We The Ghost

The membership of We the Ghost have more chemistry than Breaking Bad - Fort Worth Star Telegram

The music of a new band, We The Ghost, has really captured my attention. At the core of the group is a trio of players, Beau Tyler, Dain Samuelson, and Jimmy Dean Adams. I wanted to know a bit more about them, so I asked if I could do an interview. I first got to know Jimmy when he played with Eric Himan and sister Angel in Eric & the Adams. But I really didn’t know Dain or Beau, save what I got from the music. Thankfully, they agreed, and now I can share it with you.

The first thing I wanted to know was how We The Ghost came to be. “Dain and I have been friends most of our lives,” Beau explained.

“Beau and I have known each other since grade school,” Dain told me, “and have always helped each other out with whatever project either one of us were in at the time. We started a weekly gig at a local hangout. It became apparent that we had a certain chemistry and decided to make it “official,” but we needed some groove. A friend referred Jimmy to Beau and he can tell the story better than I can, so I’ll let him.”

“Though my songs are the starting point, Dain's percussion work is really the center of the band,” Beau offered. “But with only two members, we found ourselves somewhat... off-centered. While we were looking for a bass player, someone had told Jimmy Adams to contact us.”

“I met Beau and Dain at a gig they were playing together,” Jimmy chimed in. “Beau asked if I was playing with anyone and if I'd be interested in trying them. I showed up and it just took off.”

“From the moment I met him, before I ever even heard him play, I knew he was our guy. It was a lucky guess, I suppose,” Beau added, “because it turns out he's a PHENOMENAL bass player.”
The next step is an important one, to be sure. Once you’ve agreed to be a band, how did the dynamics work in the creative process?

“With We The Ghost,” Dain told me, “we have had it REALLY easy. We flow together so well, on and off the stage.”

Beau agreed, saying “It's been really easy for us. I simply write the songs... Bring it to the members... And say ‘make it better.’ And they do.”

“I feel like I've been lucky with the bands I've been in and how well the pieces fit,” Jimmy honestly told me. “And this is just one of those unexplainable mixes of people.”

“On the other end,” Beau interjected, “our personalities really seem to balance each other out and complement one another very well. “

Dain summed it, explaining, “The creative process came very easy. We respect each other’s opinions and ideas, and accept the fact that some of those opinions or ideas may not be the best sometimes. We are all very creative people at heart, so there is a list of ideas and visions that will make their way onto future albums.”

Okay, so now that we have some guys who enjoy playing together, how would you define your own sound?

I’ll let Jimmy start the discussion. “I would say its acoustic based, Poppy feel good music,” he offered with a laugh. “I'm not sure what genre you'd put that in other than Pop. It definitely has some Blues and Rock undertones.”

How would Beau describe the hybrid sound of their music? “Acoustic Rock with Hip Hop leanings,” he said, simply.

Of course, Dain wouldn’t let me off so easily. “Indefinable. You tell us,” he said smiling, “because that is one of the many responses we want from our fans.” But when pushed for his thoughts, “It has Hip Hop, Rock, Pop, and acoustic influences,” he answered. “It’s something we want you to feel rather that define.”

With so many influences on the music, I had to know what inspires them. “I’m inspired by a lot of stuff,” Dain started out, “but I’ll give you a list of what is on rotation at the moment: Foo Fighters, Motopony, Cold War Kids, Steel Panther, The Black Keys, Kings of Leon, Dirty Heads, Glassjaw, Jay-Z & Kanye, just to name a few.”

“Anything REAL!” Beau exclaimed. “Anything where I can feel the passion of the singer, and hopefully sing along as well. That's it really. If the band is tigh - Soundtrack To My Day [Award Winning Music Blog]

Normally, when a new band comes together between a handful of already accomplished musicians, you have a fairly good idea of what to expect. Take a look around at their previous bands and what they contributed, then make an estimation of what their combined efforts would yield and you generally get a fairly close approximation. Every once in a while, however, you find a true case of the old adage "The whole is greater than the sum of the parts" and you get something almost completely foreign from your expectations.

With the arrival of We The Ghost, Tulsa has spawned one of those bands. Centered around the core of songwriter Beau Tyler (formerly of Shorelines End and Rescue Signals) and Dain Samuelson (previously of Stephen Speaks) with bassist Jimmy Adams (of Eric & the Adams), I admittedly approached this group expecting something more geared toward alt-rock with a pop leaning. Although that description may not be completely off track, the music itself and chemistry within the band is far from what I had imagined.

Looking back, Tyler and Samuelson are childhood friends who have played together casually for years. After Tyler had relocated back to Tulsa, however, the two finally started playing together, sharing the stage in an acoustic setup. Revolving around songs that Tyler had written and a selection of covers, the two found their natural fit and started developing a small but loyal following. Eventually, Jimmy Adams joined the fold in a move of blind faith and immediate chemistry.

As Adams tells it, he was looking for a solid gig where he would fit in and got a recommendation to play with Tyler and Samuelson. "I hadn't even met Beau before, but I came out to The Brewhouse to see them play and he saw me and said 'Our new bass player is here' and introduced me before we had even played together," he laughed.

Sometimes gut instincts are just unexplainably correct, as Adams settled in and fit almost immediately, filling out the groove for Tyler's songs and locking in with Samuelson.

This isn't your typical power trio, however. Instead of the expected bass, drums and electric guitar, Samuelson plays djembe and Tyler sticks to primarily acoustic guitar, giving the songs a more organic sound and feel. Although the songs are definitely contemporary and would fit in on alt-rock stations like The Edge (Z104.5FM), they have a distinctly different feel, combining pop sensibilities with hip-hop undertones and an occasional Caribbean vibe.

It's a sound that's hard to describe, but that's fine with the band. Although the band acknowledges its pop and hip hop cornerstones, Tyler shared that "I don't really think it matters how it's classified. So far people have seemed to like our music. We're just putting it out there and letting the fans decide what to call it."

Perhaps what is most impressive is how much Tyler's songwriting has grown. Instead of feeling forced or formulaic, the songs have a natural flow to them and the trio's strengths really shine through as Tyler, Adams and Samuelson play off of each other.

When discussing this with Tyler, he shared "That's because it is natural. This is the first time I haven't written everything and had to tell the other people in the band what to play. I just bring the song to Dain and Jimmy and they write their own parts -- we're all on the same page and it works."



Chemistry Within.
We The Ghost recently made its live debut as a full band with a show at Fishbonz, opening for RadioRadio on Jan. 27, and received an enthusiastic response. The group's sound gets even larger with an augmented lineup that includes Matt McHan on guitar, Kris Stone on piano and Branjae Jackson on background vocals, but doesn't lose the free flowing and natural vibe. If anything, it magnifies it and gives it even more swagger and soul with a little more muscle behind it and Jackson's indelibly smooth vocals layering in behind Tyler.

An initial club date in Dallas (where Tyler was locate - Urban Tulsa Newspaper

"Next up was a band from Tulsa, Oklahoma, We the Ghost, who were one of the most original bands I think I have ever seen. Beau stood at center stage, and on stage left was the bands bass player as well as their percussionist, who played a bongo. Stage right held a backing female vocalist and an electric guitarist, while the groups keyboard player was set up back on the drum riser. And the stage setup wasn’t the only thing different about the band. At times Beau’s singing style seemed to mimic that of Hip-Hop, while on others it sounded more Reggae, and then there were times where it seemed to be a mix of both genres. They fit several songs into their set that pushed 40 minutes, and I found myself liking each one more than the last. I was legitimately blown away by these guys, I mean, WOW. I’ve seen Beau in several different bands, but in my opinion, this is easily the best thing I’ve seen him do." - The Music Enthusiast

"With a half dozen acts and that much talent, it's hard to call anyone the main headliner of the evening, but with seven nominations for this year's ABoT music awards, We The Ghost is inarguably the hottest band in Tulsa right now. We've already spotlighted the band when it held the release party for its Mixtape Summer EP, but that was just the beginning of the ride for these guys. Beau Tyler started out in Tulsa, moved to Dallas and has been part of more than a half dozen bands, but none of them have sounded as natural as this project as he pairs up with Dain Samuelson and Jimmy Adams. Add Branjae Jackson to the mix with Matt McHan on guitars and Kris Stone on keyboards and the band has grown even more. The band is up for best male and female vocals, band of the year, best newcomer and album of the year. When a band is this hot, there's no way we can't have them be part of the show."
- Urban Tulsa Newspaper