Q&A: The Ghost Town Rebellion

Genre: Outlaw Americana Rock

Winning Category: Rock

Members/Instruments:Shawn Peter (vocals/guitar/trumpet/banjo/lap steel/keys), Mike Shivley (vocals/guitar/lap steel), Steven Martin (drums/percussion), Jacob Crain (bass), Joel Case (vocals/organ/keys).

What was the first song you learned to play?

As a group, we learned our first single “Poverty Ridge.”

What’s a big musical inspiration that would most surprise your fans?

Frank Sinatra.

What drives you to keep playing even though the music industry can be so harsh?

Music industry? What’s that?

What’s your favorite local artist/group (other than yourself, smartypants)?

Too hard to pick just one, but our favorites at the moment are Drop Dead Red, Shotgun Sawyer, ONOFF, 50-Watt Heavy, Whoville, Cities You Wish You Were From, Kill The Precedent, The Pine Street Ramblers, Sacramento Story Tellers, Bastards of Young, Solanum, Arthur Mulcahy & Road Side Flare, Psychosomatic, Sages and Adam Roth.

What did you want to be when you were 7?

To be in a rock band.

How do you describe your music to people?

Grit rock. Grungy, bluesy and swamp with a bit of country/Americana.

What’s your favorite jam from the ’90s?

“Smells Like Nirvana” by “Weird Al” Yankovic.

Name a recent personal food trend.

Water and bread.

What’s something most of your friends don’t know about you?

We suffer from complete happiness while creating and performing!