Seattle band Origami Ghosts is the musical project of Bellevue, WA native John Paul Scesniak — traveler, teacher, artist, and musician. Since 2004 “JP” has surrounded himself with some of Seattle’s finest and most creative musicians to produce highly entertaining performances and unique recordings, all under the Origami Ghosts moniker. Origami Ghosts make warm and soulful folk-rock music, with a priority on melody. Growing up a huge fan of folk, pop, R & B, hip-hop, and rock music — as well as being immersed in the steady, festive, and joyous sounds of marching band music as the son of a college football coach — Scesniak began writing “bedroom pop” songs in the early 90’s and began studying the guitar at the University of Washington in 1996. Throughout the following decade, Scesniak performed his songs at open-mics, house parties, artist lofts, art galleries, cafes, bars, and clubs around Seattle, Japan, and France – under the names: John Scesniak, Paper People, and Jean-Paul de Bellevue. Many of these songs were inspired by the extensive traveling that Scesniak did in Asia, Europe, Australia and Brazil in the 2000’s while teaching ESL overseas. When Scesniak collaborated some of his songs with friend and Hammered Dulcimer player Joel Hanson (first in 2000 but later more seriously in 2004) the two formed a duo group and had a show lined up at Seattle’s Neumo’s venue — where Origami Ghosts were born in March of 2005.
Now consisting of a revolving cast of players, Origami Ghosts is a musical vehicle for the songs of J.P. Scesniak and the talented friends whom he surrounds himself with. JPS is constantly reshaping and recreating his voice and style, and has written and produced hundreds of songs and recordings — with only a chosen few documented on Origami Ghosts releases. Origami Ghosts has performed at artist lofts, open mics, dive bars, street corners, prestigious clubs, bowling alleys, squats, living rooms, and college auditoriums across the US, Europe, Japan, and China for more than a decade. Scesniak’s style drives the Origami Ghosts engine– finger picked, jangly and angular guitar playing (often with a swinging tempo) coupled with soulful, abstract, personal and heartfelt vocal melodies and lyrical content. Origami Ghosts can be one — Scesniak — or many; the latter currently combines the songwriting of Scesniak with the intricate accordion playing and singing of Kara Wiggert, and the stylistically moved synth, piano, and flute playing of Cassandra Wulff; while bass and drums help move the music to a danceable groove. The band has an “indie” folk-rock sound with a strong diy ethos. The current Origami Ghosts lineup has Scesniak (guitar/vocals), Cassandra Wulff (roland synth/vocals), Wiggert (accordion/vocals), Emory Liu (tour drummer), Kelly Viergutz (drums), and Peter Lynch (Trumpet, Bass, & Moral Support).