Songwriter/guitarist/vocalist Dusty Gannon served a tour of Afghanistan in the U.S. Army before becoming an EMT with the Atlanta Fire Department, channeling these experiences of the horror of war and trauma into his music. Gannon continues his journey on Haunted Hours, grappling with the darkest demons of the human soul and mind. Through the outlet of creativity though, he has managed to embrace some of the light… the parts that makes us or completes us, as human beings, including music and being together to share in a moment.
Haunted Hours quickly follows the band’s acclaimed 2021 debut, Inked In Red, which led Pitchfork to state, “in [Dusty] Gannon, Vision Video are blessed with a singer whose voice soars instead of sulks. And when he blends his with that of keyboardist Emily Fredock, the group exhibits a radiance that distinguishes them from fellow black-lipstick aficionados.” And Paste to declare, “The new record from Athens, Georgia’s Vision Video feels like a direct descendent of the great works of The Cure or Joy Division.”
What inspired “Haunted Hours”?
“Haunted Hours” was inspired by my friend Heather’s story about the sudden loss of her husband. I met her via Tiktok over our shared love of the song “Pictures of You” by the Cure, and she told me about how her and her late husband Ben always loved the track. She told me a lot about him and I was really inspired to tell their story about love and loss through this song.
Why did you feel it was the best choice for the album title? How does it represent the album as a whole?
I think this ended up being the name of the record because it captures so much of the essence of what this LP is about. Haunted Hours (as a record) is about loss and grief and the sudden striking insanity of losing someone you love. On the other hand it’s also about mortality as a human condition and the beauty of the finite nature of our time in this world. I wanted to capture both devastation and the beauty of those things.
How do you feel Haunted Hours differs from Inked In Red?
Haunted Hours is a prettier album. It feels much more deliberate than Inked in Red. When we wrote Inked in Red, we were trying to figure out who we were as a band. This time it was more concerted. Haunted Hours also features much better musicianship and songwriting. The songs are deeper and more complex both lyrically and sonically.
How do you keep yourself inspired as an artist?
For me, art is the process of externalizing my understanding of emotion and thoughts on life in an attempt to connect with other people via the medium of music. I have been through some pretty traumatic experiences and creating art helps me process those things in a way that lends to communion with the listener. Sort of like how horror movies are controlled chaos and fear, music is a way for me to dip my feet back into the dark waters of trauma to extrapolate those feelings without experiencing harm, and I hope that the listener can do so as well. That keeps me highly motivated.
What was your first exposure to music?
My parents were always listening to music when I was a kid. Every road trip was filled with a soundtrack of new wave 80’s music, so it’s no real wonder that I ended up with my kind of tastes. I found goth and post-punk music in highschool and it has had its claws in me ever since.
What excites you about your life?
My life is an ever evolving chaotic mystery to me. Truth be told, I feel like I never have any idea what I’m doing. I fail and make a lot of mistakes, but I also live very unabashedly. I have very few regrets, and everything I’ve really been curious about, I’ve chased down. Some of those roads (like the military) lead to sinister places, but I learned and moved on. I’m always excited by the adventure of what’s coming next!
How would you describe your style in one word?
I would describe my style in one word as “eccentric”!
What are your next moves?
Next up for us is the record release of Haunted Hours on October 11th and then we hit the road on October 13th for 5 weeks of touring. Next year we’ll be getting an EP out sometime in the early spring as well, so there is a ton of new music coming soon!
