Biography
The Ghost Knife story is simple: It starts with one of the hardest working front men in Rock ’n’ Roll, Mike Wiebe, and his insatiable drive to write the perfect song. During downtime from the relentless touring and recording schedule from his bands The Riverboat Gamblers and High Tension Wires, Wiebe continues to write music, never giving up on his craft. A few years back during one of these sabbaticals, Wiebe started writing songs that might not necessarily fit the mold of his other bands, pushing his own boundaries and expanding the thoughts of what he could do with a band. Ghost Knife quickly came together as a fine tuned machine, with songs crafted from new and different influences including sonic elements and a level of spontaneity that Wiebe’s other bands sometimes lacked.
Enter Ben “Snakepit” White and Chris Pfeffer, the former rhythm section of longtime San Francisco/Austin based punk band, J Church. The three quickly gelled, putting the finishing touches on a group of great songs and started playing out with conviction. While it was understood that Wiebe might have to sometimes leave town for a summer-long tour with the Riverboat Gamblers, this never mattered much as Pfeffer and White have their own other commitments: Pfeffer also drummed in Severed Head Of State and is currently in the hardcore band Criaturas, while White keeps busy publishing books of his long-running autobiographical daily strip Snakepit Comix, contributing to every issue of Razorcake Magazine, as well as sometimes forming or joining other various, often short-lived bands.
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Ghost Knife would quickly release their debut, “Kill Shelter, Yes!” in 2011 on End Sounds Records. Co-produced by Wiebe’s High Tension Wires band mate Mark Ryan (who also plays with The Mind Spiders and The Marked Men), “Kill Shelter, Yes!” garnered consistently good reviews and was well received by everyone who has heard it.
Fast-forward a couple years to late 2013. Wiebe’s insatiable drive to write the perfect song still exists. In fact, it never leaves. All three members of Ghost Knife still continue with their other projects, reconvening in Austin when time allows. More gigs follow, playing shows around Texas supporting the likes of Dillinger Four, Radioactivity, and The Dead Milkmen. And, amongst everything else going on, another batch of great songs came together, resulting in what would eventually become their new EP, “Garrote Guarantee” on Twistworthy Records.
Recorded in early 2014 with Grammy winning studio engineer Stuart Sikes, this new four-song EP contains some of the best Ghost Knife material yet. Sikes, whose engineering work on Loretta Lynn’s 2005 album earned him a Grammy, has also worked with many heavyweights of indie rock of the last decade, including The White Stripes, Reigning Sound, Jets To Brazil, Modest Mouse, as well as Wiebe’s own Riverboat Gamblers. Familiarity may have helped Wiebe reach the seemingly unattainable when recording these new songs, as these new Ghost Knife songs are sure to please both old fans while surely converting some new ones as well. Filled with punchy, tuneful melodies and excellent songwriting backed by the air tight rhythm section of White/Pfeffer, front man Mike Wiebe may have finally met his goal as he, along with White and Pfeffer, may have very well just written the perfect song.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.