Jukebox the Ghost has traveled many miles since they formed as a trio in Washington D.C. back in 2008. And I don’t just mean the metaphorical distance between their debut album and their recently released sophomore effort because it was in fact, great (as all should be). The now-Philadelphia based trio has played over 300 shows together since the release of their first album, with an incredible amount already planned for this year. I first became enamored of the band after hearing another band I love, Via Audio, praise them at a show a year ago after going on tour with the trio. Watch their video for “Schizophrenia” below and try not to love the intoxicating blend of pop structure and rollicking indie rock insanity.

Though I only spoke with pianist and vocalist Ben Thornewill over the weekend while they were driving between Seattle and Portland, he emphasized the trio’s shared goals and outlooks and admitted that was a large part of their success. He was just as witty and effervescent as the music they make, and I can’t wait to see what kind of energy three people of similar mindsets bring to a place like The Echo. Tickets are available in advance for $8 here, and will be $10 at the door. Read on for the full backstory on the band and be sure to tune in to our Twitter account @BestNewBandscom, as I will be live-tweeting from the show!

Laurel Kathleen: Is it easier touring with only three people?

Ben Thornewill: Yeah, I think so. Every mouth to feed gets a little more complicated to organize time with and keep tabs on. There are only three of us, and we are completely content with each other. It lends itself easier to be able to pick up and go. We’ve all lived together under one roof until recently, and shared the same car. It’s very much like we are a married trio. We’re unique in that aspect, I think. As far as the psychology of it goes, we’re all very passionate about music and because we have that common goal, it makes spending an absurd amount of time together seem completely rational.

 

LK: Do you ever get sick of one another and consider taking a break?

BK: We’ve never gotten to that point. We’re not a very melodramatic group. We’re also not at the pont where we’re comfortable saying no to any show or tour. That’s been integral to us sticking together as a band I think: we’ve been willing to take on all opporutnities. We don’t all live together now, which makes the interpersonal relationships easier. Even if we were, we’d still come home from a show and all go to our rooms if we wanted some space.

 

LK: Have you seen young bands make specific mistakes on tour that lead to their demise as a touring band?

BT: I wouldn’t say that I’ve seen any make mistakes. I think it’s a lot of luck whether or not people can spend 24 hours a day for a month straight together in a small space. It’s a recipe for disaster, really;  it’s amazing that any band can stay together. Any I’ve seen struggle aren’t doing so because they’re making mistakes necessarily: it’s because two people just don’t get along. We did a headlining tour that wasn’t very warm and friendly, but lately we went with Barenaked Ladies and Guster, both of whom have been going for 15 years and over 20 years each. They are happy to be there, they’re hard-working, and genuinely enjoy what they’re doing. It’s been really insprirational, the fact that they can still keep it going for that long. It’s been cool to see and work with career musicians and career bands.

 

LK: You just released Everything Under the Sun in September, but are you already planning your next trip back to the studio?

BT: It’s funny you should say that…Now that we’ve gotten this second one under our belt, we’re anxious to go back into the studio. We’re eager to record late summer, and have it come out this time next year. Hopefully we’re get the ball rolling. Between the first and the second, there was a lot of growth. So hopefully it will be a little bit easier this time.

LK: Any thoughts as to what new instrumentation or styles you may or may not incorporate?

BT: I truly don’t know. The way we operate is,  we practice a few times a year and hole up and pull marathan eight hour writing sessions. The last record was pretty exhausting so we haven’t actually sat down and written anything in the last year. In the coming months we will be writing though. And I’m sure there will be some new nuances and styles, I’m just not sure what they will be yet.  We’re doing about two weeks with Guster in Canada for the first time which is exciting. Then we’re doing a co-headlining tour with Wakey!Wakey!, another singer/songwriter piano type. We’ll be playing the midwest, then the east coast. With our powers combined…. hopefully we’ll sell out.

 

LK: Who would your dream tour be with?

BT: Musicians that don’t tour. We’re all huge into Harry Nilsson who never even toured, I think we just want to go to his concerts. I wish I had an answer…I guess just bands that we all love. I think Vampire Weekend would be really cool, but I don’t know if we’re quite cool enough to tour with them.

 

LK: Do you have a favorite song that you love to play onstage?

BT: We tour so often and play so many shows, it really cycles through. At any given week, we love one song and another has fallen behind. We’ve been doing a wonderfully tacky cover of Donna Lewis’ “I Love You Always Forever”. There’s something really nice about playing your own version of someone else’s song. I get happy and and giddy when we play that one in particular. We covered Ace of Base for a guilty pleasures compilation as well. It’s so bad, and in such bad taste. I love it.

 

LK: What’s with the biography of President Taft on your Facebook page?

BT: I don’t know actually! Tommy did that, and I would ask him right now but his voice is hurting so he’s not talking right now. When we were putting it together, it was just random. I think he just went to the Wikipedia page and copied and pasted his page. Wait, he’s nodding…you did do that? Okay so he did. You’ve reminded me about that, actually. But really, we’re huge Taft fans! (laughs)

 

LK: Have you been editing your own Wikipedia page? It’s pretty detailed.

BT: We’ve never edited it ourselves, but we definitely keep tabs on it. About a month ago it said we’d won eight Grammys which is ridiculous and has never happened for a band with only two records. We get some pretty funny additions. But it’s great: I love winning Grammys!

Jukebox the Ghost‘s sophomore album Everything Under the Sun is now available along with their full-length debut Let Live and Let Ghosts on their website (Yep Roc Records). They will be touring across the US and Canada in the coming months, but their next stop after The Echo in LA tomorrow is Chain Reaction with Hellogoodbye in Anaheim on Wednesday, March 2nd. For tickets and directions please visit their website here. Later this year they will be playing the Rombello Cruise, which sails from Florida to Cozumel with the likes of Citizen Cope, Slightly Stoopid, and G Love also performing. For ticket prices and more information on the cruise, please visit the Rombello website here. If Wakey!Wakey! sounds familiar, it might be because Kristina Villarini’s just wrote an incredible and in-depth interview with the man himself, available exclusively on BestNewBands.com here.