When did you guys start touring?
We booked our first tour on our own in 2005 — It was unbelievably bad. Our manager, Seth, got us touring seriously in the summer of 2007, right after we all graduated college. That was a lot better.
How often do you tour?
There hasn’t really been a pattern so far, but we’ve played over 250 shows since 2007, and no signs of stopping.
What’s your general mode of transportation?
Our E-150 Econoline van.
Who are some of the artists you’ve toured with?
Ben Folds, Via Audio, the XYZ Affair, The Winter Sounds, Pretty and Nice, Say Hi, Jenny Owens Young…..There’s more, but those are the ones we toured with the longest.
Are there any songs you only play live that you haven’t recorded?
Quite a few. There were about ten new songs that didn’t make the record we just finished, some of which we played every night for awhile…Hopefully we’ll get the chance to record everything we’ve written at some point.
What are your favorite songs/bands to cover?
This year we’ve had a lot of fun covering “Temptation” by New Order. We’ve used it a lot of times as our ‘hail mary pass’ if we’re not sure people are having a good time — Dance songs never fail. At special shows in the last year or so we’ve also done a cover of the ending sequence from Abbey Road, which is always a blast. We’ve covered a lot of artists in the past — The Cure, The Clash, Queen, Rage Against the Machine, Danny Elfman, They Might Be Giants, and the Smiths, just to name some off the top of my head.
What is your favorite region/city to play in?
The west coast is always exciting — The scenery is always exciting after being on the east coast for so long. But as far as shows and fans are concerned, it’s hard to beat NYC and DC. Our fans on the east coast are amazing.
Sketchiest hotel you’ve ever stayed in?
Sort of difficult to say, since we’ve stayed in dozens and dozens of gross motels all over the country. We’ve had our share of strange-smelling rooms.
Which city has the most enthusiastic crowd?
DC, hands down.
Any crazy/funny tour stories you’d like to share?
Hm, so many to choose from…..The first one that comes to mind is tne time we went rock-climbing off the highway in some desert mountains in southern California only to be apprehended by the US border patrol — Apparently we were hiking around in a major drug trafficking spot on the Mexican border. Whoops.
Jukebox the Ghost has been compared to everyone from the Ben Folds Five to a “muted incarnation of Queen.” While these comparisons are both flattering and overall pretty accurate, the description NPR offers is spot on; “If School House Rock morphed into an actual band, it’d be Jukebox the Ghost.” Like School House Rock, their lyrics are witty and thought-provoking and the piano hooks and memorable melody lines prove that catchy and superficial don’t necessarily go hand-in-hand. I mean who hasn’t had “Conjunction Junction” stuck in their head at least once in their lives.
Continue reading ‘Tour De Force: Jukebox the Ghost’
One look at The Winter Sounds’ MySpace page and there’s no question of why they would be chosen as this week’s “Tour De Force.” Their “Upcoming Shows” section is completely filled with dates all over the US from February through May. According to their bio, The Winter Sounds played 217 shows in 2007 and, “seem to have an insatiable enthusiasm for touring, sleeping on floors, eating ramen noodles, and getting their music heard.” For members of the band, the road is their home. They are the perfect example of the DIY work ethic,” taking an inventory of life and then deciding to believe in yourself enough to mortgage your future for your dream.”
