Music Premiere: Queer-fronted synth-pop band Ghost Love’s latest single “Iconic”

Queer-fronted Canadian trio Ghost Love specialize in moody, atmospheric synth-pop reminiscent of 80s titans Depeche Mode, and their newest single “Iconic,” which premieres today, is another banger.

Lead vocalist David Rancourt describes the song as a “meditation and reflection on how we remember people after they are gone.”

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The singer dropped the video and the story behind the song to coincide with the release of her new album.

The second single off Ghost Love’s forthcoming debut album Mourners Disco, due out next month, Rancourt says the lyrics for “Iconic” were inspired by dreams he had about his mother after her death.

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“We seemed to communicate without using words. She felt very close and far at the same time and it was an emotion I had never felt before,” he explains of the song, co-written with bassist Antoine Rochette. “It was a very cathartic and emotional release for me to write this song, probably the most intense of any song I have ever written.”

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The song also deals with “the myths we construct for ourselves after someone passes.”

“I think we tend to create these myths and storytelling about people as a part of the healing process and I think they are an important way to deal with grief,” Rancourt says.

Below, Rancourt and Rochette, share some of their other influences exclusively with LGBTQ Nation, and explain how they’ve impacted Ghost Love’s musical and atmospheric DNA.

Rancourt: “I have always loved Jimmy Somerville from Bronski Beat both as a vocalist and songwriter. He influenced me greatly as a vocalist and allowed me to feel in touch with my flamboyant and maximalist artistic side in a way I have never been able to really express. As a gay/queer vocalist myself, learning about his storytelling about gay experiences before these themes were in the mainstream really spoke to me and inspired me to start the whole Ghost Love project. In terms of our new single ‘Iconic,’ his vulnerability as a songwriter really inspired me to open up about the passing of my own mother. His influence and example helped me to be vulnerable in a way that I think venerates the female icons in our lives and how it helped me pay tribute to my mother’s life.

“In terms of other influences, Depeche Mode has always been a constant influence in terms of artistic vision and how they have always been able to examine the darkest corner of our psyche but flip it in a way that is celebratory. Their approach has definitely influenced Ghost Love as a project.

“Andrei Tarkovsky’s films have also been a catalyst for Ghost Love songs. His surreal and meditative approach to themes of suffering, memory, and despair have been huge influences on me, and I have often started writing a song after watching his films.”

Rochette: “I was listening to a lot of Perfume Genius and Christine and the Queens through the production of the album. They’re great songwriters with very personal styles and unique sound worlds.

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“The documentary Sisters with Transistors was super inspiring to watch, it made me want to dig deeper into modular synths and rethink my approach in creating synth textures.”

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