The unique Ghosthouse sound can be traced to the eight-track tape player of the family car of lead vocalist and songwriter, Sam Lapides. In the beginning, Sam was force-fed a steady diet of Beatles, Rolling Stones and Vanilla Fudge by his older siblings and later the guilty pleasures of Black Sabbath, Steve Miller Band, Alice Cooper and Jimi Hendrix. To make matters worse, Mrs. Lapides serenaded him with country music on the drive to school. Somehow from all the chaotic musical influences blaring from a '63 Chevy Impala, Sam forged the strong lyrical style that is the Ghosthouse sound.
Sam Lapides started out as a drummer but when he learned he had a voice and a knack for songwriting, Sam retired from drumming to devote his energies in becoming a guitar-strumming troubadour. Sam recruited a band to give life to his musical ambitions. Folkminers developed a rapid local following and wasted no time in releasing an EP in 1987 that sold out of two pressings. Dissatisfied with the limits of a small town music scene, Sam traveled first to Boston but eventually settled in Los Angeles.
Still not quite sure that LA was the place for him, Sam began to play acoustic sets on the boardwalk at Venice Beach. One day while performing The Dream Syndicate's »Burn«, the song's author, Steve Wynn happened to walk by. Being drawn by the familiar sound of the song, Wynn waited until Sam finished the song and with a smile inquired which Grateful Dead song he was playing. Steve Wynn remained in contact with Sam and after Sam met with Empty Set/Ron Asheton drummer, Billy Frank to form what became Ghosthouse, Steve agreed to help produce same tracks.
Recognizing Sam's talent and 'star quality', Billy convinced ex-Rain Parade guitarist John Thoman to join the embryonic line-up, as well as bringing in former Green On Red keyboardist Chris Cacavas, Kurt Kummerfeldt on bass and studio guru Larry Goetz (WAR, OPAL, and Edgar Winter) to work on the band’s third CD, »Devotion«..