Ahead of his upcoming album, Rob Murphy has released his “Ghosts,” a new single and video that pays homage to his hometown of New Waterford, Cape Breton, its once-busy community, the beauty of the nearby landscapes and its rugged coastlines. But it’s also a reminder that this way of life is disappearing; small towns are getting smaller, the industries that they once thrived on are changing, and Cape Breton, in particular, has faced more than its share of challenges.
When coal mining was shutdown across Cape Breton by the federal government in the ’90s, it had a profound impact on the island. As Murphy points out, many small times like New Waterford, Northside and Glace Bay have never quite recovered and the impact has had a lasting effect on those communities.
“’Ghosts’ was a difficult song to write,” says Murphy. “There’s lyrics in the song I wrote 20 years ago so this was actually 20 years in the making.”
The lyrics don’t seem to suggest that the once active coal mining town has found a new groove in the two decades since Murphy first wrote “Ghosts.”
“I grew up in New Waterford, Cape Breton Island. It was the home of two coal mines and employed hundreds to thousands of people every day. My father was a coal miner and a very hard worker, he was a very proud man. When the decision to close the mines in Cape Breton, coal mining towns on the Island quickly became run down, businesses closed and substance abuse ran rapid. I wanted to not only capture the story in ‘Ghosts’ but also had a video produced capturing its rugged coastlines and natural beauty.”
With muted tones and imagery of still, unpopulated areas, the video perfectly captures the feeling of being in a quiet town that is lacking the vibrant life it once had.