In 2003, Ben Thornewill, Tommy Siegel and Jesse Kristin met at George Washington University in Washington D.C. and later formed an indie rock band. Two years later they named themselves Jukebox the Ghost.
Thornewill, Siegel and Kristin began their career touring along side Ben Folds, Jack’s Mannequin and the like during 2008-2010. On September 1, 2010, they made their network debut on David Letterman to perform their single “Schizophrenia” live in front of a studio audience.
Our “favorite thing about performing live is the idea of communicating with a sea of strangers and showing them our character without the use of dialogue,” Kristin said.
With an active touring schedule since the release of their first album “Let Live & Let Ghosts” in 2008, the three-man team developed a following. When signing a rental agreement on a house, the group realized the depth of their fan base.
“Well this friend of ours also owned a record label in North Carolina which we, by pure coincidence, were in the process of signing with at the time, and out of all the row-houses in Philly we wound up in his,” Kristin said, “From fan to friend to landlord to label. Small world, no?”
After hearing their music through a friend, senior Amira Fuller sought them out and saw them on stage at The Firebird, located in downtown St. Louis, on July 12, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.
“The concert was a really chill and personal. It made the songs more enjoyable since you were not behind jumping and screaming teenage girls,” Fuller said. “The drummer, Jesse, used maracas, threw them in the air and caught them. What a beast.”
During the time when not on stage, the band members fill themselves with cultural hobbies.
“Ben loves following European soccer and occasionally playing it with his friends. Tommy is a news junkie who compulsively checks news sites. I paint when inspiration hits. I’m also a big big fan of eating not so healthy Chinese food in front of Law and Order reruns. That’s a hobby, right?” Kristin said.
With three albums over a four year span, the band has grown. “Dead,” from their newest album, Safe Travels, has generated over seven thousand views on YouTube.
“It shows more restraint and focus in sound, mood, arrangement and performance than we, as a band, have ever accomplished before,” Kristin said, “Sometimes an understated voice can increase the heart rate or draw a tear better than a wild one.”
As a member of a band who came to fame as a young college student, Kristin wants students to experience life.
“Balance high hopes with low expectations. Believe firmly in your voice and your work, but also remember that every day is what you make of it, not what others make of you and your goals. I played my first show in front of my friends when I was about 12. They watched, they cheered. I had made it. Rock star status forever confirmed,” Kristin said.
