This is not the first time I've seen Ghost Care perform. The very first time I've seen them was about a year ago, at a venue that I will not name. It was the perfect storm of external factors that will hamper the performances of many up-and-coming bands: A very tough crowd who were not there for the music, a venue that was simply not fully equipped to handle live music yet, and a line up of wildly different bands that did not make sense together. And yet, under these circumstances, a budding Ghost Care soldiered on, and made the best out of a chaotic situation.

Fast-forward to their single launch on Friday, October 18th, and the stars have aligned for the band to shine: A more cohesive line-up curated by Ghost Care drummer Luke Del Fante himself, an enthusiastic audience who are there just to see them, and, of course, one of the best live music venues in Perth: The Bird.

No Nomad opened first. Neo-soul funk seems to be a continuing trend in the Perth scene, and these guys; being so young, seem to have nailed this genre. Clancy Davidson’s tight, yet floaty ethereal vocals give the songs a unique direction, ranging from large crescendos, to ballad-like ‘quiet-times’ which reward us with a dynamic range that keeps us on our toes. No Nomad’s sound bears a striking resemblance to that of another Perth band, Demon Days, but that’s not to say that these acts are the same. While both bands embrace the Neo-soul funk genre, Demon Days focuses on the “funk” of it all, while No Nomad focus more on the soul, taking elements from more contemporary inspirations like Puma Blue and Alfa Mist, but draw from the champions of classical jazz such as Bill Evans and Jim Hall. It will be fascinating to see how this group continue to evolve and develop their stage presence over time, and see how they carve out their own name by focusing on their unique direction and style.

Grace Armstrong and her four-piece group definitely felt at home in The Bird, delivering a confident and rich set, complete with Christian Zappia’s lead guitar riffs, which ranged from an ethereal soundscape, to bang-your-head solos that complemented this rock quartet quite nicely. There is a certain kind of intimacy in Grace’s songs, where you get the sense that her personal stories creatively baked into the lyrics, buoyed by wonderful melodies that really help you connect and identify with the themes of her music. Consistently brilliant vocal skills from both Grace & Christian, paired with the technically impressive skills of Josh Wright & Regan Dale on bass and sticks respectively, gave us a step up in energy from No Nomad, and helped get us appropriately primed for the main act of the night.

Grace Armstrong. // Photography by Howie Ng

Finally, away from the tense environment of the “gig-that-must-not-be-named”, and having played a myriad of shows since then, energy and spirits were high from the three-piece group, who released their single “Home Run” last week. Jokes and puns could be made with the single title, but I think ‘knocking it out of the park’ perfectly describes Ghost Care’s set. When Beau Torrance’s wonderfully distinct singing meets with Tanaya Harper’s gorgeous experienced backing vocals, it’s hard to believe you’re listening to this all live. The closest thing I can think of comparing Ghost Care to is Melbourne’s Flyying Colours, (replace the shoegaze elements with dream-pop) but with more honed-in vocals, finely tuned and intricate riffs, and pedal-induced tones. All three members have a charm to them, and their interactions in-between songs and during dream-like instrumental breakdowns show a relationship between members that really have them in their element. Upon playing “Home Run,” the live version was almost indistinguishable from its online release; just with more energy, as this was a night to be celebrated.

Looking back on the launch, it occurred to me how exciting this all really was. We’re seeing yet another wave of talent roll into the scene and from acts still forming their own identity and path, to ones that have been winning GTM awards (congrats Grace Armstrong and co!), to ones that have pushed in a new fresh breath of air to the indie-rock scene. I look forward to seeing what comes next from these three acts.