Nylon Ghost – mave.org

Nylon
Ghost

visual identity
package design
video + animation
album art

Nylon Ghost is a Philadephia-based indie rock band. This year they embarked on the journey of recording their first full length record, a self-titled album which was released in August 2024. As the music was coming together, the need for album art and promotional materials arose. That's where we entered the picture, providing a visual manifestation of the themes and feelings of this incredible record.

When talking with our friend (and NG's lead singer) Kayla about the album, we realized all the songs revolved around themes of identity, love, longing, and the ephemerality of youth. We explored various ideas — still lifes, bodies in motion, blurred portraits — but nothing clicked until we found the one.

With a self-titled album, the cover art sets the stage for what to expect. Our final design presents a striking exploration of identity through the surreal depiction of wax-like legs adorned in red heeled boots. The ambiguity of the figure, partially concealed and left undefined, invites an introspective tension—are we witnessing the familiar or the unknown? The enigma pulls us in, compelling us to follow its unfolding narrative.

The colors +
the wordmark.

The warm, peachy-pink tones softened the surrealism of the image, offering a sense of comfort within the visual complexity and the struggle for self-definition. The other colors are muted to provide balance where other things felt off-kilter. For the band's wordmark we landed on the futuristic semi-monospaced typeface Neue Machina, which perfectly underscored the established themes and provided a modern contrast to the retro imagery.

We employed the use of animation for both Instagram promotion and the Spotify Canvas Clips used for each song. We selected images that tapped into feelings of nostalgia with imagery of retro toys and collectibles. Choppy animations added a youthful exuberance and sense of whimsical naïvete.

For the main promotional story, we animated the image used in the cover art. The rhythmic kicking animation enhances the tension, ending with the figure's descent into the pedestal. Whether it’s an escape or entrapment remains unclear, but it suggests a deeper reflection on the societal roles we create and assign.

Pictured bottom right is the cover art for Nylon Ghost's single "Takes Time" which was released mid-summer in advance of their full album.