Bandits on the Run are transcendent on their latest song, “You Are Not a Ghost.” The band’s normally joyous exuberance takes a back seat as lead singer Regina Strayhorn turns her pen towards her family history.
“‘You Are Not A Ghost’ is a conversation between me and my ancestors – particularly with Isaac Strayhorn, my great grandfather; an outspoken Black man, who was lynched in rural Eastern North Carolina in the 1940s,” says Strayhorn. “He was known as the town poet. I like to think that Isaac occasionally whispers lines he didn’t get to write in his own time into my ear.”
She continues, “This song is a wrestling match between depression, tendencies toward self-abandonment, limiting patterns, deep self-love, and the awareness that to live freely in the here and now is my birthright and gift to enjoy. This is true for us all. As Bandits, all of our songs start with a seed of a big feeling from one of us and are nurtured and grown and supported by the group. This song is no exception, it’s a collaboration between me and my best friends and bandmates, Sydney Torin Shepherd and Adrian Blake Enscoe.”
In this video, the Bandits are joined by Les Strayhorn Jr. — my wonderful father and Isaac’s Grandson — as well as by dear friend and frequent collaborator Sienna Sears. This performance was shot and edited by Paul Emile, recorded by Carl Bespolka, and mixed by William Garrett and Carl Bespolka.
You can save “You are Not a Ghost” on your preferred streaming service here.
Bandits on the Run — WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | SPOTIFY | YOUTUBE
Bandits on the Run Tour Dates
8/1 – 8/3 – Appleton, WI – Mile of Music
8/5 – 8/8 – Lyons, CO -The Song School
8/9 – Lyons, CO – Rocky Mountain Folks Festival
8/10 – Gallup, NM – Levitt Amp
8/30 – 9/2- Orlando, FL – Raglan Road
9/11 – Woodbridge, NJ – Parker Press Park
9/13 – Somerville, MA – The Burren^
9/14 – Northampton, MA – The Parlor Room^
^John Gallagher Jr. opens