The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger is an American band formed in 2008 by

Sean Lennon is an American–British musician, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and half-brother to Julian Lennon. Over the course of his career, he has been a member of the bands Cibo Matto, The ...

and

Charlotte Kemp Muhl Charlotte Kemp Muhl (born August 17, 1987), also known as Kemp Muhl, is an American singer-songwriter, writer, model and film director from Atlanta, Georgia. She is best known as a model for Maybelline. Muhl has been in a relationship with Sea ...

. The couple have stated that they started the band as a way to spend more time together, and while they released a number of recordings and went on tours as a duo, they consider ''Midnight Sun'', released in April 2014, their first real record. Their tour to support the release of the album in May and June 2014 included opening for Beck as he started the East Coast leg of his tour that year.

History

The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger was formed in 2008 by musician

and his girlfriend, musician/

model A model is an informative representation of an object, person or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin ''modulus'', a measure. Models c ...

. The name of the band is from a short story written by Muhl. Kemp and Lennon met in 2004 at the

Coachella Music Festival The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly called the Coachella Festival or simply Coachella) is an annual music festival, music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Col ...

. In an interview with the UK publication ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...

'', Lennon commented on their relationship: "Charlotte hadn’t even heard "

Strawberry Fields Forever "Strawberry Fields Forever" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released on 13 February 1967 as a double A-side single with " Penny Lane". It represented a departu ...

" when I met her," Lennon said. "And she knew nothing about my mum. Her parents thought I was just a delinquent, by virtue of association with the famous hippie delinquents. So it was nice because it was like a bridging of gaps and a collision of galaxies." Both Lennon and Muhl are

multi-instrumentalist A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays two or more musical instruments at a professional level of proficiency. Also known as doubling, the practice allows greater ensemble flexibility and more efficient employment of musicians, where ...

s. Among the instruments the band uses, are the guitar, drums, and also the bayan. Muhl, also a successful model, has been featured in Maybelline campaigns, as well as Jennifer Lopez's clothing brand J Lo. She uses funds from her modeling work to fund her musical endeavours. Sean Lennon with band 400

''Jardin Du Luxembourg''

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

winning record producer

Mark Ronson Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He is best known for his collaborations with artists such as Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, R ...

collaborated with The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger to produce a single in 2010: ''Jardin Du Luxembourg'' backed with ''Comic Strip.''

''Acoustic Sessions''

''Acoustic Sessions'', was released in late October 2010 through their own label, Chimera Music, and was recorded in their own home studio.' Lennon told Spinner that it's supposed to convey to listeners the idea of hearing them alone in a living room: "It's almost rough sounding, but hopefully in a charming way. It's mostly acoustic guitar, some piano, some

vibraphone The vibraphone is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone is called a ''vibraphonist,'' ''vibraharpist ...

Reception

''Acoustic Sessions'' was released to generally positive reviews: In October 2010, the Canadian publication ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'' rated ''Acoustic Sessions'' its ''Disc of the Week'': "The album charms like a countryside circus. You wonder if the Hendersons will all be there, late of

Pablo Fanque Pablo Fanque (born William Darby; 30 March 1810 – 4 May 1871) was a British equestrian performer and circus proprietor, becoming the first recorded Black circus owner in Britain. His circus was popular in Victorian Britain for 30 years, a p ...

’s fair – what a scene, you bet." In the November 2010 issue of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' a reviewer described their sound as "sunny" and psychedelic, and gave it a rating of 3.5 stars out of 5. A reviewer for

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

had the following to say about ''Acoustic Sessions'': "Listening to Acoustic Sessions is like stepping into a magical world where a smiling sun shines on fields of dancing flowers while winged creatures flit about in the fragrant air."

''La Carotte Bleue''

''La Carotte Bleue'' was available at live shows and on their website. It featured a more electronic sound than their previous album and included many re-workings of songs from ''Acoustic Sessions''. Both tracks from the ''Jardin Du Luxembourg'' single were also included on this release.

''Midnight Sun''

Years in development and previewed first on NPR's First Listen, ''Midnight Sun'' was released on April 29, 2014 on Chimera Music and received strong critical response. A departure from their previous more acoustic efforts, critics were almost universally positive about the album, with Metacritic giving it a composite 82 rating. “''Midnight Sun'' positively slays,” ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

s Jeremy Allen opined in his 8/10 review, summarizing: “Midnight scorchio, more like.” Gregory Heaney’s four out of five star review in

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

wrote: “With its eclectic instrumentation and crunchy production (mixed by the master himself, Dave Fridmann), Lennon and Muhl create a musical landscape where seemingly anything can happen.” And Luke O'Neil in the ''

Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...

'' described Midnight Sun as “an accomplished, enjoyable record from start to finish, regardless of references or lineage.” Other reviews include: *'' Mojo'' - April 28, 2014- "Out-of-body transmissions that channel Bends-era Radiohead, Syd Barrett whimsy and woozy melodic weirdness. 4 stars ****" * ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...

'', UK - 25 April 2014 " rking behind the cosmicity, there’s usually a solid pop hook." *Zachary Houle -

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

- May 15, 2014 "Midnight Sun is a near perfect album. It remains wholly consistent, and evokes a certain time and era of music that doesn’t often get heard very much anymore." *''

'' - Will Hermes - April 29, 2014 “ ke a playful mix of Sixties and Seventies tropes. Overall, the set could use some emotional weight to match the level of wit and craft.

Composition

A substantially more electrified album than their previous efforts but with a wide range of styles within its dozen songs, Midnight Sun is a unique, diverse album that is both retro and forward leaning, with clear psychedelic rock and

neo-psychedelia Neo-psychedelia is a diverse genre of psychedelic music that draws inspiration from the sounds of 1960s psychedelia, either updating or copying the approaches from that era. Originating in the 1970s, it has occasionally seen mainstream pop su ...

influences that fans and critics have pointed to including the Beatles during their pre and post '' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'' period, the Rolling Stones' ''

Their Satanic Majesties Request ''Their Satanic Majesties Request'' is the 6th British and 8th American studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released in December 1967 by Decca Records in the UK and by London Records in the US. It is their first to be relea ...

'', as well as Pink Floyd,

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...

, and, because of their harmonies, the

Beach Boys A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shell ...

, as well as contemporary artists such as Beck,

Flaming Lips Flaming may refer to: * Anything set aflame or on fire * Flaming (Internet), the act of posting deliberately hostile messages on the Internet * Flame maple, the striped figures in maple woodwork prized for their beauty * Fläming, a region in ...

and

Tame Impala Tame Impala is the psychedelic music project of Australian multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker. In the recording studio, Parker writes, records, performs, and produces all of the project's music. As a touring act, Tame Impala consists of Parke ...

. In a 2014 interview, Kemp Muhl cited Jimi Hendrix, Syd Barrett and Bach as influences. In an interview with the ''Boston Herald'' in June 2014, Lennon stated "It’s easy to hear influences like the Beatles and Pink Floyd, but honestly we’re inspired by more than what you’d expect,” Lennon said. “Miles Davis, Stravinsky, film and narrative play a role. A lot of people hear that it’s a psychedelic record and think it sounds like ’67 to ’70. To some degree, that’s true, but there’s more to it."

Production

Recorded at The Farm in Delaware County, New York by Matthew Cullen and Andris Balins, Kemp Muhl stated in an interview to support the album: “Midnight Sun we consider our first real record, it's the one we spent the most time on. We brought in

Dave Fridmann David Lawrence Fridmann is an American record producer and musician. Career From 1990 onwards he co-produced most releases by Mercury Rev and The Flaming Lips. Other bands he has worked with include Weezer, Saxon Shore, Neon Indian, Wolf Gang, ...

(

Mercury Rev Mercury Rev is an American indie rock band formed in 1989 in Buffalo, New York.
Original personnel were MGMT) to mix it and that made a huge difference. Everything else we did ourselves.” Eleven of the twelve songs on the album were produced by The GOASTT, with the exception of Johanessburg, which was produced by

. Kemp Muhl indicated in the same interview with the Vancouver Courier, that she and Lennon played the majority of the instruments and she played the bass, keyboards and some guitar, but they brought the new band members in for some overdubs. All vocals on the album are by Lennon and Kemp Muhl and all songs written by them except Golden Earring, which was written by Evans, Livingston, and Young.

Additional notes

*Xanadu YouTube Mix *Animals on Letterman, May 3, 2014 *Animals Official Video- Director's Cut on Vimeo *"Golden Earrings", the only cover on the album was originally from a 1947 movie ''

Golden Earrings ''Golden Earrings'' is a 1947 romantic spy film made by Paramount Pictures and starring Ray Milland and Marlene Dietrich. It was directed by Mitchell Leisen and produced by Harry Tugend from a screenplay by Frank Butler, Helen Deutsch and Ab ...

'' that Peggy Lee turned into a hit and was later covered by the band Gandalf in the late 1960s. *In an interview with Jessie Opoien of The Capital Times, Lennon tells how he likes the narrative of "Don't Look Back Orpheus," describing him as "the Johnny B. Goode, the Jimi Hendrix, the Ziggy Stardust of ancient Greece." They had recently purchased an air-powered organ that they called Calliope, which is the name of Orpheus' mother, and used Calliope to play through the song, with keyboard player Jared Samuel, adding a solo to the song.

Midnight Sun Tour

Just after the release of the album, The GOASTT embarked on a tour of twenty-seven venues in the U.S. and Canada beginning May 2 and running to the Mountain Jam Festival in Hunter, NY on June 8, 2014. This would be followed by an additional nine dates in the eastern U.S. and Canada, seven of which opened for Beck. They continued to tour in 2015, headlining venues and eventually opening for Primus as well as Florence and the Machine In addition to Lennon and Kemp Muhl, The GOASTT road band includes members of the Brooklyn-based Invisible Familiars, with drummer Tim Kuhl, Jared Samuel on keyboards, and Robbie Mangano on guitars. Review of the Denver Concert: “Teetering between a darkly groovy psych vibe to ’70s funk to Brian Wilson-inspired vocal harmonies, the band covered a wide range of sonic territory...Lennon closed with a gorgeous rendition of the Hendrix classic “Little Wing” that sent the exuberant crowd out into warm summer night with big smiles." GOASTT often finished their sets with the Syd Barrett tune "Long Gone" S. Victor Aaron in Something Else Reviews wrote: "The Ghost of A Saber Tooth Tiger brings the full band to bear on the song, busting out of the tune’s seams with heavy tones from guitars, Muhl’s organ and Tim Kuhl’s discriminating drums as the song descends into the metal bombast waiting at the end the chorus."

Charity

The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger played a benefit concert in August 2010, with all the proceeds going to support the Woodstock

Animal Sanctuary An animal sanctuary is a facility where animals are brought to live and to be protected for the rest of their lives. Pattrice Jones, co-founder of VINE Sanctuary defines an animal sanctuary as "a safe-enough place or relationship within the cont ...

in New York.

Discography

*''Acoustic Sessions'' (2010) *''La Carotte Bleue'' (2011) *''

Midnight Sun The midnight sun is a natural phenomenon that occurs in the summer months in places north of the Arctic Circle or south of the Antarctic Circle, when the Sun remains visible at the local midnight. When the midnight sun is seen in the Arctic, ...

'' (2014)

Media response

With the release of ''Midnight Su''n in April 2014, The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger received substantial media coverage in a variety of publications and online media, exploring the nature of their music, relationship and how the band connects to Lennon's musical heritage. Prior to that GOASTT appeared in a two-page spread in '' Vanity Fair'', where they were photographed by famed French photographer

Patrick Demarchelier Patrick Demarchelier (; 21 August 1943 – 31 March 2022) was a French fashion photographer. Early life and education Born near Paris in 1943 to a modest family, Demarchelier spent his childhood in Le Havre, Normandy, with his mother and four ...

. In the article Lennon described the musical relationship with Kemp as having parallels to the relationship between his father

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

and writing partner

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

, and said his writing relationship with Kemp is like "intellectual

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

". In ''

Italian Vogue ''Vogue Italia'' is the Italian edition of ''Vogue'' magazine. Owned by Condé Nast International, it has been called the top fashion magazine in the world. It's been in publication since 1964. Name ''Vogue Italia'' was first published as ''No ...

'', a reviewer described their sound as "soft and dreamy and evokes 60s French Pop and Folk Pops' Bohemian Gypsie atmosphere." For the fall 2010 issue of ''

Purple Purple is any of a variety of colors with hue between red and blue. In the RGB color model used in computer and television screens, purples are produced by mixing red and blue light. In the RYB color model historically used by painters, ...

'', Lennon and Kemp recreated the iconic picture of

and

Yoko Ono Yoko Ono ( ; ja, 小野洋子, Ono Yōko, usually spelled in katakana ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up i ...

taken by famous photographer

Annie Leibovitz Anna-Lou Leibovitz ( ; born October 2, 1949) is an American portrait photographer best known for her engaging portraits, particularly of celebrities, which often feature subjects in intimate settings and poses. Leibovitz's Polaroid photo of Jo ...

for the cover of ''

'' in 1981. The picture of Kemp and Lennon was taken by photographer Terry Richardson. In ''Rolling Stone'' magazine, Lennon told interviewer

Austin Scaggs Austin Scaggs is an American music critic and a contributing editor for ''Rolling Stone'' magazine. He's also written for ''Men's Journal''. His father is musician Boz Scaggs. Early life Scaggs was born to Boz and Carmella Scaggs. Jann Wenner ( ...

about the musical dynamics of his relationship with Kemp, juxtaposed with that of

and

: "They were unified as a message and a movement, but she didn't want to write songs with my dad. ... emp and Ilove to collaborate. We just have a chemistry." They have also performed on '' Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' and '' Conan''.

Interviews

*Interview with the

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

*Interview with the

New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger American musical duos American folk rock groups Musical groups established in 2008 Musical groups from New York City Male–female musical duos