From late-night studio sessions to rebellious anthems, Your Future Ghost channel chaos, connection, and catharsis on their explosive debut album, ‘Impatient for the Dream.’

‘Impatient for the Dream’ – Your Future Ghost

Hard-edged yet highly emotive duo Your Future Ghost are unleashed on their powerful debut album, Impatient for the Dream.

Independently released this summer, the bold offering is an assortment of exuberant, untamed, and moody pop tracks that draw listeners in right from the start. The songs portray a dynamic fusion of soaring guitars, booming drums, and vivid synth layers.

“This album is that friend who’s kind of a liability, has some bad tattoos and questionable ideas, but always makes every hang unforgettable,” Your Future Ghost’s Kate Voegele tells Atwood Magazine.

Impatient for the Dream - Your Future Ghost — Impatient for the Dream – Your Future Ghost

Actively releasing music for just two years, the synth pop/rock pair consists of Billboard-charting singer/songwriter, musician, and actress Voegele and songwriter, producer, composer, and actor Michael Grubbs. The duo first crossed paths while acting on the hit CW series One Tree Hill, where they quickly developed a close friendship and shared creative admiration – leading them to collaborate musically via Zoom throughout the pandemic. Following months of studio work in Austin, Texas, mixed with spirited backyard taco gatherings, Your Future Ghost was born.

Pulling inspiration from community, their experiences under the spotlight, and the boldness of living genuinely and without apology, Your Future Ghost capture a striking duality. They create fearlessly with no limits and no restraints, making their fiery music live outside the mold. Atwood Magazine recently spoke with Voegele about her musical influences, Your Future Ghost’s debut album, and so much more!

— —

:: stream/purchase Impatient for the Dream here ::

:: connect with Your Future Ghost here ::

— —

A CONVERSATION WITH YOUR FUTURE GHOST

Atwood Magazine: Your Future Ghost brings together two dynamic artists, both of you holding impressive creative resumes. How did this collaboration come about, and what inspired the sound and vision of the project?

Kate Voegele: Mike and I have been friends for years, but never really tried collaborating creatively until recently. The band came about really organically after we started writing together over Zoom during lockdown a few years back, and quickly realized that we complement each others’ creative strengths really well. After a few sessions, we both kind of realized that this was about more than just writing songs together to pass the time- the music really started taking on a distinct sound and vibe all on its own and we both kind of had this moment a few months in where we were like, “we’re starting a band, right??” From there, it’s just been a really seamless creative flow and incredibly fun to build out together.

You describe your latest album Impatient for the Dream as “finding the fun, the party, and the refuge in the chaos of a post-apocalyptic world.” Can you elaborate further on that concept?

Kate Voegele: I think when we started really gaining a clear vision of what we wanted our debut album to be about, we were in this space where we both wanted to make something that was, more than anything, undeniably fun. Some of our most successful music in our respective solo careers has been music that’s on the emotional side, which we wanted to make sure we explored with this project, but in a totally different way. The emotion behind this album is there, but it’s less about processing melancholy and longing and more about channeling rage and passion and letting yourself be more than a little unhinged. It’s a wild time in the world, and we wanted to make a record that felt like you could blast it in your car, or in your bedroom, or at your next party and it would feel all at once unapologetically fun and like screaming into the void, if that’s what you need (which let’s face it, don’t we all kind of need that right now?)

Lead single “We've Got Places” centers on seeking a sanctuary away from the madness and noise of the world. With everything going on today, this piece is especially prevalent. How have you learned to create a safe haven within turbulence?

Kate Voegele: It’s always a challenge, but I think for us the two biggest things that have helped us create a safe haven amidst the chaos are creating art and cultivating our community. I’ve always channeled everything I’m feeling through music, and being able to do that together through our songwriting and recording has felt really cathartic. Our friends, families and communities are such a sanctuary for us too, and we absolutely view our fans as a huge part of that as well. Being able to come together and make art, laugh, and celebrate being weird with likeminded people is probably the most powerful way we try to fight the madness and noise.

The addictive, upbeat track “I’m Like Money” is all about people wanting a piece of you. How was the unapologetic release conceived?

Kate Voegele: This song stemmed from a random conversation we were having that quickly turned into the first verse lyrics, and it was one of those songs that just kind of fell out really quickly. We’ve both experienced a lot of what happens when people think they know you or know what’s best for you, and that shared story kind of became a catalyst for this track. The song is really about realizing you don’t owe anyone anything, especially the people who want a piece of you for their own selfish reasons, and being comfortable enough with yourself to draw the line and protect your peace. I think we’ve both spent a lot of time feeling like we needed to people please, and this song was basically our way of saying fuck that going forward.

“PRITTY” fuses new wave, punk, and electro-pop while delving into the thrill of infatuation and tolerating someone’s mess. How do you balance the energetic vibes with telling such an intimate story about passion and compromise?

Kate Voegele: I think that balance is one of the things that feels really central to this band’s ethos – we always want to make music that’s fun and high energy, but there’s always underlying themes that have a lot of depth if you dig into the songs. “PRITTY” was such a fun track to write and produce sonically, and concept-wise we loved the idea of the song being from the perspective of the person who is the unhinged one. It’s something everyone has probably experienced at some point, where you know you’re out of line or being absurd and should probably stop, but it’s not always that simple to just rein it in. Sometimes you’re self-aware enough to know that you’re unhinged, but you’re not quite ready to drop the bullshit yet, and sometimes there’s this cheeky sense that you know you’re cute enough to probably get away with it a little longer.

You first met while acting on One Tree Hill and later began collaborating musically over Zoom during the pandemic. How did that shared history and unique creative journey shape the music you're making together now?

Kate Voegele: Our experience working on One Tree Hill was so unique, because we were some of the only people on set who were musicians first, and actors second. It was very cool to have someone else on set with that same perspective. We both really enjoyed the creative experience of acting and being a part of the family that is the cast and crew of that show shaped both of us so much. I was only 20 when I started on the show, so in many ways it was like my college experience, and the folks I worked with on the show are like my college friends. There’s something really cool about collaborating creatively with people who were there so early on in your adult life, for all the ups and downs of that experience, and who understand every nuanced, specific reference to that time and place in my life.

Who are some artists or bands that have had the biggest influence on your style?

Kate Voegele: It’s all over the map for me, everything from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs to Arcade Fire to The Kills, but I think more than anything we’re inspired by any band or music that doesn’t hold anything back. That’s always felt like the goal for me with this band and our songs.

What is an important message you hope fans can take away from your music?

Kate Voegele: I think more than anything I’d love for this music to encourage people to be who they are and never apologize for it.

I understand you have performed at Art Basel festival in Miami. What did you enjoy most about the experience?

Kate Voegele: Art Basel was the first time we ever performed songs from this band live, and the reception was so incredibly encouraging that it really kick started us into formally making this record. Art Basel in and of itself is such an amazing amalgamation of creativity and weirdness and celebration of artistic honesty, and as an art school kid who left to make music I was always obsessed with the idea of going. Being able to be a part of the festival as a musician, and to be able to experience all the installations and events as part of that story was really special and felt like the perfect catalyst for this project starting to come to life.

What’s next for Your Future Ghost?

Kate Voegele: We’re already working on new music, so you can absolutely count on hearing new singles soon, and we’re really excited to work on the live show as well. This music is so different from my solo project, and we’ve already started to conceptualize how to communicate these songs differently in a live format so fans can really experience the music the way we’ve always wanted to convey it. We’re hoping to have some YFG shows on the calendar as soon as we can so we can really bring fans into the songs in real time.

— —