Shortly after releasing his single “Something Out of Nothing,” GhostDragon teamed up with Exede to release the track “Another Night” via Seven Lions’ Ophelia Records.
“Another Night” is a testament to the ethereal sound Ophelia Records boasts in its Advent series, bridging the experience between a full throttle of both melody and bass. GhostDragon and Exede brew a powerful but heart-tugging track that embraces a bellowing, but sweet drop dipped with passion.
GhostDragon is a 19-year-old producer hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area. Having made waves in music since his first single “Love Ain’t Changin,” the producer continues to turn heads with each song that drops.
Jillian Nguyen: What’s the story behind both your entry into music production and choosing the moniker GhostDragon?
GhostDragon: I started playing the piano at age five and that progressed into me learning more instruments such as the guitar and the drums. I wanted a way to play all the instruments at once so I decided to get into music production. To answer the question on how I came about choosing the moniker GhostDragon, I was born in the year of the dragon so I got the dragon aspect of that from there, and the ghost was randomly thrown in by my guitar teacher.
At 19, I’m sure many of us were still trying to figure out our lives and manage our time. Meanwhile, at 19, you’re a student at Berklee College of Music, a rising EDM producer, and a performing DJ. How do you manage your role as all three?
To be honest, it’s pretty hard juggling all three. Any free time I get, it goes into making music. I also work full time at a restaurant so my time gets a lot more limited. School wise, I take semesters during the year on and off so that I can have time to focus on music and also to focus on school.
Is there anything in particular that inspires your sound?
Zedd and The Chainsmokers are a huge inspiration to me and my sound as well. Would love to work with them in the future!
You recently released the song “Another Night” with Exede, who you previously worked with, on Ophelia Presents: Advent Volume 2. Could you share your process for working on the song and how it came about as a team-up with Exede again?
A lot of my producer friends know this about me but I can produce songs quickly, like super quick when I feel inspired. Honestly, this song came together about 7 months ago, so I’m not too sure on the process for this one. All I know is that Exede and I made about 4 songs during those couple weeks. Two of them are already out, and two more are in the works of being released!
On the topic of team-ups, do you have any dream artists you’d like to collaborate with in the future?
Like I mentioned above, it would be a dream to work with Zedd and The Chainsmokers. Other artists I’d like to collaborate in the future with include ILLENIUM, SLANDER, NOTD, and Mako.
Interestingly, you worked with Tisane TBar on a drink branded after you for the release of “Another Night.” How did you come to partner with Tisane TBar to create the drink, and how did you decide on the drink’s flavors?
Tisane is known for their club atmosphere and my team and I thought it’d be a great idea to team up with them on a collaboration as I myself am a boba lover. I wanted to go with something fruity and refreshing so we decided on having jasmine green tea as the base infused with mango and dragonfruit.
Just recently, you performed as part of the Groove Cruise Cabin Fever livestream, but you’re also no stranger to taking your music in front of a live audience. How have the experiences differed, and has migrating to a livestream format changed the way you perform?
Performing live in front of an audience versus performing on a livestream is night and day. Fortunately for me, I’ve done live streams way before the pandemic so it was no issue for me to convert fully to a virtual audience. Nothing can beat a live crowd though.
Moving forward with your career, what vision do you have for GhostDragon?
I’m hoping my music can resonate with more people and reach a wider audience.
In addition to the original singles you put out, you also share a lot of remixes, and it seems like you’re always working on something new. Can we expect any projects coming from you soon?
Got a couple of collaborations in the works with dreamr., yetep, and a few other artists. I’m also currently wrapping up my second EP which is slated to release sometime next year.
And lastly, do you have any other words you’d like to share with our readers?
Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during these tough times. Better days are ahead!