Hometown:  Santa Barbara, CA


Why we love GHOST TIGER here at GMP:

 

The Ghost Tiger vibe is surreal.  The surprise that they are from our hometown meant we were lucky enough to catch one of their live performances here in Santa Barbara, which was completely unexpected.  And was it a memorable experience - the venue went from a calm dinner ambience to a packed dance floor with no room to move - a complete 180 from before they took the stage.  Their energy just continued to grow and grow throughout their set.  And it says so much about a band's ability to captivate a crowd when they’re given a split second “mic-check” soundcheck and 30 short minutes to play - and they delivered big time, wasting not a moment to leave an impression on everyone in the room.  

 

The description the band gives themselves is spot on - Their sound is indie-rock mixed with a 60’s girl group vibe supported by rhythms rooted in African and other world styles.  It’s a genuinely organic connection between everyone in the band.  To remove any one instrument or part would disrupt the entire Ghost Tiger sound.  They’ve done such a good job of meshing their instrumentation, which at first looks fairly standard, but sounds completely new with a serious edge all their own.



Why you need to know about GHOST TIGER:
 
They’re the entire package - It’s a mind blowing experience getting to see them live, and the energy they give off translates directly into their recordings.  It’s all about the vibe with this band and the stellar wall of sound they create.  We haven’t even mentioned how catchy their hooks and melodies are.  They’ve found a way to be completely universal but also niche and boutique - that might sound overstated, but we think you’ll get exactly what we mean once you give them a listen.

 

 

- Ryan, Grow Music Project Staff

Here's some info about Ghost Tiger:
 
Coming from a variety of musical backgrounds, Ghost Tiger mixes indie-rock, '60s girl groups, classical composition and African rhythmic influences with soulful vocals and spacious sounds that culminate in an invigorating approach to indie pop.  Described by one journalist as an "epic, more bluegrass-folk Bon Iver crossed with the Underground Railroad gone Portland," the band was born out of songstress Alixandra Macmillan-Fiedel’s quest to expand her sound. As a solo artist, Alix grew up with the music of her father, Hall and Oates keyboardist and film composer Brad Fiedel (The Terminator, True Lies), but after years of playing on her own she felt the need to incorporate new textures and ideas. She found these in the form of bassist Kevin Evans, guitarist Christopher Norlinger, keyboardist Emma Huston, and drummer Chris Stansell, who together formed Ghost Tiger in 2011. Later that year, the wildly eclectic group was named one of Santa Barbara's Best New Bands by the Santa Barbara Independent.

Check out "Whiskey Winter" by Ghost Tiger -