‘No such thing as a typical ghost’: Carbondale-based band creates mixed genre tunes while embracing live music’s fleeting nature 

Local band Typical Ghost embraces the fleeting nature of live music with performances that are laced with improvisation and inundated with creative energy.

“With the style of music that we play, a lot of it is improv,” guitarist and singer Shane Lieberman said. “It’s creation there together on stage, with the energy. I think that’s always exciting, to make stuff in the moment with each other knowing we can count on each other and having other people feed into that energy with us.”

Even the name Typical Ghost is a reference to music’s momentary disposition. 

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“In a philosophical (sense), music is fleeting … it’s here and then it’s gone,” Lieberman said. “So I think that represents the ghost — the ephemeral feel of what music is. There’s no such thing as a typical ghost, there’s no such thing as a typical experience in music.”

While Typical Ghost strives to intertwine jazz, rock, funk and pop, into totally new, partially improvised tunes, ultimately, the band’s purpose is to have fun. 

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“It has been our underlying mantra to have fun, to not take it too seriously,” John Moffitt, also a singer and guitarist, said. “Obviously we want to play out, and we want to play, and we want to share our music with folks but not to get too wrapped up in the hype of what that actually means, but to just have fun.”

Born out of a basement, the Carbondale-based group was created through local connections — neighbors, coworkers and spouses — in 2023. All five members — Chris Lambe, Sam Chittenden, Soozie Lindbloom, Moffitt and Lieberman — bring diverse musical experiences that are reflected in the band’s mixed-genre tunes. 

“I think the music we’re writing is coming together in a creative way that shows our personalities, which is, again, a super important thing for art in any form,” Lieberman told the Post Independent during a joint interview with Moffitt on Wednesday.

“With our personalities, each of us brings something that’s similar, but yet also unique at the same time,” Moffitt added. “My background of music is different from Shane’s in some ways — similar in some ways, as well — but it’s the same thing with Chris, or … Sam, Soozie, or whoever, we’re bringing our own flavor to the mix, throwing it together and then out pops something.”

In its short lifespan, Typical Ghost has played several notable local events including Strawberry Days and Mountain Fair. For the last few months, the band’s performances have slowed in lieu of recording and mixing its upcoming debut album. The album’s release date is yet to be announced.

“(The album) really exhibits creative songwriting in addition to our musicianship,” Lieberman said. “I think it’s a really good mix of those two things — we have some catchy songs and we have some really good playing on it.”

“You go to a recording studio and record and what can be captured is the notes, the music, but what can’t necessarily be changed or added or augmented is the energy,” Moffitt said. “We feel like our album that’s coming out has that energy, and that’s a representation of who we are as a group and the passion that we each come together (with), I think it’s there. I think you can feel it when you listen to the album.”

One of both Moffitt’s and Lieberman’s favorite songs on the upcoming album is “Notis.” The track is named after Lieberman’s dog, Otis, whose frequent misbehavior as a puppy earned him the title. 

Although Lieberman wrote “Notis” during the COVID-19 pandemic, he feels that the underlying message of the song still resonates today.

“Similar to today, there was a lot of uncertainty in the world. There was a lot of stress there during the COVID years,” he said. “Some of the lyrics reference being alone, the quarantine, that ‘regardless of measures, remember the weather, the sun shines again.’ Even though it was written during that time, they still ring true today.”

On Saturday, Typical Ghost will play a sold-out concert at Steve’s Guitars in Carbondale and include some tunes that are even newer than the unreleased album.

“The fact that we can come with all of our talent, but yet also leave our ego at the door and just approach it equally as a band,” Moffitt said when asked what he enjoys most about playing in Typical Ghost.

“I was going to use the same word, camaraderie — and the friendship,” Lieberman added. “We’re working hard, but we’re always laughing. There’s always laughter coming from the rehearsal space. We’re always goofing around and having fun with each other, so I think that’s part of it, part of the secret and part of what makes us, us.”