Rey Osburn - Vocals
Jeff Irwin - Guitar
Cayle Hunter - Guitar
Mike Martin - Bass
Mitch Wheeler - Drums
Ghostride is a musical connection between 5 best friends. It also connects three different styles of music. Three members of the band Jeff Irwin/ guitar, Mike Martin/ Bass, Mitch Wheeler/ Drums are from the now de fuct band Will Haven. Cayle Hunter/ guitar is from the band Oddman, and Rey Osburn/ Vocals is from Tinfed. These three different styles have turned the project ghostride into something truely special.
After spending 9 years touring the world, gracing the cover of Kerrang!, and developing a fan base most bands only dream of, the lead singer for Sacramento, California’s Will Haven, decided to call it quits. Carrying too much momentum along with a chemistry too great to resign, the remaining members decided to continue playing together. Without their front man’s signature sound, guitarist Jeff Irwin, bassist Mike Martin and drummer Mitch Wheeler came to terms with the fact that they would no longer be Will Haven. Rather, they would develop a new sound and new band upon finding a replacement and eventually emerge as GHOSTRIDE.
While the 3 members were in search of a new front man, they were approached by Cayle Hunter, former drummer for Nor Cal band, Oddman. He was interested in pursuing his guitar playing and made the trip to Sacramento to test the waters with the trio. The results were nothing less than powerful, the chemistry was obvious and the music began to fly out of the newly formed unit at a furious pace.
While it was clear to everyone that they were on the right path, the problem was finding a vocalist with the flexibility and talent it would take to fill the most important of roles in the group. After trying out several singers with different ranges and styles, nothing was working. No chemistry, no vibe, no power. But when Jeff suggested that friend Rey Osburn, the singer of one of their all time favorite bands, Tinfed was interested in trying out, it quickly got everyone’s attention. It was unknown whether Rey’s smooth style would even come close to meshing with the heavy sound the musicians had already created, but with Rey’s resume and talent, it was worth a shot.
From the first note of the first song, everyone was shocked to find that Rey had created the perfect style for the music that no one had anticipated; along with the energy and chemistry that the group knew was necessary. The room filled with excitement and anticipation. It was an undeniable chemistry and Ghostride was born. Tinfed was disbanded along with Oddman, as all of the members dove in head-first to the new group.
Immediately Ghostride entered the studio with producer Eric Stenman to capture the new sound on cd. The result was the four song EP that they have since released on their own Distruktor record label. The self titled release displays the bands ability to combine heavy riffs with unique textures and layers that allow for a moody and melodic atmosphere. Cayle explains Ghostride’s objective in writing and recording, “We try to make our sound as big as possible, almost like a heavy metal orchestra, with tons of layers and intricacies, without any overdubs and without having a neo-classical feel. The idea is for us to sound completely original, to create our own sounds that people will be able to borrow from us some day. When you hear one of our songs, we want you to know it’s a Ghostride song right away.”
Currently, the band is putting together the songs for their first full-length release, also to be put out on Distruktor Records. After the release of their full-length they plan to begin an aggressive promotion cycle, which will include tours of the U.S. and Europe. Ghostride’s strong work ethic and dedication to building personal relationships with their fans should help fuel their success and ensure their longevity. |