Phantoms

Seattle-based rock band, phantoms, was born in June of 2009, when singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, Johnny (25), formerly singer/songwriter for Dating Delilah, decided it was time to abandon the power-struggle that came with collaborative songwriting within a band framework. Weary of egos, and indecision, Johnny decided to start a project in which he could express exactly what he heard in his own mind, heart and soul.

Disengaging from the world around him, Johnny locked himself away in his home-studio, seldom venturing out for sustenance or the occasional social foray. Re-appearing a month later with 16 fully recorded tracks in hand, phantoms had been born. Quickly assembling his live band, Johnny recruited guitarist John Luzzi (27) formerly of Love on the Rocks, drummer Nick Anderson (27) Luzzi’s long time musical counterpart, keyboardist Trong Nguyen (29) Johnny’s long-time friend, and bassist Doug Rehfeldt (31) a prominent studio musician in Los Angeles and now Seattle. Almost immediately, local Seattle radio station, 1077 The End asked the band to open one of their shows. Playing to a packed house, phantoms set the tone for their live shows, making the statement that they were not just another local band but a musical force set to invade the collective psyche of the Seattle music scene.

Now, almost a year later, phantoms is on the tip of everyone’s tongue. With their debut EP slated for release May 11th, regional dates to follow and a summer tour booked, the momentum and excitement in the air is corporeal; phantoms is set to make inroads into the hearts, minds and souls of the world.

When asked about the band name Johnny says, “This world is fleeting. Most people are so sure of what they believe, they don’t take the time to explore or even accept other possibilities. And what’s sadder, most people believe what they believe because somebody told them to.” He laments, “We race around with blinders on chasing carrots dangled by hidden masters, phantom slave drivers who will work us to our last breath; creating a false ladder for us to climb, a maze to keep us occupied, an impossible and un-fulfilling dream that we will never reach. So in one sense they are the phantoms that I speak of, yet we are all phantoms. It’s a phantom reality that we live in, an image that appears only in the mind; an illusion. What I want is for people to wake up.”