Ghost Deserters

Originally formed in early 2006, a mere two weeks before their first performance, the Ghost Deserters have continued to gain momentum and explore their unique sound.
Composed of six very talented individuals with varying musical backgrounds, many of whom are classically trained, the band constantly pushes the limits of the Swing-Rock category to which their music ostensibly belongs. The Ghost Deserters' distinctly grassroots sound is aided by electric stand-up bass, classic keyboard and guitar tones, a revolving door of unusual instruments, and a female backing vocal section. An amalgam of several past bands, they distill reggae backbeats, rockabilly drive/energy and folk lyricism into delectable moonshine.

The band originated with the partnership of recording engineer and producer Mike Rocha (stand-up bass), and Mike Chomez (guitar, vocals), collaborators since grunge cover bands were a musical pre-requisite. As the primary writers for the band, they brought together Roach’s background in funk and rock, and Chomez’s roots in old-school reggae and ska, and they began to create the Ghost Deserters' voodoo magic in their first track, “Footsteps”. Now all that remained was to find other musicians who could bring their own talent and experience to the creative process, and find them they did. Enter drummer Alan White, whose extensive musical experience tends towards funk and soul, and keyboardist The Infamous Bajcar, whose ability to fit a Mario Brothers pop culture medley into the same musical sentence as Mozart keeps both audiences and the rest of the band on their toes. Rounding out the vocal performance are the two female backup singers: Queenly Lee, a classically trained operatic voice, and Leah Erbe, a talented songwriter and lyricist whose ability to keep the band on track is as impressive as her vocal talent.

The Ghost Deserters have performed at some of Toronto’s top venues, including Clinton’s Tavern, the El Mocambo, and the legendary Horseshoe Tavern. They released their self-titled EP in September 2006, and are currently hard at work recording a full-length album of original tracks at their private studio and production facility in the heart of downtown Toronto.