About
On their new album BELONGING, Minneapolis-based Ghosting Merit has been reborn. Initially conceived of as a close collaboration between Syd Casey and their partner at the time, the first batch of Ghosting Merit songs were completed during a tumultuous period spent living in New Orleans. But after Casey returned to the Twin Cities in early 2024, the project began to shift and expand, as they invited in outside collaborators for the first time, opening up to a more expansive view while maintaining the quietly insightful songwriting that is the core of the project.
Translating their love of experimental electronic music into the language of indie guitar rock, the songs on BELONGING take their time, exploding into passion when necessary but staying cool when called for, taking cues from artists like Alex G, Mitski, Big Thief, Soccer Mommy, and others. Mixed by Alex Schaaf (Yellow Ostrich) and mastered by Nat Harvie (Low, Alan Sparhawk, Trampled by Turtles), the songs have a muscular quality to them, ranging from alt-rock bangers like opener “Rescue Hound” to moody ballads like “Devour” and “Branches.”
Having bounced around many different environments while growing up, Casey has always worked to find stability in the midst of transitions, especially in the context of relationships, friendships, and physical space. “I wanna stop wanting a sense of belonging / I wanna be here” - the album title BELONGING stresses the contradictions inherent in this kind of life - always longing for something, while aching to be present and grounded at the same time. “Give me something to hold” is a revealing flash of vulnerability in the middle of an otherwise ominous “Guillotine.”
Outer space is a recurring theme, but not in the context of tech billionaires taking a quick joyride - Casey is more concerned with finding awe and wonder in the connections between the macro and the micro. As Carl Sagan once wrote, “The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff” – this is the kind of magical thinking that Ghosting Merit inhabits.
There are references to UFOs and satellites, but Casey really shines in describing the physical and sensory - mango juice and birch paper, fireflies and poppies, embers cooling into snow. Nature isn’t just a pretty sight out the window but rather a way of life, grounding oneself (literally) in the midst of uncertainty.
Casey’s writing has been garnering fans over the past couple of years, described by the Current as “deceptively simple, yet deeply impactful.” And besides Ghosting Merit, Casey has seen their musical life expand in other ways, often tapped to lend their guitar talents, whether it’s sitting in with local legends Gully Boys or wailing on guitar as a dedicated member of Delicate Friend.
BELONGING was recorded largely at the Birdhaus in south Minneapolis, with a rotating crew of scene veterans acting as collaborators, including Emma Garau (¿WATCHES?) on drums, Nathan Johnston (Ditch Pigeon, Fairy Boat) on bass, Alex Schaaf (Yellow Ostrich) who contributed several instruments while also mixing the album, Z Warpinski (Kansas Plates) on pedal steel, Mary Traxler (fruit form) on backing vocals, and others.
BELONGING comes out on Birdhaus Records on June 18, 2026, in both digital and vinyl format.