A Dirty Dozen with PETE VINCELLI from BURNTMILL GHOSTS – September 2026

According to a recent press release: “New Jersey punk trio Burntmill Ghosts have released their new single “The Mirror” via Double Helix Records and SBAM Records. The track serves as the first preview of the band’s forthcoming sophomore album, due in 2027. Burntmill Ghosts began taking shape in 2021 when singer / guitarist Pete Vincelli and bassist Ian Egloff, formerly of The Fullers, started revisiting a collection of songs they had been developing. Initially fine-tuned around a fire pit over a few beers, the project became a full-fledged band with the addition of drummer Justin Rodrigues. The trio released its debut album, Old Records, through SBAM Records and Double Helix Records in 2024. Recorded and mixed by Steinkopf and mastered at The Blasting Room by Grammy Award-winning engineer Jason Livermore—whose credits include Rise Against, NOFX, Descendents and Hot Water Music—the album also featured AJ Martinez of Doc Rotten on drums for three tracks. Following critical praise for Old Records and shows throughout the Northeast and Midwest, Burntmill Ghosts returned to Little Eden to begin work on their second album. “The Mirror” offers the first glimpse of that next chapter, with more new music set to follow ahead of the album’s 2027 release.” We get Pete to discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release. What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through? Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

“The Mirror” has a bit of a different feel than the songs on our last album. When I was writing it, I was a little reluctant to bring it to the band because I felt it was a bit repetitive. It has a similar chord structure for pretty much the whole song. But once we started collaborating, it became a whole different animal. Ian’s bassline is killer and Justin’s drumming is so intricate and fitting. It morphed into a song that we’re really proud of. Lyrically, the song is pretty straight forward, which is a bit of a departure for us as well. Typically, our songs tend to have a double, deeper meaning. Even though “The Mirror” is relatively uncomplicated lyrically, we still hope it resonates with our listeners.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

I first got into punk rock from watching surfing videos in the early 90’s. And I just couldn’t get enough of that sound. One of my earliest punk rock memories was going to see Bad Religion and Pennywise at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park when I was about 14 years old. I jumped on stage with a ton of other people when Pennywise ripped into ‘Bro Hym’ and I remember that energy resonating with me throughout the rest of the night.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

The first punk rock CD I owned was Recipe for Hate by Bad Religion. From there, I just read the ‘thank you’ section of the liner notes and started to dive deep into all of those bands. Also, the Fat Music for Fat People and Punk-o-Rama compilations had a huge influence on me. That’s when I started to follow record labels like Fat, Eptiaph, Lookout, and Nitro (among others), which led to some many influential punk rock bands.

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Hmmm, it would be cool to work with Bill Stevenson from the Descendents. He’s an amazing drummer who’s written so many good songs. And I love all his production work as well. So it would be cool to see how he feels about our songs and see what advice he would have for the structure, tone, etc.

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour? What do you like to do to unwind?

I really enjoy reading, both fiction and non-fiction, which definitely fuels my song writing. I also love to hang out at the beach to unwind and reset.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

I basically just tell people that we play music that is loud, fast, and has a lot of melody. I don’t think I’ve ever disagreed with a reviewer because music is subjective. And whatever the listener gets out of it is fine with me, as long as it seems like the reviewer actually took the time to listen and write something that’s not trite or overused.

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

When we’re on the road, in lieu of cooking anything, we always make it a point to stop at a Sheetz, which is a gas-station convenience store in the Northeast that sells pretty much everything. Justin loves gettin’ a mean milk shake at least once a day. I’m a beer drinker so I love when we play at breweries, but Justin and Ian tend to gravitate more towards a vodka drink. And when we’re writing songs, Ian and I always write the song first on an acoustic guitar. And for some reason, Ian likes to play his 12-string guitar when we collaborate during the song writing process.

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

I don’t know if I’ve ever been starstruck, per se, but maybe that means I haven’t seen many so-called ‘stars.’  But, this band has allowed me to connect with a lot of musicians and bands that I grew up listening to which is pretty wild.

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

The best part is seeing how our songs resonate with people and seeing people sing along. And I love when people try to dive deeper into the meaning of the songs and try to figure out what it’s about. It’s also really rewarding when a musician that I respect tells us “that’s a really good song.” At some point when I’m retired, it would be cool to open up a used book store that sells coffee, records, and other punk rock stuff.

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

I’m always waiting for someone to ask, “who is your least favorite member of the band”. Justin and I would both answer with “Ian.” When we’re on the road, we always stick him in the backseat. He’s lucky he’s a good bass player.  I’m just kidding around obviously, but that’s always the running joke. Justin and I are constantly shaking our heads at him. And whenever we’re asked, “how would you describe your sound”, I always find that difficult to answer because when I’m not talking to like-minded people, it’s always difficult to describe punk rock. And on top of that, there’s so many different types of punk rock that it even becomes difficult to describe it to other punk rockers because everyone has a different definition.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

Sometimes, I wish that the band had formed when we were all younger so we had more time to travel and tour. But with that being said, I don’t regret anything. I’m very happy with how the band has evolved and I’m very fortunate to play music with people that I get along with really well.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

I would love to be there when Operation Ivy recorded Energy. That record is so imperfectly perfect and such a great snapshot of a small window of time. It’s unbelievable that they were teenagers when they did that record, which has become legendary for so many reasons. And Jesse Michaels has been such an influence on my singing style. I remember being 15 years old and hearing that record for the first time, fascinated with the contrast of how raw and chaotic it is, but at the same time so cohesive and beautiful. I was amazed with how Jesse would be screaming one part of the song and then effortlessly throw in some melody. Like singing with glass and honey in your throat.

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Category: Interviews