Ghost Hounds

Ghost Hounds emerged as a Pittsburgh-rooted rock outfit steeped in blues influences, assembled under the direction of Thomas Tull, a guitarist, songwriter, and business figure who launched the project near the peak of his success with Legendary Entertainment, the firm behind such films as The Hangover, The Dark Knight Rises, and Jurassic World. After divesting his stake in that company, Tull reentered music by assembling a refreshed lineup, issuing the blues-infused Roses Are Black in 2019, and securing support slots alongside ZZ Top, the Rolling Stones, and Bob Seger. The group shifted toward a stronger classic-rock emphasis on the 2021 release Little Calamity before balancing both stylistic threads across You Broke Me in 2022 and First Last Time in 2024.

Tull originated an earlier edition of the band during his residence in Los Angeles throughout the 2000s. By 2009 he had finished a self-titled album under producer Nile Rodgers, yet the demands of Legendary Entertainment sidelined further activity; his colleagues Ty Taylor and Nalle Colt subsequently joined Vintage Trouble. Roughly ten years afterward, Tull reactivated Ghost Hounds with fresh partners, enlisting David Grissom—whose résumé includes work with John Mellencamp and the Allman Brothers Band—alongside Kevin Bowe, a veteran of sessions with Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, to develop material. The songs that became Roses Are Black were tracked with Vance Powell, known for prior collaborations with the White Stripes, Arctic Monkeys, and Chris Stapleton, while engineer Eddie Kramer also participated.

Once the collection was complete—featuring a rendition of Cliff Richard’s “Devil Woman”—Tull recruited a performing unit that included keyboardist Joe Munroe, guitarist Johnny Baab, bassist Bennett Miller, drummer Blaise Lanzetta, and vocalist Tre’ Nation. This configuration issued Roses Are Black in November 2019, deliberately choosing a Tuesday to align with the pre-2015 U.S. convention for new releases. The album’s promotion encompassed opening dates for ZZ Top, Bob Seger, and the Rolling Stones. Little Calamity, the follow-up from 2021, accentuated the band’s classic-rock foundation through the lead track “Good Old Days,” while the 2022 effort You Broke Me returned to a heavier blues emphasis.

With Tyler Chiarelli now handling lead guitar, Ghost Hounds opened for Guns N’ Roses late in 2023 at the same moment First Last Time appeared, spotlighting the single “Last Train to Nowhere.” Shortly thereafter the group welcomed SAVNT—born Stephan Marcellus and a contestant on season 13 of The Voice—as vocalist, while Sydney Driver assumed the drum chair on a permanent basis.