Melodic Rock band GHOSTS OF SUNSET releases ‘No Saints in the City’ album
American pop metal duo GHOSTS OF SUNSET have released their debut full length album, No Saints in the City, through Golden Robot Records. Singer / guitarist John Merchant and multi-instrumentalist Todd Long (ex-Verve Pipe) first came to attention in 2020 with their self-released and well received six song Ep, ‘Headed West’ which initially brought them to the attention of the growing Australian label.
With the COVID pandemic halting so many band’s recording sessions, it had the exact opposite effect on the duo as they worked on the new album. “Covid worked in our favour, actually” according to Long. “Since we self-produced the record, it gave us time to really be able to work on the songs since everyone was working from home. It also helped us pull in some players who were not on the road.” Those guests included guitarists, Scotty Griffin (Riley’s LA Guns), Alex Kane (Life Sex & Death / Enuff Z’ Nuff) , Eric Jayk (Wildstreet), Mark Tremalgia (Little Caesar), Denny Smith (The Great Affairs), Lou Musa (The Verve Pipe), Mark Knight (ex Bang Tango), James Stevenson (Gene Loves Jezebel) and Loren Molinare (Little Caesar), all of whom provided guest solos on each of the albums eleven songs, aside from “Tonight You’re Ok,” which Merchant handled himself.
The intent of No Saints in the City is to take listeners on a guided tour of the world inside the world of New York City (although it could truly be any large city, anywhere in the world.) Merchant explains, “After completing the “concept” EP (‘Headed West’), I started to discover that for me as a writer, it helped to place characters and story arcs in “locations”. It’s not that everything we write is a concept, but I found it useful to learn a little about where these characters are from. Unless it’s something that’s more internal like “If You’re Not Coming Back”, getting a feel for the characters day to day surroundings seems to really help. I had been deep into the late 1970s and early 1980s NYC scene and that really came out in “Saints”. I mean from the Village to CBGBs to the introduction of crack cocaine, to the crooked cops of the seven-five, it just seemed like it was overflowing with stories wanting to be told.”
The album is out now.
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