The Ridges
- For the former grounds of the Athens Lunatic Asylum at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio see, Athens Lunatic Asylum.''
The Ridges are an orchestral folk rock band from Athens, Ohio. The band is made up of vocalist and guitarist Victor Rasgaitis, percussionist and vocalist Johnny Barton, and cellist and vocalist Talor Smith, who are frequently joined by up to six auxiliary musicians.
History
Formed out of the collaboration of longtime MusicAL duo Victor Rasgaitis (guitar, vocals) and Johnny Barton (percussion, glockenspiel, vocals) with the symphonic stylings of Talor Smith (cello, vocals), the trio met at Ohio University in Athens, OH. Regularly featuring a rotating cast of auxiliary musicians adding INSTRUMENTS ranging from additional cellos to viola, violin, trumpet, dulcimer, mandolin, washtub bass, vocals, additional percussion and accordion to compliment layered, introspective songwriting and passionate, high-energy performances, the ensamble brings to life a theme of dark romanticism emphasized by their name. The band name, taken from the allegedly haunted local victorian landmark that was formerly the Athens Asylum, speaks to the group's fascination with folklore and classical influences as well as their deep rooted connection to the city of Athens.
In the winter of 2010, The Ridges took to the mostly abandoned Athens Lunatic Asylum that bears their same name to record a 5-track, self-titled, "studio" release among the ancient halls, deteriorating wards and eerie operating rooms. The 5-track short-play album coping with themes of haunted pasts, death, love and awakenings, and backgrounded by the unique natural acoustics and legends of the building, is the band's first formal presentation of their richly layered sound.
The Ridges have notably shared the stage with Good Old War, Horse Feathers, These United States, Robert Francis, Revolver, American War and The Happy Maladies. The Ridges have also performed as featured showcase bands at The Clifton Heights Music Festival 3 and 4, and have been selected to play the 2011 MidPoint Music Festival and Indie Summer Series in Cincinnati, OH.
Discography
- 2011 The Ridges
- Album Credits
- Victor Rasgaitis (Vocals / Guitar), Talor Smith (Vocals / Cello), Johnny Barton (Vocals / Percussion / Glockenspiel), Shelby Knapke (Vocals), Nathan Zangmeister (Vocals / Bass / Mandolin), Colin Lambert (Cello), Sarah Edgerton (Viola / Violin), Katie McGonagle (Trumpet), Anna Wagner (Accordion), Erin Raby (Vocals), Jocelyn Young (Vocals), Produced by The Ridges & Matt Vollet, Engineered and Mixed by Matt Vollet, Mastered by Chris Graham, Art by John Burt Sanders, ©℗ 2011 The Ridges (ASCAP)
Press Highlights
- "A chilling and intriguing journey into the realm of the unknown" - AltOhio
- "Darkly romantic and entrancing" - ACRN
- "What Arcade Fire would sound like if Phil Spector were a member" - The Other Paper
- "Spoon's indie pop for smart grownups and Beirut's Old World instrumentation" - The Other Paper
- "If Fleet Foxes had a shady underbelly" - Red Said
- "Complex and intriguing" - ACRN
- "Moody strings and beautiful but fraught vocals" - No Depression
- "A unique sound, unmatched by many other folk bands" - The Lantern
- "Diverse instrumentation, solid songwriting and great vocal arrangements" - The Athens News