Many remember Ali Boulala as the jovial, often inebriated skater from the early Baker and Piss Drunx days, a figure synonymous with skate hijinks. However, after a tragic incident in 2007, he stepped away from the skate spotlight. Now, having embraced sobriety, Ali has redirected his boundless energy into a new passion: his band, Ghost Boys. We recently visited him in Sweden during a recording session and witnessed Ali flourishing in this new chapter, genuinely happy and lighthearted in his musical pursuit.
How often are you recognized in Stockholm these days?
It really depends on where I am. It could be daily, especially at night when people have had a few drinks and have the confidence to approach me. A recent film about my life has increased recognition, and there are many skaters around now. Actually, that’s true everywhere in the world.
Has making music been your biggest motivator lately?
Definitely. One of my bandmates is currently in another city, but he’s moving back soon, which will allow us to collaborate more. He recently brought his keyboard and laptop over, and we used it for the latest track. Nowadays, you don’t even need to be in the same country to record, but it’s much more enjoyable when we’re together.
Your band includes a comedian and a rapper, right?
That’s right. The comedian, Linus Nordström, plays guitar. The other member is Magnus Ekelund, also known as Kitok. He’s a talented musician from northern Sweden, previously a singer and then a rapper. We actually connected because he mentioned me in one of his rap songs and invited me to be in the music video. That was about eight years ago, and we’ve been good friends ever since.
I was drawn to his music because of his Beastie Boys influence. Licensed to Ill was the first CD I ever bought. One day, Magnus suggested we start a rock band, and I immediately agreed.
Ali Boulala playing music
Have you always played instruments?
Not at all. I picked up the guitar during a skate trip to Australia with Bastien Salabanzi. I used to spend all my money on remote-controlled vehicles and planes, but they always broke and were impossible to operate. On the next trip, I decided to buy a guitar instead. In the store, they asked me about steel strings and such, and I said, “I don’t know, I want the blue one. It looks cool.”
We tried playing at Bastien’s place, and my fingers were in agony. It was incredibly difficult. It’s like skating; when you watch others skate, it seems easy, just jumping on a board with wheels. But then you try it, and it takes years to master.
Bastien also got hooked on the guitar, and we kept practicing. Now I collect guitars. I want to buy a new one everywhere I go.
Did you ever have lessons?
I never had a tutor, but a guy who used to tune our guitars and sell us weed showed us a few chords. Over time, I learned more, playing other people’s songs and composing my own. Later, I realized I should have started with piano to learn music theory. My girlfriend got me piano lessons, which gave me a much better understanding of music theory and why things work. You can learn on your own, but it’s more effective with guidance.
How do you discover new music now?
I’m not sure. Sometimes I find a song on Spotify’s Discover Weekly, but it is usually just one song that is similar to something else I have heard. I haven’t been discovering much new stuff lately because I’m too busy working on my own music. As for hip-hop, I can’t stand anything after the 90s. It feels like a different genre altogether.
Are you referring to trap and mumble rap?
Yes. It’s entirely different. Why doesn’t it sound the same anymore? It’s strange. Why can’t they have a beat, a sample, and then rap over it? There are no new songs like that.
Ali Boulala in the studio
I read in another interview that you stopped watching pornography. Is that correct?
Oh yeah, that was a long time ago. It was part of my journey to sobriety. I gave up everything I felt I had no control over or felt I had to have. Now, I sometimes feel the urge to practice scales on the piano. My brain is telling me I need to, but it isn’t harmful, so I prefer that. There are these things that my brain just thinks that it needs.
So, you have channeled that addictive tendency into music?
Absolutely. As I mentioned, playing guitar is like skating. I used to think you just pick it up and play. I never considered how much learning is involved. Since I already know how to skate, I thought it would be the same with guitar. But I had to learn the basics first.
When you were a kid and you were skating more than going to school, were your parents upset?
I’m not sure. I don’t know how much they knew that I just went skating, but eventually, they knew I was going to do what I wanted anyway. So, why try to stop me?
Ali Boulala looking at the camera
Do either of your parents have addictive personalities? I’ve heard addiction is often hereditary.
I’ve heard that too, but I don’t see it in my family. My brother could have been an addict too, but I remember when I came back to Sweden, he was like, “If you have a problem with drugs and alcohol, just quit. Can’t you see you’re messing up?” Looking back, he had no idea what I was going through.
My mother is the opposite. She is similar to me now, not wanting anything that she might need later. Even with potato chips, I feel that I can’t control myself.
I’ve seen every scenario with other addicts in the 12-step program; bad parents, good parents, money, no money. It’s hard to pinpoint the cause. The standard Dr. Phil theory is that it comes from the parents, but it’s not always that simple. It’s often the case, but it’s not the root cause.
For example, Bastien got drunk for the first time at a young age and hated it. I think he ended up in the hospital with a stomach pump, and he never drank again. I puked the first time I got drunk, too. I didn’t go to the hospital, but I thought to myself, this is terrible. Yet, I kept doing it anyway. It’s strange.
Ali Boulala portrait
How did alcohol evolve into harder drugs? What was the progression?
As I mentioned, the first time I got drunk as a kid, I puked and thought it was terrible. I couldn’t understand why people drank. I probably started smoking weed after that, but at the time, all my friends smoked every day, like it was tea.
Then, at 18, I smoked crack in San Diego. I thought it was going to be something extreme, but it wasn’t what I expected. I did it again and again and got hooked. I met a guy who had a skate shop in England who I heard did heroin. So, I met him, befriended him, and asked him to get me some heroin. He said, “No way! I’m not going to let you do heroin.” I said, “I will show you how to make crack,” and he said, “Deal.”
That was the progression. I would quit, then start again, and quit again. I stopped drinking, not realizing I couldn’t quit if I kept using cocaine and heroin. I was banned from bars because I was too haggard.
Eventually, I had to quit everything. I drove myself to the psych ward. I started going to 12-step meetings. At first, it felt like a hoax. The people in the program seemed fine, not sketchy at all. I was like, how is this real? But I had nothing else to do but keep attending and trying to stay sober.
When I started going to meetings, they preferred that I not talk specifically about my drug use. But after the meetings, some people would ask, “So what drugs did you use? I thought you skaters just smoked weed.” When I told them, they were like, “Holy fuck, crack?” Crack isn’t common in Sweden. There’s cocaine, of course, but they don’t sell crack. I don’t know anyone who made crack here, except myself. Most people have only seen it in movies.
Thanks for sharing that, I know it isn’t easy, and you have already discussed it frequently.
It’s alright, maybe it will help someone. As I said, people from all walks of life are in the 12-step meetings. Some have no money, some are millionaires, some have terrible parents, and some have great parents. No matter where you come from, you can still end up in the same situation.
Interview by: Ian Michna
Photos by: Ian Michna
Video by: Max Seeger & Ian Michna
Listen to the band, Ghost Boys here.
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