ghostplay is an experimental rock band from Sacramento, California, drawing from a mix of shoegaze, dream pop, post-punk, and electronic music. With influences ranging from Black Marble, Exploded View, DIIV, Motorama and Lebanon Hanover to the early drum-machine era of Beach House, the band’s sound doesn’t always fit neatly into one genre. Blending melodic guitars, driving basslines, electronic textures, and atmospheric vocals, ghostplay moves between dreamy, ambient passages and more rhythm-driven arrangements.

Formed in 2012 by Jason and Leticia, ghostplay released their debut EP, 33, in 2015 through Noise Loves Audio, followed by their first full-length album, Zelpha, in 2024 through Sacramento-based independent label sac.indie.music records. Recorded over several years, Zelpha was produced and mixed by longtime collaborator Monte Vallier (Swell, Half Church) of Ruminator Audio in San Francisco. The album brings together ten songs exploring personal experiences, loss, change, and the everyday complexities of life.

In 2026, two ghostplay songs, “Bombshells” and “Drift,” were featured in Control Resonant, a video game developed by Remedy Entertainment and released worldwide for PlayStation 5, Xbox, and PC.

As of 2026 the band is currently working on a new EP, once again collaborating with Vallier, while preparing to return to the stage with a new live set. The upcoming material continues ghostplay’s exploration of different sounds and musical ideas.

Press:

“ghostplay, a super creative and uncategorizable (dark, melodi-gaze?) band.” – Monte Vallier, Ruminator Audio and Swell

“Zelpha, an existential collage of dream pop and experimental rock.”  – Alice Teeple, Post-Punk.com

“ghostplay mesmerize with ethereal soundscapes.” – Cristian Gonzalez, Solving Sacramento

“Swirling ambient electronic rockers.” – Aaron Davis, The Sacramento Bee

“Local dream-pop trio ghostplay, whose shimmering, emotive songs are sure to captivate listeners…” – Steph Rodriguez, Solving Sacramento