My 2020 summer was certainly brightened by Ripley Johnson‘s solo project Rose City Band and his album Summerlong and I’m not talking about the sunset orange coloured vinyl I purchased, although that was a lovely touch. In his review of this 2020 release (also featured in Lost in Transmission No 57), Bob Fish was also moved by the light – “Ripley Johnson’s Rose City Band is still able to provide the soundtrack for both old and new generations of cosmic travellers. With Summerlong he has proved that even in the dark days there is always hope for rebirth close at hand.”
We have a further cosmic voyage to enjoy with Earth Trip, set for release on 21 May via Thrill Jockey. We can expect some recurring themes – pining for summers spent in the company of friends to newer meditations on space, stillness and the splendour of the natural world.
The album’s first single “Lonely Places” captures the sheer joy and freedom of losing oneself in nature, an ode to the wealth of natural beauty the west coast provides, as well as the importance of appreciating wild, open spaces. On the song, Johnson says: “When everything stopped and I was no longer in constant motion, traveling all the time, I had so much time to really think about place. And really experience being in one place for an extended time. I was sort of stuck in a rural area for a while at the end of the summer, basically camping. But I found it so nourishing to be in nature all day, sleeping when it got dark, waking with the sun. Bathing outside. It was lonely and sad, but also joyful and life affirming.”
Recorded primarily at his home in Portland and mixed by Cooper Crain (Bitchin’ Bajas, Cave), the songs on Earth Trip make deft use of space through their lean arrangements, guest Barry Walker’s shimmering pedal steel, open and elongated guitar melodies, and upfront and intimate vocals. Earth Trip’s first LP pressing will include deluxe die-cut windowed packaging with 4-color printing on both the outside and inside of the jacket, also with fully artworked heavy-weight cardstock printed inner sleeve and limited color variants. Limited packages include special Rose City Band totes, rolling papers, and stickers.
https://rosecityband.bandcamp.com/album/earth-trip