Josh Bacha is one busy chap: he plays guitar; he sings; he has a band and a solo project; he has his own record label.
In fact, Bacha seems to have so many irons in the fire, it almost felt like my recent interview with him might not even happen. Lucky for us, it finally panned out.
Marvin Lee: How did you get into playing music?
Josh Bacha: I first started playing guitar about two years ago. I was really into metal music. When I first moved out here to Idaho to go to college from Pennsylvania, I was just kinda in the dorm and I didn’t have a lot to do because I wasn’t really digging school at the moment and I just kinda started playing guitar again. One of my friends, who was our first guitarist, and I started the Charcoal Squids project and it started to pick up and it gave me something to do and it was a creative outlet. I feel I have matured as an artist.
ML: Please tell Inland 360 readers more about the Charcoal Squids.
JB: Well, we have had quite a few members in the few years we’ve been a band. When we first started, we used to do acoustic-based music like indie-folk stuff. Then a point came where we decided to change it to psych rock so we could do something more exciting and something I felt was just more fitting. I met our current drummer, Mason Donaldson, at Starbucks, where I presently work. He’s super cool and has become one of my best friends. He is an amazing drummer. I met our current bassist, Kyle DeHart, through friends. He hadn’t been a bassist prior to playing with us but has really blossomed as an artist.
ML: I listened to a new track of Charcoal Squids called “Lava Lamp.” I dig it a lot! Mind telling us a little bit about it?
JB: We fairly recently released that on Christmas. It’s about this dream that I had about these aliens breaking into my house and they were breaking stuff. They ended up destroying my lava lamp, and I had enough of that. So, yeah, that’s what it’s about.
ML: I see you have a solo project called Father Deer. Would you mind telling us a bit about that?
JB: When I first started it, I had a concept idea about the life cycle of a deer, like from the conception to the birth and then living its life and then dying and entering the spirit world. I first started writing it as an acoustic thing and I just realized I wanted to have more dynamics to the project, so I, like, started running my acoustic through a fuzz pedal and reverb pedal and I also put a ton of reverb on my vocals. I also use a kick-drum, which also gives it more dynamics. I have recently started working on recordings for it and they sound really cool.
ML: You have a record label called Ghost Carrot Records. How is that coming along?
JB: It’s coming along very well. It’s a way I can promote all of my music, like with Father Deer, Charcoal Squids, and if there are local artists who don’t have recording equipment I can offer them my time to help them with recording them.
ML: Mr. Snuffleupagus or Big Bird?
JB: Ummm … Big Bird because I really like the color yellow.
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I had a great time doing this interview with Josh. It is always fun and exciting to meet other people who are a part of the Quad Cities music scene, especially as it is building momentum with each passing day. I hope to eventually see the Charcoal Squids live in the near future. Their song “Lava Lamp” has me hooked and I fully support the making of more psych rock from this fella and his bandmates.
Upcoming gigs
Feb. 12, Hogan’s Pub, Clarkston; $5 cover
Feb. 19, One World Cafe, Moscow; free for all
Lee is a musician and aspiring poet who resides in Lewiston. He can be contacted at marvin.lee@live.com.
