“Good Tone and Emo Shit:” Ridgeway Ends My Summer Right

I have been gunning to see Ridgeway again since first catching their set with bands Soft Blue Shimmer and Downard last August…

Timing just so happened to work out perfectly this final week before classes start, as the four-piece from OC made their debut at the Lodge Room in Highland Park, LA. Hot on the heels of the young Eagle Rock trio Forsythia, Ridge took to the stage with their many years of DIY prowess and experience. Lead singer Alex Ybarra made a point to shout out the Lodge for its beauty and space, followed by a killer combination of new songs and throwbacks.

Ybarra says the troupe had to make their own way coming up through Orange County—nobody was really doing what they were doing at the time. Even now, he resonates more so with the midwest’s emo scene and DIY culture, as compared to the beach rock gaining so much traction in 2015 Southern California. Influenced by artists like Joyce Manor and Title Fight, he’s always prioritized “good tone and emo shit” at Ridgeway’s core.

We got to chatting about the band’s upcoming album Wall of Stars, the first single and corresponding music video for which dropped earlier this summer. In fact, Ridge played “Winding” live for us Thursday night, and the lyrics spoke for themselves: “there’s heartbreak in a heartbeat.” It’s certainly melancholy, employing simple chord progression to unleash the cause, course, and consequences of falling in and out of love, something Alex says their next record will be further exploring. 

For Jacob Beaver (bass/vocals), “one thing Ridgeway’s always had is friendship.” They started playing together when Beaver was still in high school but have weathered growing pains while each navigating their mid-20s. Doing what you love and loving what you do is a juggle these days, as Beaver works to support themself inside and outside of the band (book with them at the Southern Local for all your hair cut and color hopes and dreams). Yet with good tone and emo shit at their center, I truly believe that the members of Ridgeway share a common passion for what matters most. They’re “in it together to play the music and travel with it,” as long as we will have them; as far as Beaver’s concerned, they will be taking their music all the way to the grave.

We pair-shared our love and admiration for other bands like Pure Hex, Fauxes, and Chokecherry up north—also commending the sound of Downward who we desperately need to come back to the West Coast. Both Alex and Jacob also resonated with my hyperfixation on The OC (TV series 2003-2007), which they said does a really sick job at weaving together indie rock bands like Modest Mouse and The Walkmen into later seasons. 

My obsession with early 2000s music lore aside, Thursday night at the Lodge Room truly was the perfect end to my summer. End is the wrong word, though – if anything, chatting with Ridgeway marked the ultimate transition into my last semester of college. Although split between the NorCal and SoCal DIY scenes, I feel so grounded within DIY culture and could not be more excited to follow Ridgeway as they drop this next record and then tour accordingly. 

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Thank you to Pound Booking for putting such a killer lineup together, ft. Not From England and Hate Drugs, too. And, for those in LA, be sure to catch Ridgeway at Permanent Records Roadhouse, together with Fime, Cheridomingo, and Bed Bug, on September 1st. 

Love,

Nico