Redefining his musical identity by using different monikers to explore various styles, Tyler Costolo is the man behind Two Meters and Ghost Fan Club. Inspired by personal experiences and a desire to connect with others. his upcoming self-titled EP, Ghost Fan Club, tackles themes of depression, grief, instability, and lost time.
In this interview, Tyler shares his unique songwriting process, his love for home recording, and the impact of drummer Tom Morris on his new tracks. He also discusses the significance of his singles “Shoulders” and “Now and Then” (out in June), his appreciation for Knifepunch Records, and his future aspirations, including a potential vinyl release and collaborations with talented friends.
ATN: You’ve transitioned from releasing music under your own name to adopting different monikers like Two Meters and now Ghost Fan Club. What prompted this evolution, and how has each persona influenced your musical style and expression?
TYLER: Honestly at first I stopped releasing music under my own name because I thought having a band name would be cooler haha. The Two Metes / Ghost Fan Club split really happened when I decided I wanted to make both abrasive and more understated music. I’d say at their core both projects are similar, just one happens to have more distortion and screaming.
ATN: Your upcoming EP, Ghost Fan Club, explores themes of depression, grief, instability, and lost time. What inspired you to dive into these topics, and how does your personal journey influence your songwriting process?
TYLER: It’s really all I know how to write about! I feel like being open and expressing these themes can maybe help myself and others feel less alone.
ATN: How do you typically approach songwriting, especially when tackling emotionally heavy subjects like those addressed in your music? Is the process the same for Two Meters as well?
TYLER: I’ll say first that, yeah, it’s basically the same for both! I usually come up with music and lyrics separately. I’ll come up with various guitar ideas and try to blend them together into one song while simultaneously having a running list of little lyric ideas in my notes app. With the lyrics, once I have a group with a theme going, I’ll then actually sit down and come up with what goes between the ideas. Then I’ll see what works with the guitar ideas I’ve had and then see if anything needs to be reworked! All kind of a self induced puzzle.
ATN: What was your creative process for the EP, from initial concept to final recording?
TYLER: This one was lengthy, I started coming up with the guitar ideas back in 2021. I had bounced around a bit and wasn’t able to record for a while, so I filled in the guitar gaps and lyrical ideas in the meantime. I don’t think I really had an encompassing concept in mind, just songs that I felt worked together. Now looking at it, the EP is kinda like bouncing around stages of grief over my own life, but with no real acceptance at the end.
ATN: Ghost Fan Club has been described as ‘slowcore and bedroom pop with a new edge and greater urgency’. Who are some of your musical influences, and how do they inform your sound?
TYLER: I think the thing that got me the most into wanting to make my own music was the bedroom pop scene in the mid 2010’s. That, along with discovering The Microphones, made me realize that access to equipment didn’t really matter and, if anything, music can be better when you’re working with lesser technology. To me part of the enjoyment I get out of music is home recording, just messing around, doing dozens of takes. The idea of being in a “real” studio does not appeal to me at all. I’ve been getting more and more into tape recording and that’s a sound I really enjoy.
ATN: How did the addition of drummer Tom Morris affect the dynamic and sound of Ghost Fan Club?
TYLER: I am not particularly gifted at producing or programming drums, so I’ve always felt that part of my songs has been lacking. I think Tom is a great musician (Swim Camp rules) and was so thrilled when he said he’d be available for these tracks. Having an actual performance on the drums gives the songs so much more life than I was ever able to convey when creating tracks in my DAW.
ATN: You’re releasing the singles “Shoulders” and “Now and Then” ahead of the EP. What made you choose these particular tracks as singles, and how do they represent the overarching themes of the album?
TYLER: They were my favorites! I had also shared the EP with a few people ahead of scheduling the release and those were almost everyone’s favorite two tracks, so it made sense to me. I think they serve as a bit of a bookend to my life – “Shoulders” being about how I was struggling basically immediately (I did genuinely almost die while being born) and “Now and Then” being about trying to find happiness in everyday life while still feeling rather hopeless.
ATN: Your EP is being released via Knifepunch Records, how has your experience been working with this label, and how important is it for you to be part of a community that embraces diversity and inclusivity?
TYLER: The folks at KPR have been so so supportive and kind to me, I really value everything they’ve done for me and the DIY scene in general. Dani is actually the one who came up with the name Ghost Fan Club, so I owe a lot to her either way haha. There are a lot of jerks in the world, so I think it’s important to align with people who speak up and support vulnerable communities and KPR has always been about that too.
ATN: You have said about “Shoulders”, ‘This is a song trying to make peace with my own inner sadness. I’m prone to depression and sleepless nights.’ How do you navigate the balance between sharing your vulnerabilities through music while also maintaining a sense of privacy and self-care?
TYLER: To be totally blunt, I don’t think enough people have listened to my music to worry too much about privacy haha. But really, I think there is a lot of value in openly talking (or singing) about these sorts of things. My idea of self care is taking a night to clean my aquariums. I have 5 at the moment, and that forces me at times to get out of bed and do *something* because I won’t let any of them suffer due to me wallowing in bed.
ATN: What are your aspirations for Ghost Fan Club moving forward?
TYLER: Keep making music! I have some ideas already, I’m hoping for a much quicker turnaround this time. It’s also silly, but I am a very avid collector of vinyl. It’s basically my long-term goal to find enough success to warrant a pressing of my music. Maybe one day!
SAME 3 QUESTIONS WE ALWAYS ASK
ATN: Artist / band that you feel is the most underrated and why?
TYLER: I don’t see anyone in my sphere talking about The Antlers anymore. Their early run from 2006 to 2009 is so so wildly good. The trajectory from the early home recordings to the full band for Hospice is very inspiring and I feel like that is a perfect album.
ATN: Artist / band that you would like to collaborate with and why?
TYLER: I’ve had probably a dozen very talented friends offer to work together over the years and I’ve been too intimidated to actually follow through. Laptop Funeral comes to mind for sure, a bunch of others. I have a very hard time getting over my own self doubt and find the idea of someone I respect seeing my own incompetence horrifying haha.
ATN: Artist / band that you would like to tour with and why?
TYLER: I don’t ever plan to tour, but purely hypothetically, I’d love to tour with Duster just to see them live a bunch of times. I’m in a really prolonged Duster / all their other projects phase.
