Player Plus Sessions: Ghostemane Showcases the Heavy Side of the Meteora HH

A truly genre-hopping visionary, Los Angeles-based artist Ghostemane (a.k.a. Eric Whitney) has built a prolific career and worldwide fanbase his own way.

Multiple projects in different styles of music, countless high-profile collabs and a steady stream of both singles and albums – three full-lengths in 2016 alone! — have made Ghostemane shows a popular ticket and his songs certified bangers.

Known for pushing the limits of music, Ghostemane was a perfect person to tap for Fender’s Player Plus Sessions to showcase the full sonic capabilities of the new Meteora HH.

Ghostemane’s set was nothing short of epic. Dimly lit with his bandmates all sequestered in stark glass enclosures, Ghostemane performed three tracks off his acclaimed 2020 album, Anti-Icon, that seamlessly run from rap to metal and industrial.

HIs aggressive sound has been cultivated since he began playing music as a teen growing up in Florida.

“I think subconsciously, I was always looking for more in terms of aggression,” he said. “What else is out there? How crazy does stuff get? My father was very anti-screaming music. He liked rock ‘n’ roll, classic rock, but everything outside of that was garbage.”

But his father did purchase him an acoustic guitar to learn how to play, which let to stints in several hardcore bands once he moved on to the electric.

“(The acoustic guitar) inspired me to work with what I’ve got,” said Ghostemane. “From when I got that first guitar, I knew I was going to do it forever.”

As for his style, Ghostemane has always loved to experiment.

“I set out to be this thing that was genre-bending, genre-hopping,” he said. “I think I look more for a sound first, and then I find the instrument that I believe can execute it the best. And once I know how to get that sound, I try to find other instruments to get that sound in their own way.”

That’s where the Meteora HH came into his Player Plus Session. Its comfortable offset body, powerful Fireball humbucking pickups and advanced electronics can handle his desire to push instruments beyond traditional capabilities.

“The Meteora is the best Fender I’ve ever played,” he said. “There’s something about this one. I wasn’t getting lost in the fretboard at all. The guitar is sort of geared towards heavier music in a way. It seems kind of groundbreaking for Fender.”

You can watch Ghostemane perform “Lazaretto,” “Hydrochloride” and “Vagabond” in the video above, and click here to shop the Player Plus Meteora HH.