Ghost Mice
Encyclopedia
Ghost Mice is a two-piece folk-punk band from Bloomington, Indiana
. Both members, Chris Johnston (aka Chris Clavin) and Hannah Jones, have been in a handful of pop-punk bands together: namely Disarm, The Devil is Electric
and Operation: Cliff Clavin
. They decided to "turn to the folk side" in the hopes that they could tour more easily and play almost anywhere, and to this end Hannah changed from playing bass to violin.
Ghost Mice's records are available through Chris Johnston's record label Plan-It-X Records along with the respective labels, such as No Idea Records
, that released them. The band feature in Roll Up Your Sleeves
, directed by Dylan Haskins
and released in 2008.
Ghost Mice's lyrics mostly involve trying to hold onto a positive outlook on life in the midst of fear and depression. Common themes of their songs include riding bikes, eating healthy food, love, stealing, scamming, traveling, building sustainable radical communities, death, family, depression, suicide, and previous love interests.
Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 80,405 at the 2010 census....
. Both members, Chris Johnston (aka Chris Clavin) and Hannah Jones, have been in a handful of pop-punk bands together: namely Disarm, The Devil is Electric
The Devil Is Electric
The Devil Is Electric were a DIY political pop-punk band from Bloomington, Indiana, and were formed when Operation: Cliff Clavin, the former pop-punk band of Chris Clavin and Hannah Jones broke up, following the release of their EP Last Words....
and Operation: Cliff Clavin
Operation: Cliff Clavin
Operation: Cliff Clavin was one of Chris Johnston's first bands and one of the earliest bands on Plan-It-X Records. They were an influential DIY political pop-punk band that toured the United States consistently and had one international tour...
. They decided to "turn to the folk side" in the hopes that they could tour more easily and play almost anywhere, and to this end Hannah changed from playing bass to violin.
Ghost Mice's records are available through Chris Johnston's record label Plan-It-X Records along with the respective labels, such as No Idea Records
No Idea Records
For other uses, see No Idea .No Idea Records is an independent record label based in Gainesville, Florida which produces both vinyl records and compact discs...
, that released them. The band feature in Roll Up Your Sleeves
Roll Up Your Sleeves
Roll Up Your Sleeves is an Irish documentary about do-it-yourself counterculture directed by Dylan Haskins. It also examines the relationship between DIY culture and the need for autonomous social spaces, looking at various projects across Europe and how these compare with the situation in...
, directed by Dylan Haskins
Dylan Haskins
Dylan Haskins is an Irish broadcaster and social entrepreneur.Haskins first became known as a proponent of the DIY ethic in Ireland for his work on several projects initiated as a teenager, including the establishment of all ages, non-alcohol spaces in north Wicklow and Dublin.He has since become...
and released in 2008.
Band ethos
The following is a quote from Ghost Mice:
We play 100% acoustic. We never use ampsInstrument amplifierAn instrument amplifier is an electronic amplifier that converts the often barely audible or purely electronic signal from musical instruments such as an electric guitar, an electric bass, or an electric keyboard into an electronic signal capable of driving a loudspeaker that can be heard by the...
or micsMicrophoneA microphone is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal. In 1877, Emile Berliner invented the first microphone used as a telephone voice transmitter...
(except at Plan-It-X Fest and on Oct. 28, 2006 for The fest V]). We have been playing in bandsBand (music)In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
together for about 7 years. We started Ghost Mice in 2002 because we were tired of being restricted. We were tired of having to travel in big vans and depend on ampsInstrument amplifierAn instrument amplifier is an electronic amplifier that converts the often barely audible or purely electronic signal from musical instruments such as an electric guitar, an electric bass, or an electric keyboard into an electronic signal capable of driving a loudspeaker that can be heard by the...
, PA systemsPublic addressA public address system is an electronic amplification system with a mixer, amplifier and loudspeakers, used to reinforce a sound source, e.g., a person giving a speech, a DJ playing prerecorded music, and distributing the sound throughout a venue or building.Simple PA systems are often used in...
and electricity. With Ghost Mice we can travel very light and we need nothing to play. We often play in back yards or on the street corner in front of the venue. We have toured the USA many times and we toured EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
(GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
) by foot. We hitch-hiked and took trains to all of our shows. It was fun and very liberating. We sing a mix of personal and political lyrics, we are anarchist, we are dedicated to the DIY ethicDIY ethicThe DIY ethic refers to the ethic of self-sufficiency through completing tasks oneself as opposed to having others who are more experienced or able complete them for one's behalf. It promotes the idea that an ordinary person can learn to do more than he or she thought was possible...
and the struggle to make the world a better place. We play musicMusicMusic is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
and travel for fun and to meet new people. MusicMusicMusic is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
is our lives. We love travel. We are nice and a little shy.
Ghost Mice's lyrics mostly involve trying to hold onto a positive outlook on life in the midst of fear and depression. Common themes of their songs include riding bikes, eating healthy food, love, stealing, scamming, traveling, building sustainable radical communities, death, family, depression, suicide, and previous love interests.
Members
- Chris Johnston - acoustic guitar, vocals, harmonica, toy piano, tambourine
- Hannah Jones - violin, vocals
Other members
- Pascal Benvenuti - ukulele, mandolin, concertina, bass, backing vocals
- Matty Pop Chart - accordion, drums
- Lily Richeson - cello
- Greg Wells - howling and breathing
- Eric Ayotte - mandolin
- Marty Sprowles - drums, percussion
Full-length albums
- Ghost Mice - CDR - Plan-It-X Records, 2002 (out of printOut of printOut of print refers to an item, typically a book , but can include any print or visual media or sound recording, that is in the state of no longer being published....
) - The Debt of the Dead - CD - Plan-It-X Records, 2004
- Europe - CD - Plan-It-X Records, LP - No Idea RecordsNo Idea RecordsFor other uses, see No Idea .No Idea Records is an independent record label based in Gainesville, Florida which produces both vinyl records and compact discs...
2006
Splits
- Ghost Mice/Saw Wheel Split - CD - Hill Billy Stew Records, 2003
- Rymodee/Ghost Mice Split - CD - Friends and Relatives Records, 2003
- Ghost Mice/Defiance, OhioDefiance, Ohio (band)Defiance, Ohio is an acoustic punk rock band from Columbus, Ohio. They are known for their extensive touring and intense, enthusiastic live shows. They are named after the real town Defiance, Ohio. The band features a violin, cello, and double bass...
Split - CD Plan-It-X Records, 2004 - Pretty Hot/Ghost Mice Split - CD - Anti-Creative RecordsAnti-Creative RecordsAnti-Creative Records is an independent record label based out of Upland, California. The label's releases consist primarily of folk-punk and punk bands from across the United States. However, the label is not limited to these genres....
, 2005 - Ghost Mice/Paul Baribeau Split - CDR - Plan-It-X Records, Cassette tape - I Eat Tapes!, 2006
- Ghost Mice/Andrew Jackson JihadAndrew Jackson JihadAndrew Jackson Jihad is an American folk punk band from Phoenix, Arizona, formed in 2004.-History:Andrew Jackson Jihad was formed after its original drummer, Justin James White, approached Sean Bonnette and Ben Gallaty, who had just left Rodan and The Sub-Standards...
-CD- Plan-It-X Records, 2007 - Ghost Mice/Brook PridemoreBrook PridemoreBrook Pridemore is an American singer-songwriter affiliated with the Antifolk scene in New York City. He has released five albums on the Bronx-based record label Crafty Records, and co-produced a compilation of antifolk acts for that label called Anticomp Folkilation...
- 7" - Crafty Records/Plan-It-X Records, 2008 - ONSIND/Ghost Mice - 7" - Discount Horse Records, 2009
- Heathers/Ghost Mice Split
Compilations
- Collection One: Fairy Battle - LP - Valiant Death Records, 2006 (compilation of Ghost Mice tracks previously appearing on splits)
- The Three Dollar Gallon - CD - Crafty Records, December 16, 2006