The video for Handshome Ghost’s ‘Like You Lost Your Mind’ illustrates the downfalls of yearning for a life besides your own. The manicured lives of faultless strangers all waiting for you at the touch of a screen. It’s easy to lose your sense of self and distort the beauty of your own identity when you can constantly glance at the perfect life. Only in the quiet moments when life slows down, leaving you alone to look in the mirror can you see yourself for who you are; flaws and all. Theres a struggle to filter out the noise and expectations of others and gather an understanding of if your life is in the right place and if you’re on the right path. In an interview with Tim Noyes and Eddy Byun, the Handsome Ghost boys detailed how they avoid similar trappings of the modern music landscape. 

In a lot of ways, Handsome Ghost is the antithesis of bands trying to manufacture their own success.  ‘Like You Lost Your Mind’ was inspired by getting away and escaping the day-to-day slog of the dark and overwhelming days of the pandemic. These were confusing - and frankly scary - times for us all, making it easy to want to get out when the walls were closing in. Tim Noyes noted that the song, “was inspired by a spur of the moment trip up to my family's cabin in rural Maine. I had a really fun night up there just playing music really loud and enjoying the company I was with - not thinking about the morning or what came next.” Remaining present is a theme of their latest single; a philosophy that Tim Noyes and Eddie Byun carry through the music industry together.  Tim continued to say about ‘Like You Lost Your Mind’ that, “there was a lot of uncertainty about what we were all in for at that point, and I think the song is about living in the now and trying not to worry so much about the after.” 

The one night of being ever-in-the-moment behind Handsome Ghost’s latest release echoes their mantra as a band creating music through the social media boom. Where a seemingly endless amount of bands and singer-songwriters have tried to manipulate numbers and cater towards algorithms, Tim and Eddie of Handsome Ghost have chosen to focus on creating authentically good music. Eddie expressed that in today’s landscape there is always an “urge to look at the way things are today and romanticize the "good ol days." And there are a billion conversations to have about whether it's better or worse to try to make a career in music today versus ten, twenty, thirty, forty years ago. And I do think a lot of those conversations are worthwhile... but I don't think longing for times past is really productive.” Tim added to this sentiment of turning inward by saying, “at the end of the day, we're really just two guys who love to make music and then record it. That's kind of the endgame in itself - the other stuff is just a means to (hopefully) reach people who want to listen.”

There’s an unavoidable intersection between art and commerce; the necessary evil of promoting yourselves and remaining authentic to your vision. Handsome Ghost is not making music in a vacuum. Eddie acknowledged that he’d, “love to devote 100% of my energy to music, and in a lot of ways, thinking about that other stuff will hopefully get us to a place where we're able to do just that.” Ultimately the duo has chosen to embrace who they are, rather than buckle to the ebs and flow of the internet. But still, it’s hard not to see if the grass really isn’t greener, Tim added that, “at the end of the day social media is the best way to share our music...but it's difficult. All in all, we just try and do our best. But when I see bands doing it really well I think ‘man, that's like a whole other skill set beyond music that I just don't possess.’ It really is it's own art form at this point.” 

When the glamor is stripped away, Handsome Ghost is hoping their music speaks for itself. ‘Like You Lost Your Mind’ is a song that Eddie is hoping, “becomes personal...Maybe it becomes part of some memory they think about 5 years from now…Whatever happens with it, I like it when our songs become something for somebody.” Connecting to listeners on an intimate level is something Tim aspired towards as well: “hopefully there's a lyric or two in there that people are able to connect with. That was always my favorite part of listening to music when I was younger - just hooking in on a lyric and thinking "that phrase is speaking to where I'm at in my life and it's making me feel something really powerful."

When asked what the future holds for Handsome Ghost, Tim Noyes replied, “We have our first European tour on the books. We're headed out shortly after the album is released, and that really is a dream come true for me. We're playing a lot of cities I've never been to - so to get to visit and stroll around and check things out - and then play a show? Give me a break, it's incredible.” In 2023, looking around at a place where creating genuine music is layered with the pressures of comparison, measurable success and hunting virality; Handsome Ghost has every intention of sticking to the music - above all else.