Comin' Clean w/The Ghost is Dancing

Outta the tub and into the fire: Canadian band is on tour now in preparation for July album release.

By Blurt Staff

BLURT has a new favorite band, and the band is The Ghost is Dancing. The story thus far:

The Ghost is Dancing began as many bands begin, in a moldy basement during university. Kevin Corlis, Jim DeLuca, Jamie Matechuk and Odie Ouderkirk were returning home via Toronto's Spadina Ave, sweaty and exuberant after a Hidden Cameras show at the Horseshoe Tavern when they decided that they wanted to start a band. Jamie had spent the last year learning how to play Modest Mouse songs and Kevin was always banging away at his collection of keyboards and drums at home, plus Jim had been wanting his friends to play music with him since they first met in kindergarten. Gabrielle Nadeau lived upstairs and picked up an accordion, Eric Krumins eventually joined on bass, and soon they were asking everyone they knew to join. Somewhere between all their energies rested dozens and dozens of pop hooks and their first major battle was to find a way to put it all together.

The first self-titled EP received critical acclaim and the band drew immediate comparisons to The Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene and Modest Mouse. Soon after their EP release they signed with Sonic Unyon Records and in June 2007 released The Darkest Spark.Shortly after their first national tour The Ghost is Dancing shrunk in size. The economical rigors of touring, rehearsing and living with giant student debts had taken their toll. Throughout these changes, however, song-writing had continued and their musicianship had improved. Over the next year, TGID found themselves invading late-night swimming pools in Kentucky, barely avoiding head-on collisions in Quebec, and taking off all of their clothes in the back of a record store in Charlottetown. They would tour with new songs, new members, craft a tighter, more explosion live act and finish writing their next record, literally titled Battles On with Chris Stringer (Rush, Ohbijou, Timbre Timbre, The Coast).

Battles On, due from Sonic Unyon on July 28, is described as "a record built out of desperation and the exuberance of holding something special together. Laden with even bigger pop-hooks than before, but with a go-for-broke attitude and mindfulness towards the craft of songwriting, the record rarely lets up and delivers on the promise of a band which has come into its own."

Well, all right then! Mark yr calendars for July 28. Meanwhile, the band kicks off a tour TONIGHT...

Tour Dates:

Apr 29 2009 Black Dog Edmonton, Alberta
May 1 2009 The Distrikt Regina, SK w/ Hot Hot Heat
May 3 2009 High Noon Saloon Madison, Wisconsin
May 4 2009 Vaudeville Mews Des Moines, Iowa
May 5 2009 Darkroom Chicago, Illinois
May 6 2009 Melody Inn Indianapolis, Indiana
May 7 2009 Rumba Cafe Columbus, Ohio
May 8 2009 Derby City Espresso Bar Louisville, Kentucky w/ Bedtime
May 9 2009 Al's Bar Lexington, Kentucky w/ Bedtime
May 10 2009 Garfield Artworks Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania w/ Japandroids
May 11 2009 Wilbert's Cleveland, Ohio
May 12 2009 Manhattan Room Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 13 2009 Millcreek Tavern Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 14 2009 Goodbye Blue Mondays Brooklyn, New York
May 15 2009 Fontana's New York, New York
June 12 2009 The Gordon Best Theatre - Gordon Best Music Series Peterborough, Ontario
June 13 2009 Zaphod Beeblebrox Ottawa, Ontario