Ghost Notes

Showing the magic it takes to make an album

We love our creator community, the artists they collaborate with, and the impressive work they put in every day. And we understand that the elbow grease required to make records is not always appreciated or discussed. So we decided to shine a light into the studios to tell the stories of how creatives really collaborate.

Part panel discussion, part album release party, part Ted Talk, Ghost Notes is a new event series we launched that reveals the gritty details behind how your favorite music gets made.

Why Ghost Notes?
We lack visibility on the many people who contribute to the records we love.

Nashville as a creative community is pretty great about promoting finished work. But we can do better when it comes to giving credit to the many collaborators that contribute along the way. A record is never just one person’s vision or time. It’s also not easy to find moments to reflect on the process once the promotional calendar is set by a publicist. Artists, writers, and engineers have some pretty ridiculously-conflicting schedules.

But we really want to tell (and hear!) real stories about making real records.

The solution:

Round up the makers and give them the mic

Ghost Notes was created as a space for music-industry folks from producers and writers to engineers and artists to have conversations with their peers about process, challenges, and perspective. By combining our discussion with an album release or milestone, we can recognize our favorite creators while also diving deeper into all the little pieces and magic required to put out great work. We want to put the blood, sweat, and tears on display. But we all benefit from the effort.

What’s a “ghost note” anyway?

In music, a ghost note (or a “dead” or “false” note) is a musical note with a rhythmic value, but no discernible pitch when played. These are the invisible notes inside the music. The good stuff that makes the song that you never get to see.

Ghost Notes launched with Devon Gilfillian’s Love You Anyway:

We hosted our first event to celebrate Devon Gilfillian’s “Love You Anyway” album release. The night before the album released, we invited writers, producers, artists, and friends of Good Folk to the cozy Soho House Sock Room in Nashville’s Wedgewood-Houston to hear from the creators themselves.

After grabbing an album-themed cocktail, we listened and laughed as WNXP’s Emily Young led Devon and his co-creators in thoughtful conversation and reflection. Our panel included Jeremy Lutito (producer), Henry Brill (songwriter), Ran Jackson (songwriter), Jon Smalt (drummer and manager), and Reid Leslie (engineer).

Devon talked about finding inspiration and trying to define his own genre of music (don’t be afraid to break ground). Jeremy told tales about the cabin studio in the woods the team used to immerse themselves in the creative process (sometimes you need a change of scenery). Reid appreciated how much this group left room for creative emotions and didn't get rushed or hung up on perfection in the moment (scheduling only gets you so far). And Henry confessed how much he admired the community Devon has built and the love between him and his collaborators comes through in the music (let passion lead).