My friends and I have a habit of declaring “that would be a good band name” whenever someone says an odd or interesting phrase. A recent one was Invasive Species. (Several bands already beat us to it, so maybe it really is a good one.) It was a moment like that when James Loney named Lolo’s Ghost.
Loney says the name came from watching his cat chase something he and his friend could not see, but the musician assumed it was his previous pet.
“Lolo’s chasing the ghost of Jane,” he told a friend, who replied, “Lolo’s Ghost would be a cool name for a band.”
Loney agreed, and today he leads the long-time Minneapolis band, a rotating collective of musicians who have played together for more than sixteen years and shape the band’s sound from week to week.
His connection to music started early, though the only musician in his family was his grandmother, who played in burlesque shows in Minneapolis on Hennepin Avenue. He spent much of his childhood in foster homes where he first realized music could be a stabilizing force. He remembers listening to records in whatever home he was placed in, finding consistency in the artists he returned to.
“Music was always something that helped me get through those times,” Loney said.
He grew up listening to the Stones, Blue Öyster Cult, and Black Sabbath. He remembers the first concert he ever attended.
“My very first concert in 1980 was Black Sabbath and Blue Öyster Cult,” he said.
He later became a devoted U2 fan, following the band through multiple tours.
“I saw them over 30 times,” he said. “Some of those concerts I’ll never forget. Very magical, very cool band.”
His first band, House of Mirrors, recorded at Paisley Park in 1990, though he doesn’t revisit his past work often. He remembers the feeling of being in the studio, surrounded by equipment he had only seen in magazines, and the surreal experience of recording in a place so closely tied to Prince.
“My favorite music is always what’s most recent,” he said. “The longer you do this and the more shows you play and the more songs that you write, the better you’re going to get.”
He laughed about the idea of hearing those old recordings again.
“My first response is, boy, I don’t want to hear it,” he said. “I would probably laugh if I heard it.”
By the early 1990s, Loney stepped away from performing. He had been playing constantly for years, and the pace caught up with him.
“I just kind of got burned out,” he said. “I still wrote and recorded. I just didn’t want to play live music anymore.”
During that time, he worked as a runner for Jam Productions, assisting touring acts at venues across Minneapolis and Chicago. He handled backstage needs, transportation, errands, and anything required to keep a show on schedule. The job gave him a different view of the music industry, one that didn’t involve being on stage but still kept him close to the energy of live performance.
“I did it for 11 years,” he said. “I’ve worked for Boys to Men, Mary J. Blige, R. Kelly, Metallica, The Stones, U2, Bob Seger…”
He once took Alex Lifeson of Rush golfing. He also spent seven shows as a plant in a David Copperfield performance.
He also held a full-time job selling cars for 23 years and now works as a quality control inspector with the Luther Group. He said the job gave him stability during the years he wasn’t performing, and he appreciated the routine even while missing the creative outlet of music.
About 16 or 17 years ago, the desire to perform returned. He began attending shows again, reconnecting with musicians he had known for decades, and eventually found himself back on stage.
“I started loving it,” he said. “Music is a spiritual thing and it’s really important for me to play live music. We like to play weekly shows. It’s like going to church, keeps you spiritually fulfilled.”
Lolo’s Ghost operates differently from most bands. The lineup changes consistently as the musicians rotate shows based on availability. The band’s structure allows them to move in and out without disrupting the group’s identity. Loney said flexibility keeps the music fresh and prevents the band from becoming stagnant.
“Everybody’s pretty busy, but whatever configuration we have, it’s great,” said Loney. “You’ll never hear me say it’s my band because it’s really our band. Most of them I’ve been playing with for 16-plus years. If you saw a dozen shows in a row, you’re going to see a different show every single time.”
He refers to the guitarists as “the guitar department,” a joking acknowledgment of how interchangeable the lineup can be. He often doesn’t know who will be on stage until the week of a show.
Despite the shifting roster and the size of the band, the group rarely clashes. According to Loney, “I can’t ever remember having a dispute with any of the members of Lolo’s Ghost. We are a family and we don’t even fight.”
Many members maintain active schedules outside the Ghost.
“Paul the bass player plays with Run Westy Run,” Loney said. “Terry Isaacson plays with the Flamin Oh’s and several other bands. JJ has his own project. Colleen has her own band. Jimmy has his own thing. It’s called River Rats.”
Drummer Joe is exclusive to Lolo’s Ghost, though Loney keeps two backup drummers for when Joe travels. He said the rotating structure has become part of the band’s identity, and audiences have come to expect a slightly different version of Lolo’s Ghost each time they see them.
This year’s Silver Bay performances include a special guest: Matt Fink, better known as Dr. Fink, longtime keyboardist for Prince and The Revolution. Loney has played with Fink for years.
“Matt knows our material really, really well,” he said. “He produced our first three records.”
His career spans decades. He is best known for performing with Prince in surgical scrubs and a mask, a signature stage look during the Revolution era. He has worked with The Time, Lipps Inc., The Jets, Vanity 6, The Rembrandts, Shock G, and many others.
His work with Prince earned him three Grammy Awards, three American Music Awards, and multiple RIAA gold and platinum certifications. He will be performing at both Silver Bay shows and appears on the band’s upcoming record.
Loney is preparing to release a new 14-track album in October, The Glen Lake Sessions, which he credits to band member Pete Lack. Loney said Lack was one of his favorite songwriters back in the 80s. They reconnected after decades when both eulogized Steve Foley.
“I hadn’t talked to Pete for 15 years, and he showed up one night at Tuttle’s when we were playing,” Loney said. “He had been living in northern Washington for 30 years. He asked if he could fit in and I said, why don’t you just join the band?”
Lack was only supposed to be in town for a year but stayed longer. After six months, he pushed for a new record.
“We probably wouldn’t have made this record without Pete,” admitted Loney. “I know we wouldn’t have made it without Pete.”
Lack produced the album and recorded it at his late father’s art studio in Glen Lake. Loney said the space influenced the sound of the record, giving it a warmth and clarity that matched the personal nature of the songs. Prince’s longtime engineer Tom Garneau mixed and mastered the project.
Lack won’t be at Silver Bay this year, according to Loney. “He can’t make it. But then we got Matt. There’s always another guy that’ll step up.”
Loney has played Silver Bay’s Music in the Park Summer Concert Series before and looks forward to returning. He said the setting is one of the most memorable parts of the experience.
“It was awesome,” he said. “The hospitality of Nelson and Rocky Wall is so great. The accommodations are blown away.”
His gratitude runs through every part of his story.
“I’m very, very blessed to have experienced what I’ve experienced in life musically,” he said. “The thing that I hold on to the most is the gratitude.”
He recalls moments when listeners shared how his songs helped them through loss.
“What an absolute honor to touch people like that. When you’re a musician, you’re really a conduit of the spiritual realm that is music.”
He believes music is the most powerful force he knows.
“There’s no more powerful spiritual force in the world than music,” he said. “Everybody on the planet in some way, shape, or form is inspired by music.”
And for a band whose name began with a cat chasing something unseen, it makes sense that Lolo’s Ghost has become the thing Loney keeps chasing too. A weekly ritual. A spiritual practice. A rotating cast that shifts into keeping the music fresh, original, and ever-changing. And a new album on the horizon, releasing this fall.
Catch Lolo’s Ghost on Friday, July 24th on the City Center Park Stage in Silver Bay beginning at 7:30 PM. It is a free concert, produced by Rocky Wall Entertainment. The band is sticking around on Saturday for a Rocky Wall Benefit house Concert Fundraiser. Tickets are still available at the time of this writing. Visit rockywallentertainment.com for more information.
Keep an eye on lolosghost.com for news of Lolo’s Ghost’s new album, as well as more information about the band and the musicians that comprise it.
