“Ghosty Was Here” is an atmospheric, hypnotic track from Quiet Takes, the project of Sarah Magill. Quick-pulsing synths reflect amidst flickering acoustics as haunting vocals ask “how’s the weather on the other side?” An ensuing guitar effect adds a chilling mystique. “We know what it feels like,” Magill sings during a soaring bridge, guiding seamlessly back into the hypnotic verses. “Ghosty Was Here” touts a nocturnal, laid-back appeal while also touting a striking atmospheric power.
Magill elaborates more on the track below:
“I’m an introvert who needs a lot of alone time to function, but I wasn’t prepared for the mental and emotional fallout of pandemic isolation. Even weekly studio work and the occasional outdoor friend catch-up session weren’t enough to quell the doom-feeling that all my social structures were crumbling. I had minor panic attacks for the first time in my life. Even though I knew I needed to reach out to Real Live Humans on a regular basis, social overtures felt increasingly difficult the longer as the long-haul pandemic loneliness sunk in. I’d get sick to my stomach even asking for connection from people I had solid friendships with. I wrote “Ghosty Was Here” while trying to process that isolation- and lack-of-hugs-driven unease. Post-vaccination, that Ghosty voice is much quieter, but social interactions still feel a bit shaky and uncertain to me. There’s a kind of sweet vulnerability in admitting that—and making space for others feeling the same way.”
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“Ghosty Was Here” and other memorable tracks from this month can also be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of September 2021’ Spotify playlist.
