Ginkgo Balboa Interview — Melodía Magazine

Did your upbringing here in CT influence you to pursue music? If not, what sparked your passion for music?

“Yes, growing up in CT did influence me to pursue music! Partially because of its proximity to New York City, there’s a rich and diverse music scene in Connecticut. I’m talking musical theatre (Broadway, of course), jazz, and aspiring rock bands making the pilgrimage to New Haven, or Manhattan’s Lower East Side, for legendary venue gigs. And because my family was locally known for music, pursuing anything musically seemed like a welcomed experiment. I’m from Shelton, and the community, during my time, never balked at the arts. Our summer stage productions were just as beloved as the high school football team.”

As a CT native, we have to ask this: Sally’s, Modern, or Pepe’s Pizza?

“Knee-jerk reaction? Sally’s. If we’re talking about the pizza itself, that’s the ah-beetz I dream about. Modern is creative with their pies, and I love that they offer an array of food items, but as a Yankees fan, I don’t feel truly welcome there. (Laughs). Pepe’s has the atmosphere and service I admire, plus their expansions across state lines have been cool. I was happy when they opened a pizzeria in Yonkers. But at the end of the day? Sally’s. No question.”

Your first ep was released in 2020, a time when so many felt lost and withheld from achieving the things they wanted to do. How did this period influence you and this latest record?

“It was such a weird time. Obviously not just for us, but for everybody. I don’t want to diminish the gravity of the pandemic by complaining about something as arguably frivolous as music. We’re talking about the loss of human lives here—but then again, music is emotive in scope, and that’s greatly important to most people. Ginkgo Balboa was in post-production in late 2019, and we were so hungry to hit the ground running—and then the rug was pulled out from under us. We secured a manager at the turn of the decade, and when Covid cases began to ramp up, she understandably moved away to be closer to her family. We had this pressed, packaged thing that we had been building tirelessly for months, and suddenly, the idea of getting it to the masses, the way we had wanted to, seemed impossible. And that EP was meant to both celebrate and challenge people-oriented activities, such as dating and parties. But to release songs like that, in Los Angeles, when you’re under a citywide, governmental lockdown? It was one of the most strangely memorable experiences of my lifetime. I was bopping around Abbot Kinney in Venice one day, during the summer of 2020, (with a mask on), and I remember seeing concert posters adorning the front door of a bar that was closed down. Pre-pandemic show dates, of course. That’s how we felt, with our studio recordings. Straight-up ghosts. Balloon Duty explores the same energies, almost like a B-side of Ginkgo Balboa. I want to say it’s a darker, transcendent departure from where we were in 2020, but we’re still making up for being stuck indoors for two-plus years, so it’s almost as if it’s 2020 redux…lite…right now! Again, a very weird time. From March 2020 to now.”

How was Ginkgo Balboa formed?

“Both Ben and myself are transplants to LA, and when we met, in 2018, we bonded over how serious we treat music—as listeners, creators, and performers. That alignment led to the conversation of collaborating together on a grand scale, but it took us a year of hanging out as friends to embark on that adventure together. It’s easy to whip up a project with your buddies, all slipshod and loosey-goosey. But constructing a music business that is still very much rooted in the many joys that music has to offer—that’s what we set out to do.”

A major theme of this album is highlighting the difficulties in pursuing the life of your dreams as an artist in LA all while staying true to yourself. How easy do you think it is for those who move to cities like LA to fall into a lifestyle that is inauthentic to who they are? How do you stay true to your visions of the band’s music and to yourself personally in spite of these distractions?

“It’s easy for people who are running from themselves to spin their wheels purposelessly in the jowls of a big city far from where they grew up. It’s understandable to run from yourself, but if you’re not doing so for your own well-being, you’re bound to make some missteps along the way. I think inauthenticity is as a result of either not knowing, or not accepting, who you are. You need to actively seek perspective to grow, or if you don’t want to grow, at least own that. I’m not the same person I was 10 years ago. Some habits and lifestyle choices have remained the same, because I’ve wanted them to, but there’s an aim to be content that for years I’ve hoped to achieve, and I’m a little closer to it now. If that doesn’t continue as I get older, then I have some reevaluating to do. I’d like to think of that as a form of self-awareness. Balloon Duty aims to question the meaning of what we think is important, as in, whatever is personally, seemingly most important to you. For example, making music with dreams of wealth from it, or worse, dreaming of fame and admiration as a rock star. Does it really matter? How does somebody stay grounded in the face of such superficial desires? We’re asking these questions, but rhetorically. We’re passengers in our own lives, sometimes, just like everybody else. The difference is, we want to relish those questions, with a cerebral lightness of sorts.

As for staying true to the band’s visions, I’m personally fortunate, as my distractions only go so far. For example, I’ve looked into moving to Las Vegas, Nevada, for years, and if I do that someday, I know that the temptations of the Strip won’t be obstacles for my goals of the day to day. Why? Because I understand, better than ever now, how my brain works. I have my problems, for sure, but I have specific minimal needs for both my work and play time. There’s no singular distraction that would disrupt what I hope to achieve with Ginkgo Balboa. What is possible, though, is a loss of enthusiasm as a result of a lack of control. If I feel as if what we’re doing is a runaway train, and unpredictable in the worst ways, that’s when I will plant a flag again, and make my intentions abundantly clear. It’s not usually easy. Egos are messy, but that’s not always my concern. It’s also organization and accountability. I’m used to being the only architect of my visions. Relying on other people is very difficult, and collective visions could suffer as a result. But obviously, what we’re doing works. For the most part, anyway.”

What is your favorite song off of the EP and why?

“SIMF” is my favorite, by far. It’s a layover song, in a way, as we had first written it back in 2019. It has changed a lot since then, and I love how it turned out, but the history of it is also near and dear to us. We recorded a demo version in Van Nuys, at Ben’s former apartment, and it was one of the first songs we had ever worked on, so there’s some nostalgia there. I think it fits a lot better on Balloon Duty though. That’s the only song from the Ginkgo Balboa era that made it to our sophomore EP.”

What inspired the story behind your recently released single “Palm Trees”?

“I’ve had a few weekend getaways in places that could be described as, well, less than savory, but still memorable, for the same reasons they weren’t so great. I wanted to illustrate the feeling for people less devil-may-care than myself! There’s always a romantic angle to things, waiting to be noticed and appreciated.”

What’s your process when it comes to creating music for the band? Did you take a different approach for this EP?

“Ben usually composes the music, and I then request changes or sign off. After that, I write the lyrics and vocal melodies, and then Ben requests changes or signs off. We don’t always stay in our lanes, but that’s usually how we design a blueprint of a would-be song. I’d like to start utilizing an engineer, going forward. Someone whose ego, or personal preference, isn’t too much in the way to approach each track of the song subjectively. I think we need someone else to step in, after we put the pieces of a song into place, because our production suffers when we spar over our respective ideas of how a song ought to be.”

Many of your tracks embody the LA synthpop summer sound. What is it about this sound that you are most drawn towards?

“Even though Ben and myself are from different parts of the country, we both grew up with four distinct seasons throughout our childhoods. That synthpop genre you mentioned simply fits with the idea of year-round sunshine, and of course, LA is notorious for that. It’s like being on vacation every day—even when the weather is not so great. I’m also personally drawn to the genre being usually positive, but not cheesy. There’s a lot of celebration in synthpop, but it’s sleek. I was a rapper in high school, and in 2010, I released an LP called All Else Fails. There’s a song on there about the pitfalls of dating, called “Ode to Broads,” and there’s a melodramatic outro to it, where I’m supposed to be breaking up with a girl, telling her off because she called me too emotional. I’ve never once been called too emotional in real life! But hip-hop and rap, from what I gathered at the time, is more profound when presented that way. I wanted to be polarizing. Synthpop is more relaxed, and that’s a better fit for me. I’ve accepted that about myself. (Laughs). This isn’t to say I’m not a serious person. But I like a cozy, rosy lilt to my life, the people I share it with, and the messages I put out there creatively, for the general public.”

You guys are set to release your EP Balloon Duty at the end of the month. Are there any plans for you to head out on the road soon?

“Let’s just say we have a meeting with the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) a few days before Balloon Duty drops. A college tour is something our team is aiming for. We hope to be playing at a university near you, within the year!”

What would you like fans to take away from this EP?

“We have a fun indie song for every occasion. Or in other words, a fun indie song for all of your playlists! Having an errand day and need something with a bop to count laundry quarters to? Balloon Duty has a song for that. Throw on “Palm Trees.” Driving down to the Hamptons Friday night with your bestie and need an anthem to set off the weekend? Balloon Duty gots a song for that, too! Put on “SIMF” and turn it up. Even those private moments, when you miss somebody so much that you want to cry, and nobody around you seems to understand. We’ve got you covered there, too. Try “You Decide,” which features our live band guitarist, Kristopher Keesling. That’s what we want our fans (and new prospective fans) to take away from this EP. We’ve been there to accent your memories when you were stuck inside, three years ago. And now, it’s time to throw away your N95 and take some chances on life—but just know that we’re coming with you.”

Thanks so much for talking with us! We hope to catch you guys at an east coast show in the future!

“Thank you! Yes! Fingers crossed for Toad’s Place! Space Ballroom! Or my personal favorite, The Bowery Electric.”

Embark on Ginkgo Balboa’s Balloon Duty era this Friday, July 28th on all streaming platforms.

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