Ghost of Spring feature 

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A lot of great things happen in life because you end up being in the right place at the right time. Such is the case for Utah's Americana trio Ghost of Spring. After a couple of moves and introductions, the band was formed and have created some special projects so far—and is hoping to keep the good times rolling with new material going forward.

The members of Ghost of Spring are from all over, but Utah is where they all came together and bonded over their creative partnership. Drummer Justin Everette moved from Alabama to Utah for a new job, and while that sounds completely ordinary, guitarist Chris Wright moved in the exact same weekend—right next door to Everette. What's the definition of "meet-cute" again?

Wright had been friends for years with vocalist/guitarist Tim Owen, and bridged the gap to Everette. At this time, Wright and Owen owned a farm that had a space to record music, and that's where they recorded their 2022 EP Little Joys. Ghost of Spring had been a band for a few years prior, but Everette coming in on drums made the group more complete in a way that it wasn't before. "[Justin] brought a whole new dimension to us," Owen said. "We just loved his ideas and the energy he brought," Wright added.

And so the rest was history, as they say. That was a lot of lore crammed into a few paragraphs, but moving more into the present, Ghost of Spring released their latest album Take It Away at the end of November 2023. Affectionately nicknamed "the cabin LP" by the group, it was recorded in a cabin away from everything in Heber. The project was an isolated experience in more ways than one. Being away in a cabin far from the outside world was part of it, but part of Take It Away was also that it was created in peak COVID times.

"That was a piece of sanity for me to go together, to go up to the cabin, spend time together and hang out and record music in a way to have some fun and get out of my own house for a while," Everette said. "Down a gravel road, pretty remote, '70s cabin, lo-fi, keeping wood on the fire, but also working on songs was a beautiful way to get together but hang out in a small group," Wright added.

Take It Away represents a beautiful Americana journey from a trio of friends who are from all over America. It's an album that exudes a special feeling, especially after knowing the process of recording in a cabin in the woods, away from the struggles of everyday life.

Americana is an amusing genre because it typically involves a lot of storytelling, and Ghost of Spring hopes listeners enjoy the story they created on the album, but also hope listeners take away their own interpretation of the songs. "I would want people to connect with the mixture of profound sadness and hope that I think runs throughout. I think when you talk about Americana, that's one of the things that I've always connected to, is the acceptance of that sadness that we share," Owen explained. "It's almost an Americana sadness, because it's a sadness born of isolation and trying to do things that nobody else has done before, that breeds this kind of melancholy and sadness that I think is beautiful in its own way."

Wright slightly disagrees, suggesting that the less you know about the artist's intention, the better it is for the listener. "I think it gets in the way of the listener's ability to connect with the album," he said. "I think sometimes, how much time do people spend trying to figure out who Carly Simon thought was so vain?"

Whether you decide to take deeper meaning from the album, or just sit and listen to enjoy, Take It Away is an incredible listening experience. While it is best consumed from beginning to end, there are standouts you can grab for a playlist if you don't have the time. The title track is a stand-out, which is probably why they released it as one of the singles before release.

Another is "Light in Your Eyes," a beautiful and captivating song perfect for dedicating to that special someone. It showcases Owen's inspiring and earnest vocals with an organ in the background to give it that extra bit of emotional oomph. Send this to your significant other and tell them you dedicate this song to them, and they'll surely be teary-eyed.

As listeners ruminate on Take It Away, Ghost of Spring is already planning their next project, and hope it's something as enjoyable as the "cabin LP." Perhaps it will be recorded at the cabin again, or another special place will reveal itself. Either way, Ghost of Spring has more coming, and they hope you'll join them on the ride.

Instagram: @ghostofspring