Local band Ridgeliners blend a distinct sort of Americana with soaring country-rock affectations that hits the soul like a northbound train. It’s music that rattles you, shakes the bones, gets the heart beating out of the chest. It sounds like wind screaming over mountains in a thunderstorm, the earth shaking beneath your feet as the future descends over the horizon. The new band is already making a name for themselves with their recently released self-titled EP and a show at Cervantes’ on June 19th opening for the legendary Blind Melon, a show that will precede the band’s first major tour.
303 Magazine recently spoke with Ridgeliners founders Justin Long and Michael Williams about the band’s origins, what they draw inspiration from, pushing boundaries through collaboration and much more.
Profile — BRUHA Meld Heritage and Innovation (Exclusive Interview)
303 Magazine: Ridgeliners originated as a duo. How did the project originate?
Ridgeliners: We did start as a duo. We originally found a musical connection at a late night jam session in Denver. Mike ended up moving to Salt Lake, but we later connected when we were both focused on our solo projects. Our first writing sessions and business flow of booking our first tour went so well that it only felt right we really started a project together.
303: When and why did you decide to expand into a full band?
Ridgeliners: We had considered expanding our sound for a bit and In March we did our first full band show. Because it was a small rowdy music venue, having a band felt like the move to keep the crowd engaged. The show was in Salt Lake and ended up being one hell of a night; sold out and the feedback was great. It definitely felt good to play with a bigger sound. Although we love playing as a duo as well and will continue to do duo shows, having the full band opens up different kinds of opportunities and helps us get a crowd dancing. It’s also just fun sharing the stage and the lifestyle with other talented people.
303: You really explore all forms of Americana in your music. Tell me how you found your sound.
Ridgeliners: We share a lot of the same interests in music but also have different inspirations. Collaborating together pushes our boundaries and helps us create something unique. The Country-Americana genre is also already somewhat of a melting pot so we are able to experiment with different arrangements and styles while still staying in the realm.
303: It feels to me like your songwriting process is incredibly collaborative. Walk me through what your process is like? Does one of you tend to lead or is it fully 50-50?
Ridgeliners: We have had an awesome collaborative process. Because we live in different states. We block off entire weekends to write. This gives us a sense of urgency when we get in a room and fuels productivity. Mike leans melody and vocals, while Justin leans guitar, arrangement, production, but we overlap, collaborate, and work together through each step.
303: What do you draw inspiration from? Is it mostly other artists or life experiences? Books, movies, friends, family? What informs your music?
Ridgeliners: We get inspired by a lot of musicians for sure, but also just life experience in general. Not necessarily always personal, but we can dig into a story and play the character.
303: You just released your self-titled EP after a slew of singles. What was the recording process like?
Ridgeliners:The recording process was awesome. Mike was able to get his feet wet in the studio and provide some fresh perspective, while Justin is more of a studio veteran, providing insights and connections that really fueled the process. We were able to work with an amazing engineer, Andreas Landeck, both in the professional environment and home studios. Some of it was remote, recording in different states and some of it being full-day sessions as a team.
303: This is a broad question I like to ask artists so feel free to answer however you’d like. Do you have a philosophy when it comes to creating?
Ridgeliners: My personal philosophy is to write what you feel. As hard as it is, try to not think about what the audience thinks but what feels genuine to your own craft. A collaborative project requires some compromise within that, so it’s important to trust in your collaborative partner and create what feels good to the vision. Songwriting is capturing a moment and a feeling, so it’s important to put it out there regardless if that feeling changes over time.
303: Tell me about opening for Blind Melon. That’s huge! Congrats, y’all. Where and when’s the show and how did that come together?
Ridgeliners: The show is this Thursday June 19th at Cervantes Ballroom. This is honestly a very big show for us to get as a young band, but we have been building in the scene as musicians for a long time and the commitment to hard work of everyone on the team has helped us step up to the plate. But what got us here, above all, is the music. We’ve put in the time crafting songs that feel true to us and it means a ton to see people resonating with them
303: You’re about to embark on a rather extensive summer tour. Tell me about it!
Ridgeliners: We have 12 shows in some of our favorite places around Colorado and Utah. We have lots of fun outdoor shows in the mountains and barn-burners in town. You can find more information on our website
303: Finally, is there anything else you’d like to mention that maybe I didn’t touch on or anyone you’d like to shout out?
Ridgeliners: Along with the EP we just released three full length live music videos on Youtube! We can’t thank everyone enough for listening thus far and we are excited to see what the future holds.
Stream Ridgeliners’ self titled EP here!
Get tickets to their June 19th show at Cervantes’ opening for Blind Melon here!