This conversation is pretty special to me.

Remember that I used to co-host the Cultural Popcorn show on Radio 614 from Columbus, Ohio, in the States? When I was researching for an episode showcasing First Nations acts, one of my contacts from Australia suggested that I listen to an EP called Homelands by Chasing Ghosts. So that’s what I did. And I included “Summer”, one of the songs from that record, in the show.

Since then, the band has dropped a new album, Therapy. And in my humble view, they knocked it out of the park with it. So I reached out to singer Jimmy Kyle for an interview. And I can’t stress enough how much I learned from that conversation.

PART 231 OF “AM I EVER GONNA SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN?” A RANDOM COLLECTION OF UNKNOWINGLY OBVIOUS FACTS ABOUT THE AUSTRALIAN MUSIC SCENE

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Chasing Ghosts is an Aboriginal-led indie punk band, fronted by Jimmy Kyle. It’s primarily based in Naarm (Melbourne), although the alternative singer/songwriter has lived in different places in Australia over the years. The current line-up also includes Chris O’Neill (keys, guitars, vocals), Josh Burgan (guitars, vocals), Rohan Welsh (bass) and Benny Clark (drums).

Jimmy grew up in the screamo era in Australia. So naturally, his first band, Sulo, was a nu metal outfit. There were a couple of others, too. And one of them, Bellevue, was pretty successful, Jimmy tells me.

Up until that point, it is just any other muso’s story of honing their craft in their formative years. But there’s a plot twist in this tale, and it has everything to do with losing confidence in one’s artistic abilities. Anybody who’s ever tried to pursue anything remotely creative can surely relate. So the question is: How do you deal with that?

Jimmy’s answer was to form a completely new project and defiantly face those artistic insecurities. And that is partially how Chasing Ghosts was born (but there’s much more to that part of the story, trust me).

So far, the band has released 3 studio albums and an EP. And they’re all surprisingly different from one another. If you’ve already heard the new record and then go back to the first one, “Confessions from a Phone Booth”, you won’t believe it’s the same act.

With the Chasing Ghosts project, Jimmy’s done acoustic and punk troubadour-y things. But on the new, “shiny record”, as he dubs Therapy, he posed the big question, “Where to next?” I dare say the result will knock your socks off. We talk about that gradual sonic progression in the interview as well.

But it’s not just a conversation about music. Jimmy admits that, for him, creating is therapy. He also hopes the experiences he sings about on the new album will encourage other people to seek professional help. I could easily pull a few inspirational quotes from that segment because Jimmy is just an exceptional storyteller, both in his lyrics and in face-to-face conversations. He would also make for a great motivational speaker.

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The part that moves me the most in our conversation, however, is when Jimmy shines a light on some themes related to his Aboriginal heritage. He is a Thungutti descendant from the mid-north coast of New South Wales, who has worked with Indigenous communities as an educator for a long time. It also comes naturally to him in songwriting to tackle those difficult topics. So I couldn’t have asked for a better guide.

You see, I normally talk heaps in interviews. But this time, I was all ears because it is a true privilege to hear the first-hand account of things I still find shocking and inexplicable in Australian history and unjust and intolerable in the 21st-century society. I’m a foreigner who didn’t grow up learning about First Nations culture and heritage or living through some traumatic events I frequently read about today. So I thank and applaud Jimmy for doing a stellar job on that educational front and being so open, patient and honest about it in our conversation.

A few years ago, he also penned a poignant article on a similar topic, “My white privilege comes at a price, It can be lonely to walk in two worlds” for the Indigenous X platform that was also printed in The Australian Guardian. I wholeheartedly encourage you to read it to broaden your perspective.

Heads up, though. Like me, you might be floored by some stats Jimmy throws in here and there in the interview because they contradict the image of a laid-back Oz we frequently have overseas. But that’s the beauty of having real conversations with real people.

There’s a reason I’m releasing this episode now as well.

The first full week of July is always NAIDOC Week in Australia. Its purpose is to celebrate, recognise and learn about the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. So this interview is my way of contributing to those celebrations from afar. Especially since NAIDOC’s theme this year is “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy”. I reckon the Chasing Ghosts story fits here perfectly.

So hit that “play” button right now. And let Jimmy Kyle tell you all about it himself.

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