowing long into the last act of the night, Still Phantoms. Whose ghostly image maintained what I Am Ghost was producing but the Still Phantoms managed to rattle up the spooktacular night. “Translucent Hymns” is the band’s first LP to hit the music scene and the band hands down let the music roll with “He Walks Amongst Us”, “Ravens Dive, “The Man That Wasn’t There”, “Chasing Shadows”, and specialty encore “Awaken”.

It was a night filled with spirits, spooks and Christmas nightmares that were surly follow you long into the night.
Written/Photographed By: Natalie Perez
3:06 PM

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