Jukebox the Ghost

The band came together in 2003 when vocalist and pianist Ben Thornewill, guitarist, bassist and vocalist Tommy Siegel and drummer Jesse Kristin met while attending the George Washington University of their native D.C. However, in a strangely inspiring move for people who can’t get a band off the ground themselves, the fledgling power trio packed it in after two years initially. Their first incarnation as The Sunday Mail saw them go nowhere fast and the trio took a couple of months off to rethink it all. Clearly whatever it was they thought up worked, as the songs, image and name they dreamed up while on hiatus has made them one of the true unsung heroes of American indie rock.

By 2006 the band had settled on the name Jukebox The Ghost, which came from fusing Captain Beefheart and Nabokov (obviously). The band were rejuvenated, touring and recording as much as they could for two years before releasing their first L.P “Let Live And Let Ghosts” on This Side Up/Rebel Group. Cannily, the band hadn’t officially released anything prior to their first album, so that the first recorded music that people discovered the band through could be of the best quality possible at the time. The plan worked, and by April 2009 the band were off on their biggest tour to date supporting alternative icon Ben Folds.

Ever since then, the band has been one of the most dependable on the alternative scene, releasing stellar albums and live shows whether their at rock clubs or on the Late Show With David Letterman, which they played in September 2010. Dependable is not the same as predictable, however, and as time has gone on the band have left behind the sci-fi narratives of their old songs in favour of a more personal, genuine lyrical style. Jukebox The Ghost are a rare breed of band, they’re the kind of true artists that can balance absolutely gorgeous pop songs with a daring sense of ambition and progression. A rare breed maybe, but if this band continue to play at the top of their game then they should be an inspiration to many, and for that reason, they come highly recommended.