The Ghost of Paul Revere’s call-and-response melodies, sing-along hooks, and layered harmonies reflect the communal, inviting nature of the alt-country trio’s signature sound.
And the popular rowdy pickers from the north are bringing that infectious foot-stomping sound to WGBH for a Live at Fraser performance on 9/30. Tickets are on sale now.
Max Davis (banjo), Sean McCarthy (bass) and Griffin Sherry (guitar) have been at it since 2011, building the foundation of their collective sound for the Ghost of Paul Revere. In 2012 they released their first album, an EP titled North and in 2014 their debut album Believe. They continued with their 2015 EP Field Notes Vol. 1, recorded in a single day at Converse's Rubber Tracks studio in Boston. The session was part of a prize package presented by the Newport Folk Festival. They invited the Ghost of Paul Revere to perform that year as part of a lineup featuring James Taylor, Jason Isbell, The Lone Bellow and Bela Fleck.
When it was time to record their second album Monarch, the Ghost of Paul Revere was ready to push the sonic envelope. "Every other record has just been the three of us in a room with microphones until we got a take we liked," explained Sherry in a release. "We approached this one differently. It was the first time we did a lot of arranging and writing in the studio. We decided we'd worry about learning how to present the songs live after we'd recorded everything instead of the other way around."
"It enabled us to get a lot more adventurous with our ideas," added McCarthy. "We wanted to do something new and explore where we could take the sound while still staying true to who we are.”
"The album follows this arc where it starts very bright-eyed and optimistic and then hits a turning point where it gets really dark," said Sherry, "like a relationship that starts beautifully and then grows sour. As we started to build the record and expand the sound, it had a place sonically and emotionally.”
If there’s one takeaway from Monarch, it’s that change is inevitable, and the key to thriving is to embrace it.
The album debuted in October 2017, and its critical praise earned them an appearance on Conan in January 2018. In 2019 The Ghost of Paul Revere released a new single, “Wolves b/w Ghostland,” and their song “Ballad of the 20th Maine” became the official state ballad of Maine.
Word is spreading about the eclectic American folk sound of the Maine-based band. And their loyalty and artistic grace has earned them a rapidly growing community of fans that they can count on to join them for every step of the remarkable journey that lies ahead.
Get tickets to the Ghost of Paul Revere’s 9/30 performance at WGBH here. Joining them will be the Boston-based, Grammy-nominated country artist Ashley Jordan.
