Joining the dots with South London songwriter Ghostpoet

A Huck podcast — Joining The Dots is a Huck podcast. In the latest episode, we talk to the two-time Mercury prize nominee about rage, racism, and the power of music.

Ghostpoet, the recording artist otherwise known as Obaro Ejimiwe, is a thoughtful, contemplative musician and wordsmith. Twice nominated for a Mercury Prize, the South Londoner has beaten a unique path; bopping and weaving between assumptions and the natural inclination of the music industry to classify and categorise. At the heart of his output is groove and intrigue – and it’s the kind of music to which you return to again and again.

We spoke with Ghostpoet as his latest album, I Grow Tired But I Dare Not Fall Asleep, was released, on the cusp of Covid-19’s UK peak and immediately after the killing of George Floyd. You can listen to the full interview on our podcast, or check out the highlights below.

On his creative process

“My creative process is a mixture of conscious thought and subconscious things I have soaked up over a period of time. Through allowing the music to dictate the direction of my words… a line will appear. And that will guide the next line, and the next verse, and then the chorus. I try to just let the music dictate to me where the lyrics should go.”

On the limitations of genre

“It’s not a case of me being a rebel, or refusing to be categorised. My natural inclination is to not think about genre. It doesn’t feel natural for me to understand why anyone would want to make music that is dictated by rules and parameters. This is how my head works. So if I decide, right, tomorrow I am Genre A, and maybe a little bit of Genre B, so that means I can only make music and write lyrics, to a certain extent, that only fit with A and B – but what about the rest of the alphabet, do you know what I mean? That is kind of how my brain works. 

On rage and racial inequality 

“I feel tired, angry, frustrated. This is something I have dealt with all my life, so you can get really desensitised to it all, because you’re dealing with it on a regular basis. I think as a human being, unless you have a heart of stone, you are going to be affected by someone being suffocated on camera for that period of time. That is definitely my feeling. But there is also a feeling that enough is enough, and things need to change.

It is sad that in 2020 we are still having to talk about this, but at least we are having a conversation about race and racial inequality and the need for racism to end in every shape and form. It is a nuanced, complicated and awkward, at times, conversation to have depending on your experiences and feelings about these things, but it is good to talk about them. And hopefully, actions will come about that will be a cause for long term change.”

On the power of music

“Making music for the first time was this really magical moment, because it was this idea that I could, out of nothing, create sound. This was a thing that I held in such a high regard. It was a mythical thing to be able to make it myself. The first bits of music I made were shit, they were nonsense. But just the fact that I was able to do it was a real eye-opener for me, and it started the journey for me analysing everything I was hearing in a very different way.”

Listen to Joining the Dots on acast, Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts and be sure to subscribe to get each new episode delivered straight to your feed.

Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.


You might like

A person in a grey jacket stands against a mountainous, foggy landscape. The image has the text "huck presents Analogue Application" overlaid in yellow and green.
Music

Analogue Appreciation: Shura

I Got Too Sad For My Friends — In an ever more digital, online world, we ask our favourite artists about their most cherished pieces of physical culture. Today, it’s English singer-songwriter Shura.

Written by: Shura

Cello player and bearded man seated with text 'Spaces Between the Beats' in the background.
Music

After Assad’s fall, Syria’s musicians rebuild from the rubble

Spaces Between the Beats — Following decades of dictatorship and 14 years of civil war, the country’s classical and creative scenes have an opportunity to build from scratch. Andrei Popviciu speaks to the people hoping for a flourishing new era of art and sound.

Written by: Andrei Popoviciu

A group of people sitting around a campfire in a dark forest, with trees and flowers in the background illuminated by the fire's glow.
© Angelina Nikolayeva
Music

At Belgium’s Horst, electronic music, skate and community collide

More than a festival — With art exhibitions, youth projects and a brand new skatepark, the Vilvoorde-Brussels weekender is demonstrating how music events can have an impact all year round.

Written by: Isaac Muk

A person wearing a black cap and holding a sign that says "What made me"
Music

Tony Njoku: ‘I wanted to see Black artists living my dream’

What Made Me — In this series, we ask artists and rebels about the forces and experiences that shaped who they are. Today, it’s avant-garde electronic and classical music hybridist Tony Njoku.

Written by: Tony Njoku

Elaborate theatrical performance on stage with dancers in red costumes and dramatic lighting.
Music

Block9 reveals its Glastonbury Festival 2025 plans

Party and protest — The nightlife hub will feature a bigger-than-ever Saturday daytime block party across The NYC Downlow and Genosys, and a huge collaboration with artist-activist group Led By Donkeys.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Crowd of people at an outdoor event, with a person in the centre performing on stage amidst greenery and trees.
Music

Turnstile benefit gig raises $35k for Baltimore homelessness charity

Never Enough — The hardcore band also performed two new songs at Wyman Park Dell in their first live concert in nearly two years, which was organised in support of Health Care For The Homeless.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Huck is supported by our readers, subscribers and Club Huck members. It is also made possible by sponsorship from:

Accessibility Settings

Text

Applies the Open Dyslexic font, designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Applies a more readable font throughout the website, improving readability.

Underlines links throughout the website, making them easier to distinguish.

Adjusts the font size for improved readability.

Visuals

Reduces animations and disables autoplaying videos across the website, reducing distractions and improving focus.

Reduces the colour saturation throughout the website to create a more soothing visual experience.

Increases the contrast of elements on the website, making text and interface elements easier to distinguish.