SXSW 2012

When MILES ZUNIGA set out to record his new solo record THESE GHOSTS HAVE BONES, he didn't set out to make an album like the multi-platinum band from whence he came, Fastball. It wasn't a group record but one to exorcise the pain from the end of a 10 year relationship. "Waking up in an empty house, it was nice to have somewhere to go," he says of the recording process. "My basic attitude was that I would get the record done with whoever was able to come in that day." Enlisting the likes of bassist Bruce Hughes (Bob Schneider, Jason Mraz) and drummer John Chipman (Band of Heathens), Miles created an album deep in emotion but exuberant in melodies.
Released on September 27, 2011 on his own label 33 1/3 Records (via Redeye Distribution), These Ghost Have Bones was not only therapeutic but also a positive reinforcement of his effect on his fans who have supported him since Fastball's 1996 debut Make Your Mama Proud and their commercial breakthrough All The Pain That Money Can Buy, which yielded such massive hits as "The Way", "Fire Escape" and "Out of My Head." These fans supported him by donating to his successful Kickstarter campaign that far exceeded his initial goal. "I was stoked that my fans believed in me and responded so quickly," he says. "I like the new paradigm. I was always making music for the people listening but I never really knew who those people were. Now I do."
In addition to Hughes and Chipman, Miles was accompanied by rising star Kat Edmonson, guitarists Kevin McKinney and Jeff Plankenhorn (Courtyard Hounds) and Justin Sherburn (Okkervil River) on keyboards. Mixed by the legendary Bob Clearmountain (Rolling Stones, Roxy Music, David Bowie), These Ghosts Have Bones is a lush and melodic album rife with the kind of sharp pop hooks that Miles is well-known for - from the opening pop opus "Marfa Moonlight" to the harmonic rock of "Rock Paper Scissors", to the melancholic loneliness of "Elizabeth" to the achingly sad acoustic ballad "You Can't Break My Heart." The cliche is that the best music comes from heartbreak. I'm sad to report that it's totally true."
When asked as to the significance of the enigmatic title, he reveals that its origin actually comes from his own pride and joy. "These Ghosts Have Bones was something my son said to me while we were playing Ms. Pac Man," he beams. "You know when Ms. Pac Man eats the dot and the ghosts start to flash? He said, 'Daddy, These ghosts have bones.' I used to think of love as something that comes and goes but these ghosts have bones....you know what I mean? Thanks, son."