Jamie Trevaskis + James Lees’ Ghostlight Finds Depth in Piano, Guitar and Gradual Instrumental Progression

Jamie Trevaskis and James Lees' collaborative work on Ghostlight is their release together as musicians, bringing together a collection of eight tracks that highlight Jamie's guitar work with James' piano and percussion. The project started out as a series of extended guitar instrumentals recorded by Jamie in his Northern NSW hinterland studio, which were later developed further through James' piano and percussion, giving the album its strong instrumental focal point from the starting to the end. Songs like "Ghostlight," "Sway Together," "Sleepwalking" and "Yearning" highlight how much of the record uses the feeling of slow progressions, piano notes, guitar elements and other subtle instrumental aspects that are introduced gradually to showcase how each track gradually builds its own mood without having to introduce too many elements at once. Across the album, it's these instrumental changes that allow the songs to switch between more calming and ethereal moments and sections that feel darker and more foreboding, while keeping the piano, guitar and percussion closely connected throughout. The contrast seen thus gives the album plenty of variation without losing the slower, more patient approach that runs through each of the songs.

How Ghostlight Develops Its Mood Through Slow Instrumental Progression

Throughout Ghostlight, a slower instrumental progression can be heard which is significant since it plays a key role in the way Jamie Trevaskis and James Lees have developed various moods across the album since many of the songs take their time to grow before more elements come in. "Ghostlight" is a strong example of this approach as it opens with an eerie and haunting melody while the arrangement remains relatively minimal to begin with. The piano sounds then come in very softly and subtly, which adds more depth to that darker mood of the track without changing its overall direction too quickly. Since the song runs for 8:34 minutes, the longer build-up also gives those smaller instrumental changes more room and space to come through and be heard clearly, with the piano continuing to complement the eerie feeling that stays present throughout the song.

"Sway Together" follows that similar kind of gradual progression, although the mood of the song can be inferred as being melancholic from the beginning through the softer piano notes that come across as being the main focus of the song. Other orchestral-sounding elements have been layered subtly surrounding the piano, but they do not take attention away from the central arrangement, especially since each additional sound has been introduced slowly as the track continues to develop. As the track progresses, that melancholic feeling becomes more pronounced and begins to feel deeper and darker, giving the song its stronger emotional weight while ensuring that the piano is seen as the main element, guiding the natural progression of the song.

"Sleepwalking" builds on that gradual development by following a different direction since the opening has a more meditative feel that almost sounds like something you would hear during a sound bath or meditation sessions. That calmer beginning is then contrasted by a slightly faster piano arrangement that comes in and gives the track more movement without completely taking away from that slower feeling that was established in the beginning. As the song progresses, the piano sounds become the central focus while the meditative elements remain present as well,creating a noticeable push and pull between stillness and movement. That contrast gives this track a more unsettled quality compared to previous tracks, since it maintains that feeling of slow progression while adding some excitement as well.

"Yearning" has a different approach since it takes a softer direction with the piano melody feeling almost like it's set up a narrative right from the beginning of the song. The piano remains the focus as the song progresses. There is a noticeable pattern that can be heard where a few notes are played, followed by a pause before similar notes return with slight changes in tone and pitch. This kind of repetition gives the track a more delicate sense of progression,especially since the melody keeps developing without needing to rely on too many different musical elements. Other sounds that kind of resemble an organ begin to come in around the one-minute mark, but even then, they remain as subtle elements around the piano and allow that central melody to continue carrying the track.

How Jamie Trevaskis and James Lees Bring Their Different Musical Backgrounds Together on Ghostlight

What makes Ghostlight more interesting is the history between Jamie Trevaskis and James Lees as they already had experience working together in the studio before deciding to collaborate as musicians on this record. Jamie's background as a producer, recording engineer, musician and composer spans more than two decades, while James has developed his own work through projects like Ghostwoods and Silver Sircus. That existing familiarity gives the album a strong foundation, especially since both artists have been used to working with each other and understanding each one's ideas before bringing their own musical strengths together on Ghostlight. Even the album title is a reflection of that connection, combining Ghostwoods with Crying/The Heavy Light and linking the project directly back to the work both musicians had already established separately.

Check out the album below :)